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Hearty and stew-like, this nutrient-dense lentil soup is loaded with veggies and lean beef and makes a deliciously comforting one-pot meal.

Grass-Fed Beef and Lentil Soup

For kid appeal, call this hearty, wholesome, one-pot meal Hamburger Lentil Soup!
Yield: 3½ quarts (it's a big batch－plenty for leftovers, to freeze, or to share.)
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoons (14ml) olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef, grass-fed if desired
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (or ¾ teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
  • 2 quart-size cartons (8 cups) chicken broth or stock **see tip below
  • 2 cups (380g) dry lentils, green or brown
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon

    salt (or to taste) and cracked pepper to taste
)

  • Optional extras: 1 small bunch kale (~6 ounces), stemmed and chopped, or other dark, leafy greens of choice (~3 ounces once stemmed or 3 packed cups); Grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Gruyere cheese for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven (6 quart minimum), heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until wilted and golden in spots, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and brown it, crumbling as you go. Add the garlic and sauté another minute.
  2. Add the carrots through oregano, bring to a simmer, and cook 40-50 minutes, partially covered, or until the lentils are just tender. (Start checking lentils for doneness after 30 minutes, as age of lentils and simmer level will affect cook time.)
  3. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, and optional kale during last 10 minutes of cooking time. Taste and adjust seasonings, ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese, if using.
  4. Slow cooker option: Brown beef, onions, and garlic as directed above. Transfer to slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients through the oregano. Cover and cook on low heat 6-7 hours or on high 3-4 hours, or until lentils are just tender. As slow cookers vary from model to model, check early to avoid mushy lentils. Add the optional kale in the final 15 minutes. When done, stir in the sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings, ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with cheese, if using.

Notes

Tip 1: Despite what it may seem, a 16-ounce bag of lentils is more than 2 cups, as 1 cup of lentils weighs 190 grams or 6.7 ounces. To avoid a too-thick outcome if you don't have a kitchen scale, measure the lentils to just below the top edge of a one cup dry measuring cup. 
Tip 2: As the lentils sit, they continue to absorb liquid. You may wish to keep extra broth on hand to thin the leftovers to your preferred consistency. If you'd prefer a brothier consistency from the start, you can make the soup with 1½ cups of lentils instead of 2 cups. 
A few more things... If you'd prefer a meatier soup, you may increase the ground beef by ½ to 1 pound. In this case, you may also wish to have more broth on hand or reduce the lentils to 1½ cups. If you enjoy the flavor of sausage, you may instead make this soup with Italian sausage, removed from its casings. For sausage flavor without nitrates, nitrites, etc., I recommend this recipe for Homemade Sausage. 
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