I love a French onion soup. Always have, always will. Now I don’t know about you, but I could easily make a meal out of a small bowl of French onion soup. It’s filling, it’s satisfying, and it’s delicious. But I wanted a version that was a little more nutrient rich, so I decided to add a bunch of lentils to it. And let me tell you, it worked like a charm.
So what’s the process for this lentil, fennel French onion soup?
This soup is actually super easy to make if you’ve already made a batch of caramelized onions and fennel. I know, that’s a big if – I’m sorry. The hard truth is that that bit of the process will take some time and patience. It’s written up in the recipe I linked to previously, and is absolutely worth it in my opinion! Anyway, if you haven’t already made that, that’s where you’ll want to start.
After that, simply add all the ingredients to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. To finish it off, slice a baguette in half lengthwise and then cut it into pieces that fit inside whatever bowls you’re serving the soup in. Place the bread on a baking tray and cover each slice (cut side up) with about 1/4 cup of thickly shredded gruyere cheese (or more if you’d like). Broil on high for 5-7 minutes before adding to your soup filled bowls, cheese side up. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
How to store
Got leftovers or simply want to enjoy this soup later? Great! All you need to do is store it in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Storing it in the fridge will last about 4 days, whereas you’ll have a few months if you freeze it. I would recommend only storing the soup and then using a fresh baguette and cheese when you go to eat it. Also, if freezing, I highly recommend using these Souper Cubes trays. They’re my absolute favorite.
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Lentil, Fennel and French Onion Soup
Equipment
- Large saucepan
- Baking tray
Ingredients
- 2ish cups Caramelized onions and fennel (1 batch, so approximately 2 cups, though this can vary)
- 8 cups Vegetable broth
- 1 cup Brown lentils Rinsed and strained
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1 Baguette Cut into slices to fit inside your bowl and then sliced in half
- 2 cups Gruyere cheese Thickly shredded
Instructions
- Add your batch of caramelized onions and fennel, 8 cups veggie broth, 1 cups brown lentils, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper to a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Add more salt and pepper to taste, and remove bay leaves before serving.
- Slice the baguette in half lengthwise and then cut it into smaller pieces that will fit in the bowls you'll be serving your soup in. Place each slice cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and top with 1/4 cup thickly shredded gruyere cheese (feel free to add more if you'd like). Then broil on high for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and a bit toasted.
- Add soup to each bowl, then top with a slice of cheese baguette (cheese side up). Then enjoy!
And that’s it! Pretty simple, right? But believe me when I say it packs a flavorful punch. I’m excited just thinking about it.
If you make this lentil, fennel and French onion soup, I hope you love it! Make sure to let me know what you think in the comments or on Instagram. I always love hearing from you.
Looking for more cozy recipes? Try my homemade veggie stock made with vegetable scraps stored in the freezer. It’s perfect for this recipe or anything else that requires stock/broth! You’d probably also like my vegetarian shepherd’s pie made with Impossible meat.
