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    You are here: Home » Food » Soups

    Easy Lentil Soup Recipe with Smoked Mushrooms

    January 18, 2017 By Mary 11 Comments

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    Jump to Recipe

    Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms is an incredibly comforting, wholesome, nourishing, vegetarian and vegan, smoked mushroom soup that is dairy-free, gluten-free, with no added sugar.

    Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms in a dutch oven

    Don’t be scared though, this lentil soup recipe has incredible flavor and is pure comfort for a cold winter.

    And if you don’t have a smoker you can easily sauté the mushrooms instead.

    Jump to:
    • Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms
    • Ingredients
    • Mushrooms
    • Smoking the Mushrooms
    • How to Make Lentil Soup
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Soup Recipes
    • Lentil Soup Recipe with Smoked Mushrooms

    Wholesome and clean soups are perfect for the new year when you need a little bit of a reset. Or perhaps just a weeknight meal when you want something light and fresh, and meat-free (even us hard core carnivores need a couple days a week without meat!).

    In trying to compromise making something meat-free (and also sugar-free) we decided on one of our favorite soups, but altered it a bit to make it less rich — A Lentil Soup Recipe with some Smoked Mushrooms. We often make a creamy version of mushroom soup, but I wanted to cut the cream and add more vegetables. This is it!

    Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms

    smoked mushrooms in a bowl

    Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms combines a classic lentil soup, with the added richness of smoked mushrooms. It’s comforting, wholesome, nourishing, vegetarian and vegan, and also dairy-free, gluten-free, with no added sugar.

    It starts with the secret (not-so-secret) ingredient, smoked mushrooms.

    Ingredients

    In addition to the smoked mushrooms we like to have a hearty amount of vegetables and a good broth.

    • Classic Trinity: Celery, carrots and onions are the base in addition to garlic and the mushrooms.
    • Stock: A good low sodium vegetable stock keeps the lentil soup vegetarian. You can add the salt yourself as you season the soup.
    • Herbs: Adding aromatics enhances the flavor. A bunch of fresh thyme wrapped with kitchen string is nice flavor as well as a dried bay leaf.
    • Lentils: We recommend brown or green lentils for this lentil soup.

    Mushrooms

    Cremini mushrooms are our favorite for this recipe because they have a meatier flavor than button (white) mushrooms. It’s also very easy to add any additional mushrooms or mix it up. If you do mix up the mushrooms consider shiitake as the next alternative.

    Our ratio is 1 pound of cremini mushrooms for this recipe. If you add more mushrooms 4 ounces is the max to avoid the soup from being too dense.

    Smoking the Mushrooms

    Mushrooms cooking on a smoker
    1. Prepare Mushrooms: Coat mushrooms well with olive oil, salt and pepper. Be generous with this as it’s the only time you’ll be seasoning your mushrooms. If you feel like adding your favorite dry rub to the mushrooms go for it. We like to keep it simple with salt and pepper.
    2. Smoke Mushrooms: Place them on your smoker set to 200 degrees for up to 45 minutes. You may want to check on them after 30 minutes, and taste one to see if you’re liking the flavor. We found the shiitakes needed less time on the smoker as they take to the flavor much quicker, but the creminis need at last 45 minutes or so. Just be sure to monitor them and adjust cooking times to how you like the flavor.
    3. Remove from Smoker: When they’re done just remove them and slice them when they’re cool enough to work with.
    Mushrooms after they have been smoked on a cookie drying rack.

    How to Make Lentil Soup

    1. Soften Vegetables: Cook onions, carrots, and celery in a large pot or Dutch oven until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
    2. Add Liquids and Herbs: Add the vegetable stock, thyme, lentils, bay leaf and the sliced smoked mushrooms.
    3. Simmer: Stir together and simmer 20-30 minutes, until lentils have softened.
    4. Serve: The lentils and the mushrooms will make the dish hearty and substantial enough to satisfy you as a stand-alone meal.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I need to soak lentils before cooking them?

    No. The lentils do not require you to soak them before using them in soup. Just rinse them in cold water, then add them to the cooking broth and they will soften in around 20 minutes.

    Can you smoke mushrooms?

    Yes. Because mushrooms retain a lot of water they are a great vegetable to smoke and still maintain a nice texture. Smoke at a low heat (under 225 degrees F) for the best flavor and texture.

    Which lentils are best for soup?

    Lentils that tend to hold their texture and not soften too much are best. Brown and green are best for soups because they stay al dente (slightly firm) after they have been simmered. Red/Yellow tend to get real soft and almost mushy if cooked too long.

