Beef & Lentil Soup: A Cozy High Protein One Pot Dinner

Beef & Lentil Soup

Here is a one pot dinner that quietly becomes a favorite: Beef & Lentil Soup. It takes ground beef, a pile of vegetables and lentils, then leans on warm Moroccan inspired spicing to keep every spoonful interesting.

The idea came from a simple upgrade. The author took a Best Ever Lentil Soup and added ground beef plus Moroccan spicing, which turned it into a hearty, economical, complete dinner you can make in one pot. The original Beef and Lentil Soup recipe is the source version if you want to compare notes.

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If you like soups with real body, this one delivers. You get meat, starch and vegetables in the same bowl, and you do not need a side dish to round out the meal.

New beef mince recipe idea: Beef & Lentil Soup!

Ground beef is the shortcut here. There is no meat to chop, no browning whole cuts, no fuss. You brown the beef right in the pot with a spoonful of spice, and that is where the flavor magic happens.

Here is the trick: browning the beef with spices pushes flavor into the meat itself, and then some of that flavor seeps into the broth as the soup simmers. That is exactly why this pot does not taste like the bland, boring lentil soups that give lentils a bad name.

Moroccan flavors are the direction used here, built on a store bought Moroccan spice mix spruced up with allspice, cumin, paprika, black pepper and salt. But this is one option among many. Curry, Greek, Italian and Mexican directions all work, and the recipe notes point you toward suggested finishes for each of those spice mixes.

One finishing touch is worth keeping: a dollop of plain or Greek yogurt and a scatter of fresh coriander or cilantro suits the Moroccan spicing beautifully. Cool, creamy, herby, and it lifts the whole bowl.

What goes in Beef & Lentil Soup

Everything here is easy to find, and almost all of it is flexible. Here is what you need and why each piece matters.

Beef mince (ground beef). Beef mince and ground beef are the same thing, just different names depending on where you shop.

Lean beef works fine, though the fattier the beef, the better the beef flavor, because fat is where most of the flavor lives in any meat. Any other ground meat can step in too: pork, chicken, turkey, even lamb.

Just adjust the spice, because the whiter the meat, the more spice it needs. Ground meat tastes more neutral than a seared whole chicken breast, so it needs a little help.

Lentils. Dried lentils are the better choice here. They add extra flavor and they thicken the broth as they cook. Canned lentils work just fine if that is what you have, but they do not taste quite as good and they will not thicken the soup the same way. Chickpeas or beans are happy substitutes too.

Onion and garlic. These two are essential. They are the standard flavor base, and the soup would taste flat without them.

Moroccan spices. This is where you can take the soup anywhere you want. The quantity is easy to judge: start conservatively, add bit by bit, taste, and keep adding until it tastes right. The base recipe keeps it simple with a store bought Moroccan spice mix as the main flavor, then spruces it up with extra spices.

Tomato. Canned crushed tomato is the base, and tomato passata is a fine swap. In the US, passata is sold as tomato sauce, which is passata plus a touch of flavor. A tomato paste substitute for canned tomato also works if that is what is in your pantry.

Stock. Beef stock or broth brings big, hearty beef flavor. Vegetable or chicken stock work a treat too. For soups, liquid stock is recommended over cubes or powder because the flavor is cleaner and more natural.

If only bouillon cubes or powder are on hand, sauté the onion, celery and carrots slowly for longer to build a soffrito flavor base as compensation, and the recipe directions cover that.

Vegetables. Use 6 to 8 cups of anything that cooks well in soup broth. Vegetables that hold up to a 25 minute simmer, like carrots and celery, go in at the beginning.

Vegetables that should stay greener or should not turn to mush, like beans and zucchini, go in toward the end. Cut size matters: everything is diced here so each spoonful has a bit of everything.

Here is the full lineup for the pot, which serves 6:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped (brown, white or yellow)
• 500 g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef), lean is fine
• 1 1/4 cups dried lentils, or 2 cans drained
• 2 carrots, cut into 1 cm / 1/3 inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, chopped into 1 cm / 1/3 inch pieces
• 2 small zucchinis or 1 large, cut into 1 cm / 1/3 inch dice
• 100 g / 4 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2 inch pieces
• 800 g / 28 oz crushed canned tomato
• 4 cups / 1 litre beef stock, low sodium
• 3 cups water

For serving, keep it simple:

• Yogurt, plain or Greek
• 1/4 cup coriander or cilantro leaves, or sliced green onions

How to make Beef Lentil Soup

The method runs in a few clear stages, and none of them are fussy. Prep takes about 10 minutes and the pot does the rest in around 30 minutes of cooking.

