Taco Lentil Soup

We had a great deal of snow fall this past weekend. Oklahoma is starting to look like most northern states this winter instead of what it usually looks like: a dry an barren wasteland.

I froze my tush off and sat under my bird feeder to try an snag a shot of our resident cardinal family to no avail. I got a few quick snaps of some finches and chickadees, but that’s it. I really need to invest in a longer lens one of these days so I don’t have to get so close to get a good shot.

I love walking around our property and taking pictures in the snow. It’s so peaceful and serene and the beauty is astounding to me. It helped that we had a light icing beneath the snow so I could snap some pics of the glaze on top of the dried out vegetation.

The snow and cold had me craving a big heaping bowl of soup, that’s for sure. You know I’ve been on a major soup kick this year and this weekend was no different. I made a taco soup I think is different and tasty and one that people will be able to put into their rotation this winter.

I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, but I like eating vegan/vegetarian foods on a semi-regular basis. This recipe piqued my interest because it swapped out chicken or beef with lentils. I adore lentils. They are the hearty backbone to any vegan meal. If you haven’t ever tried I lentils, I recommend you try them asap! You don’t have to soak them overnight like beans, and they take no time to get tender in a pot.

This soup was extremely flavorful, much to my delight. You can top it with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, tortilla strips and jalapenos if you want, but I found just a little sprinkle of cilantro made it taste the best.

Enjoy!

Taco Lentil Soup

• Servings: 8-10
• Time: 45 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

An extremely hearty vegan soup with lentils, corn and black beans.

Ingredients

• 1 TBS. olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBS. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 3 TBS. chipotle chiles in adobo
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
• 1 (32 oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 lb. lentils
• 32 oz. V8 or vegetable juice
• 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
• Cilantro, tortilla strips, cheese, sour cream, for topping

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in spice and chipotle in adobo. Let cook for 1 minute until spices are fragrant.
3. Add black beans, corn, tomatoes, lentils, V8 and coconut milk to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
4. Serve soup topped with cilantro, tortilla strips, cheese, or sour cream.