Red Lentil and Wild Rice Soup
You know we’ve been trying to eat more dietary fiber to improve gut health with prebiotics (foods that feed our gut microbiota). Especially more lentils. And this soup is packed full of dietary fiber! #feedthegutbugs
I just love soups and stews because you get the flavors of comfort food without the excess calories. I think this recipe for red lentil and wild rice soup is my new favorite. And it is hard to beat my love for one of my recent creations – Bison Enchilada Soup.
Red Lentils
Okay, so I’ve been reading about the different types and flavors of lentils.
Red lentils break down during cooking and are a great base for a nice thick soup.Think of the Indian dish dhal. Red lentils are supposed to be sweet and nutty and need about 20-25 minutes to cook down.
And they have lots of fiber, help regulate blood sugar, and they are a great source of folate and magnesium.
Long Grain & Wild Rice
And in order to diversify our grains, we turned to wild rice this time.
I remember when wild rice was really popular back in the day. But I don’t ever see recipes with it on Instagram or in the food blogging world. I don’t know why it lost its popularity.
But it’s just so good for you. Maybe it fell out of favor because it just takes so long to cook. I really don’t know. But I’m bringing it back, baby! Wild rice actually isn’t a rice, but grains harvested from four different species of grasses. We used a mix of long grain and wild rice.
Wild rice is low in fat, high in protein, fiber, folate, B vitamins and magnesium. And I love that it is also plentiful in folate for helping supplement my body in light of my MTHFR variants.
Plus the wild rice has a nice chewy texture that goes perfectly in this thick soup.
Making the Red Lentil and Wild Rice Soup
First, we cook down the veggies. I usually cook onions, carrots and celery as a soup base. Don’t be shy to use the celery leaves as well as the stalk.
From the recipes I’ve seen for wild rice, most were a combo of wild rice and mushrooms so we added mushrooms, too. And then some minced garlic.
Wild rice takes about 45-50 minutes to cook. So we add the rice first with chicken or vegetables stock, 2 cups water and all the spices.
I really love the Redmond real seasoned salt and add a teaspoon to everything these days. Cook for 20 minutes.
We added a chicken breast to the soup, but it really doesn’t need it. The red lentils and wild rice have a lot of protein so this could easily be made a hearty vegetarian soup.
Add the lentils, chicken cubes (if using), apple cider vinegar and 2 more cups of water. Cook for 25 minutes more until the wild rice is done and the lentils turn into this delicious and thick soup base. Taste test for salt and add a squeeze of little lemon juice.
This red lentil and wild rice soup really turned out to be quite delicious! It also freezes really well, too.
Want More Recipes Like Red Lentil & Wild Rice Soup?
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Classic Beef Stew
- Ghormeh Sabzi (Persian Herb Stew)
- Chicken Andouille Sausage Gumbo
- Turkey and Veggie Chili
- Healthy Chicken and Dumplings
Red Lentil & Wild Rice Soup | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
This red lentil and wild rice soup made with garlic, onions, mushrooms, carrots and chicken is gluten-free, delicious, healthy and full of dietary fiber and protein.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword red lentil and wild rice soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 52 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 7 minutes
Servings 6
Author Deana Larkin Evans
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3/4 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup wild rice
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 quart water, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp seasoned salt (Redmond real salt)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 boneless chicken breast, cut into small pieces (optional)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- lemon juice
Instructions
Heat ghee in a 3.5 qt Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms. Cook until the veg starts to get tender, about 6 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 more minute.
Add the wild rice, chicken or vegetable stock, 2 cups of water, spices and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the red lentils, chicken (if using), and apple cider vinegar plus the remaining 2 cups of water. Cook for about 25 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Taste test for additional salt. Add a squeeze of lemon juice per bowl.