1. Mix the spices. Stir everything together in a small bowl. Some of it will brown the beef, and the rest will flavor the broth.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat and cook the onion and garlic for 3 minutes, until golden on the edges.
3. Brown and spice the beef. Turn the heat up to high, add the beef and cook until it is no longer red, breaking it up as you go. Add 2 tbsp of the spice mix and cook for another 2 minutes. A flat edged wooden spatula makes short work of breaking up the mince. Taste a nibble and tweak the spice if you want more.
4. Add carrot and celery. Stir them through for 1 minute. If you are building your own vegetable mix, this is the moment to add anything that can take a full 25 minute simmer.
5. Build the broth. Add the water, beef stock, canned tomato, lentils and the remaining spice mix. Give it a big stir, bring it to a simmer, then put the lid on and reduce to medium low so it simmers gently. The lentils need 25 to 30 minutes to soften.
6. Simmer 15 minutes, then add the quick vegetables. The diced zucchini and green beans go in now, and they cook for 10 minutes, which is plenty to soften them and let them soak up broth flavor.
7. Simmer 10 minutes more, or until the lentils are soft, so roughly 25 minutes of total simmering.
8. Serve. Taste and add more salt if you like, then ladle into bowls and finish with yogurt and coriander.

Two things worth knowing. Very old dried lentils can take 5 to 10 minutes longer, so give them a taste before you call it done. And the broth thickens on its own from the starch in the lentils and from the crushed tomatoes breaking down as they simmer.

Quick cooking vegetables are flexible: add them partway through based on how long they need. Zucchini and green beans after 15 minutes is the timing used in the source recipe.

Taste as you go. Spices added in two stages, some on the beef and the rest in the broth, are what keep this soup from tasting flat.

Why I love this Beef & Lentil Soup

There is a lot to like here, and most of it comes down to how little effort the pot asks for.

• Quick and flexible. Any vegetables on hand work, which makes this a great fridge clean out dish. There is no chopping meat either.
• Dial the flavor up or down. You can add and taste as many times as you like. As written, the soup is nicely spiced for interest and intentionally not in your face.
• Easy on the budget. Lentils, vegetables and ground beef are economical, and the spices can change to suit the day.
• Freezes perfectly. It also keeps for days in the fridge, so one big pot covers more than one dinner.
• A complete meal. Meat, starch and plenty of vegetables in one pot means no separate side is needed.

For anyone counting, the recipe card lists 401 calories, 34 g protein, 42 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat, 17 g fiber and 748 mg sodium per serving, excluding toppings.

If you want another soup in the rotation, this hearty beef soup recipe works well, and for a different lentil direction, try this lentil chorizo soup recipe.

Life of Dozer

A photo of Dozer, who always gets the last bite licked clean.

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Beef & Lentil Soup Here is a one pot dinner that quietly becomes a favorite: Beef & Lentil Soup . It takes ground beef , a pile of vegetables and lentils , then leans on warm Moroccan inspired spicing to keep every spoonful interesting.

• Total Time: 40 min
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

My Moroccan Spice Mix
2 1/2 tbsp Moroccan spice mix, store-bought
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped (brown, white, or yellow)
500g / 1lb g / lb beef mince (ground beef), lean
1 1/4 cups dried lentils, or 2 cans, drained
2 carrots, cut into 1cm / 1/3″ dice
2 stalks celery, chopped into 1cm / 1/3″ pieces
2 zucchinis, cut into 1cm / 1/3″ dice (small, or 1 large)
100g / 4 oz g / oz green beans, trimmed, cut into 1.5cm / 1/2″ pieces
800g / 28 oz g / oz crushed canned tomato
4 cups / 1 litre cups / litre beef stock, low sodium
3 cups water

Serving
Yogurt, plain or Greek
1/4 cup Coriander / cilantro leaves, or sliced green onions

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Instructions

Main
1-Mix spices in a small bowl: Mix spices in a small bowl.
2-Saute onion & garlic: Saute onion & garlic: Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 3 minutes until golden on the edges.
3-Brown & spice beef: Brown & spice beef: Turn heat up to high, add beef and cook until it’s no longer red, breaking it up as you go. Add 2 tablespoons of the Spice Mix and cook it for a further 2 minutes.
4-Carrot & celery: Carrot & celery: Add carrot and celery, then stir for 1 minute.
5-Make broth: Make broth: Add water, beef stock, canned tomato, lentils and remaining Spice Mix. Give it a stir, bring to simmer, then place lid on and reduce to medium low so it’s simmering gently. Lentils will take 25 – 30 minutes to cook until soft.
6-Simmer 15 minutes then add zucchini &: Simmer 15 minutes then add zucchini & green beans.
7-Simmer 10 minutes longer or until lentils: Simmer 10 minutes longer or until lentils are soft (ie. 25 minutes total).
8-Taste and add more salt if desired: Taste and add more salt if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve with yogurt and coriander.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Method: stovetop

Nutrition

• Calories: 401cal
• Sugar: 11g
• Sodium: 748mg
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Fiber: 17g
• Protein: 34g
• Cholesterol: 54mg