Spicy Miso Lentil Soup
Published April 25, 2025
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup green or brown lentils
- ¾cup long-grain white rice
- Salt
- 1(5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups, not packed)
- 2½ tablespoons white miso
- 1inch fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
- 1 or 2serrano or jalapeño chiles, destemmed and halved
- 1lime, halved
- 1tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
- 4ounces shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
379 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 68 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 437 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium or large pot, bring 6 cups of water, the lentils, rice and a pinch of salt to a boil over high. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but not mushy and the rice is falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Step 2
While the soup is simmering, in a blender, combine ¼ cup water, the spinach, miso, ginger, one serrano and the juice from half the lime. Blend until smooth. Because the mixture will be thinned by the soup, it should be slightly too spicy; blend in more serrano until it is. Set aside.
- Step 3
In a large skillet, stir together the oil, mushrooms and a pinch of salt over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are browned, 7 to 9 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit until the soup is ready.
- Step 4
When the lentils are ready, turn off the heat. Stir in the blended greens. (Mixture will thicken as it sits). Season to taste with salt, then serve topped with the mushrooms, a squeeze of lime and a few drops of sesame oil.
Private Notes
Comments
@Tim A cup has 8 fluid ounces. The ounces you see on a pack of spinach (and most dry goods) are weight ounces. They’re different units! Hope this helps
Really tasty! We had a 7oz bag of arugula in the house, so I used that instead. The bitterness was nice alongside the tartness of the lime. I also added some garlic. I only had brown rice in the house, so I let it cook for a bit before adding the lentils. Turned out great! Will definitely make this again.
?? Did you mean Miso-lentil combo? Mirin isn't in this recipe.
Where's the umami in this? OK start but needed a fair amount of help to get this soup to great via fish sauce, more miso and rice vinegar.
Overall, I can see this recipe working out for us -- when we go a second round with it. I've cooked a ton over the years and saw some things that I should've just adapted to, but anytime I make a recipe for the first time, I do my best to do it by the book. The first time didn't work out as expected, although flavor was excellent. Next time I will use more water when blending the greens mix, separate the rice and lentils to start, then cook the lentils more before adding the rice back.
I was very skeptical reading the combination of ingredients and the process, but reviewers on the whole really like the recipe so I tried it. Ugh, my easy-to-please family were not impressed, nor was I. And I had the audacity to double a recipe I'd never made–double ugh. Maybe it will improve as a leftover? My chickens are hoping it doesn't so they get a tasty meal.