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!
Don’t be scared though, this lentil soup recipe has incredible flavor and is pure comfort for a cold winter.
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
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.
How to Smoke 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.
- 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.
- When they’re done just remove them and slice them when they’re cool enough to work with.
How to Make Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms
- Soften Vegetables: Cook onions, carrots, and celery in a large saucepan until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Then add the smoked mushrooms.
- Add Liquids and Herbs: Add the vegetable stock, thyme, lentils, bay leaf and the sliced smoked mushrooms.
- Simmer: Stir together and simmer 20-30 minutes, until lentils have softened.
- Serve: The lentils and the mushrooms will make the dish hearty and substantial enough to satisfy you as a stand-alone meal.
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.
Lentil Soup with Smoked Mushrooms Recipe
Smoked Mushroom and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
To Smoke the Mushrooms:
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms, “baby bella”, cleaned and stems removed
- 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
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
Instructions
For the Smoked Mushrooms:
- Preheat smoker to 200 degrees.
- 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 (shown in photos above).
- 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 into thin slices.
For the Soup:
- In a med-large saucepan add one tablespoon of olive oil and the onions. Cook 5 minutes, until starting to get tender. Add the carrots and celery. Stir together and cook an additional 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the vegetable stock, thyme, lentils, bay leaf and the sliced smoked mushrooms. Stir together and simmer 20-30 minutes, until lentils have softened.
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baltisraul says
What flavor wood chips did you use in your smoker? I used cherry on hand and it was a good choice for us.
Mary says
We use fruit woods, either cherry or apple since that is readily available here in the Northwest!