    Lentil soup with smoked mushrooms in a bowl

    More Soup Recipes

    • Smoked Sausage & Lentil Soup
    • Wild Mushroom Soup with Sherry and Thyme
    • Smoked Butternut Squash Soup
    • Smoked Chicken and Salsa Verde Soup
    • Chicken Tortilla Soup
    Fire and Wine Cookbook

    This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on the link, we may receive a small commission if you purchase through the link. We partner with brands we know and love and use and it helps keep the blog going!

    Mary (a certified sommelier and recipe developer) and Sean (backyard pitmaster) are co-authors of the critically acclaimed cookbook, Fire + Wine, and have been creating content for the IACP nominated website Vindulge since 2009. They live in Oregon on a farm just outside Portland.

    If you like this recipe we’d truly appreciate it if you would give this recipe a star review! And if you share any of your pics on Instagram use the hashtag #vindulge. We LOVE to see it when you cook our recipes. 

    Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms in a Dutch Oven

    Lentil Soup Recipe with Smoked Mushrooms

    Vegetarian and vegan, dairy free, sugar free, Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms. Incredibly nourishing and wholesome! Not to mention ridiculously delicious!!!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 152kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $10

    Ingredients

    To Smoke the Mushrooms:

    • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed (also called “baby bella”)
    • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms optional but delicious add on.
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

    For the Soup:

    • 1 medium white onion, diced (about 1 ½ cup)
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
    • 2 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 6 cups vegetable stock
    • ½ cup green lentils
    • 10 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string
    • 1 bay leaf
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    For the Smoked Mushrooms:

    • Preheat smoker to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. We like using fruit woods like cherry or apple for vegetables.
    • Season: In a large bowl toss the mushrooms with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until well coated. Lay out evenly on a baking sheet or lined tray.
    • Smoke: Place the tray on the smoker, cover, and smoke for approximately 45 minutes. Taste one to see if you like the smoke infusion. Remove from smoker. When cool enough to work with, slice the mushrooms.

    For the Soup:

    • Sauté: In a med-large saucepan over medium heat add one tablespoon of olive oil and the onions. Cook 5 minutes, until starting to get soft. Add the carrots and celery. Stir together and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
    • Simmer: Add the vegetable stock, lentils, thyme, bay leaf and the sliced smoked mushrooms. Stir together and simmer 20-30 minutes, until lentils have softened.

    Notes

    We recommend green lentils for this recipe. If you use red lentils, be sure to watch the time on the simmer. Red lentils can soften much faster than others and overcook quickly. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1167mg | Potassium: 681mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3965IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge
    « Weekend Wine Love – A baker’s dozen
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. baltisraul says

      June 30, 2018 at 8:13 am

      4 stars
      What flavor wood chips did you use in your smoker? I used cherry on hand and it was a good choice for us.

      Reply
      • Mary says

        June 30, 2018 at 11:57 am

        We use fruit woods, either cherry or apple since that is readily available here in the Northwest!

        Reply
    2. Jenni says

      January 19, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      You can really do sooo much with a smoker that I would have never even thought about. This soup looks divine. Did you know that January is National Soup Month? Good timing on this post!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        January 19, 2017 at 4:41 pm

        Ohhh I did NOT know that! I’m always the last to know about food holidays 😉

        Reply
    3. Create/Enjoy says

      January 19, 2017 at 2:14 pm

      I have been really into soups this time of year too!!! I have a hard time getting enough protein so I usually add meat and get a full meal including veggies, protein, fat, and some carbs like potatoes. One-pot meals like soups are so perfect this time of year!

      Reply
      • Mary says

        January 19, 2017 at 2:20 pm

        We sometimes add potatoes to this soup, and it’s hearty and delicious. But this time I wanted to focus on just veggies. That’s the beauty of soups, you can add or take away whatever the heck you want 😉

        Reply
    4. Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

      January 19, 2017 at 2:01 pm

      It’s definitely soup season. And I love how your husband made you homemade vegetable stock. SO sweet!

      Reply
    5. Erin (Platings and Pairings) says

      January 19, 2017 at 12:22 pm

      That is the sweetest thing ever! I want my boyfriend to make me vegetable stock!!! But I’ll settle for him doing the dishes 😉

      Reply
      • Mary says

        January 19, 2017 at 12:29 pm

        It was pretty awesome. Especially because I was in a pretty bad mood earlier that day (due to the weather!!!). It completely turned my mood around 🙂

        Reply

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    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

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