Creamy Tomato Soup with Lentils
Most tomato soups offer comfort and not much else. This one stirs nonfat yogurt into a puréed tomato base for creaminess without the calories, then folds in whole canned lentils that push the bowl to 17g of protein and 6g of fiber in 236 calories.
Nine ingredients, twenty minutes, and you need nothing fancier than an immersion blender.
Most tomato soups offer comfort and not much else. This one stirs nonfat yogurt into a puréed tomato base for creaminess without the calories, then folds in whole canned lentils that push the bowl to 17g of protein and 6g of fiber in 236 calories.
Nine ingredients, twenty minutes, and you need nothing fancier than an immersion blender.
Ingredients
- onion 0.25
- garlic 1 clove
- olive oil 0.5 tablespoon
- diced tomatoes 8.5 ounce
- vegetable bouillon 1 cube
- water 5 fluid ounces
- Italian seasoning 2 teaspoons
- yogurt, nonfat 3 fluid ounces
- lentils, canned 3 ounces
Method
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Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
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In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until they become soft and translucent.
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Dissolve the bouillon cube in water.
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Add the diced tomatoes, broth and Italian seasoning to the pot. Season with pepper to taste.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pot from heat and let the soup cool slightly.
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Drain the lentils briefly.
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Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy.
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Return the soup to low heat. Stir in the yogurt until well combined.
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Add the lentils to the soup and heat for a few more minutes until they are warmed through.
Let the soup cool for a minute after blending before you add the yogurt. Nonfat varieties have less fat to stabilize them in hot liquid, and stirring them into a pot that is still bubbling turns the texture grainy. Low heat and patience keep it silky.
Researchers tested lentils in three meals: muffin, chili, and soup. The insulin reduction? Muffin: 8 to 14 percent. Chili: 25 to 37 percent. Soup: 54 to 55 percent. The liquid format appears to slow how the body breaks down lentil starch and fiber, producing a slow, steady release rather than the steep climb and crash of a high-glycemic meal.
Chamoun et al., 2024 — Nutrients · DOIBehind this recipe
Can I use dried lentils instead of canned?
Yes. Cook them separately until tender first, about 20 to 25 minutes for green or brown lentils. The 20-minute total time assumes canned lentils that are already cooked. Red lentils break down faster but will dissolve into the soup instead of staying whole.
Why add the lentils after blending?
Texture. Blending gives the tomato base a smooth, creamy consistency, and adding whole lentils after creates a contrast you can feel with each spoonful. If you blend the lentils in, you lose that texture and end up with a uniform purée.
Is 17 grams of protein enough for one meal?
Research on per-meal protein absorption found the body can process far more than the old 30-gram-per-sitting limit suggested. At 17g from lentils and yogurt, nothing goes to waste. If you want to push the protein higher, a side of bread with cheese or a handful of nuts adds without competing with the soup’s flavors.
Read the full evidence reviewWhy does the soup format matter for lentils?
When researchers tested lentils across three different meals, soup produced the strongest effect on blood sugar and insulin. The same lentils in a muffin barely changed insulin levels. In chili, the effect was moderate. In soup, insulin dropped by 54 to 55 percent compared to a potato control. The liquid format appears to slow how quickly the body accesses the lentils’ starch and fiber.
