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Green Lentil Soup from Le Puy with Herbs
Recipe

Green Lentil Soup from Le Puy with Herbs

Starter • France

A comforting soupe made with French green lentils (Le Puy), gently simmered with mirepoix-style aromatics, finished with thyme, parsley and a touch of Dijon for brightness.

Why smarter

Le Puy lentils provide plant protein and fibre for a satisfying starter, while a vegetable-forward base and modest olive oil keep it balanced and everyday-healthy.

Chef tip

For a silkier texture without cream, blend just 1–2 ladles of the soup and stir back in; it thickens naturally from the lentils.

Soft line

Serve with a slice of wholegrain bread for a simple, complete start to the meal.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1.000 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 1 medium onion, finely diced 1.000 medium onion finely diced
3 2 carrots, peeled and diced 2.000 medium carrots peeled and diced
4 2 celery stalks, diced 2.000 stalks celery diced
5 2 cloves garlic, minced 2.000 cloves garlic minced
6 200 g French green lentils (lentilles vertes du Puy), rinsed 200.000 g French green lentils (Le Puy) rinsed
7 1 bay leaf 1.000 bay leaf
8 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried) 1.000 tsp thyme fresh leaves preferred
9 1.2 L low-sodium vegetable stock 1.200 L vegetable stock low-sodium
10 1 tbsp tomato paste 1.000 tbsp tomato paste
11 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1.000 tsp Dijon mustard
12 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar) 1.000 tbsp red wine vinegar adjust to taste
13 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 2.000 tbsp flat-leaf parsley chopped
14 Fine sea salt, to taste sea salt to taste
15 Freshly ground black pepper, to taste black pepper to taste

Method

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned.
  2. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the rinsed Le Puy lentils, bay leaf and thyme. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a gentle boil.
  4. Reduce to a simmer and cook 25–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape. Add a splash of water if the soup becomes too thick.
  5. Remove the bay leaf. For a slightly thicker texture, blend 1–2 ladles of soup and stir back in (optional).
  6. Off the heat, stir in the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and chopped parsley. Season with black pepper and additional salt to taste. Serve hot as a starter.