Lentils Are The Simple Way To Bulk Up A Comforting Tomato Soup

No matter the season, you can always count on a steaming bowl of creamy tomato soup to bring you comfort and warmth. Tasty and easy to prepare aside, a spoonful of the soup can bring back a ton of nice childhood memories for lots of people. However, as timeless as the classic recipe is, there are a lot of easy upgrades for the soup that can take it to the next level. Here's one for today: If you'd like a heartier and more wholesome version, add lentils.

By stirring lentil beans into a simmering pot of tomato soup, you're not only adding bulk to the soup with the soft, creamy legumes, you're also introducing a broad range of new flavors to it, as well. The earthy notes of lentils beautifully complement the bright and tangy tomatoes, creating a much more complex and satiating flavor profile than what the tomatoes on their own would be able to achieve. So, from a simple appetizer or a light pick-me-up, a can of lentils can help you turn your tomato soup into a full-fledged meal. Not bad for a one-ingredient upgrade.

First, let's talk about the lentils. You can pick any variety of lentils, but fresh will be best. While they might need an overnight soak for easier digestion (though this step is optional), their flavor is undeniably superior to the canned stuff. Nonetheless, if you're in a time crunch, canned lentils will do the trick just fine, so long that you give them a thorough rinse first to take out all the sodium, else, you'd get an overly salty pot of soup.

Anyhow, once you've had your lentils, start by making your tomato soup exactly like how you've always made it — that's the good news: if you have a favorite tomato soup recipe, you can keep on using that. In the step where you'd add the tomatoes, immediately follow up with the lentils. For even more flavor, pour a can of broth (vegetable or chicken is fine) into the soup for every cup of lentils you use, too.

And that's that. Close the lid and let the lentils cook alongside the tomatoes until the legumes begin to soften a little and the fragrance of the soup fills the air, which should take about 20 or so minutes of cooking. Give the lentil tomato soup a quick taste once your timer rings, and should everything taste right, ladle it out to serve.

Don't have lentils on hand? No worries. If you have a well-stocked pantry, the odds are good that you'd be able to find some other tasty alternatives in there. You can try your hands at making a smoky tomato and cannellini bean soup, instead. These white kidney beans can bring a lovely texture and nutty, earthy flavor that perfectly balances the sweet-tart tomatoes just like the lentils. Black beans are another great option, but it'd bring a milder taste compared to white. In return, the denser texture of the beans should give you an even heartier soup.

And for the hummus fans out there, why not give chickpeas a shot if you have some to spare? These creamy little beans will thicken your soup beautifully while adding their signature nutty flavor into the mix, as well.

The beauty of this upgrade is its flexibility. Feel free to experiment with different legumes — almost any popular canned bean can work wonders in your tomato soup. No matter what you end up choosing, we're certain that once you've tried out this nutty twist, tomato soup will be a mainstay in your recipe drawer for years to come.