Spain on a Fork > All Recipes > Main Dishes > Heart-Warming Lentil & Rice Soup | A Classic Spanish Recipe
All Recipes, Main Dishes / January 28, 2022

Heart-Warming Lentil & Rice Soup | A Classic Spanish Recipe

This Spanish Lentil & Rice Soup, known in Spain as Lentejas con Arroz, is seriously going to warm your soul and fill your body with so much goodness. It´s packed with flavors, easy to make and made with the most humble ingredients.

Lentil & Rice Soup
To make this recipe, I used dried brown lentils. They cook in just 30 minutes and don´t need to be soaked in water beforehand. Be sure to check the package instructions on the lentils you´re using, so they´re perfectly cooked through.

Lentil & Rice Soup
For the rice, I used Spanish round rice, but you can add any rice you like. Though the amount of liquid added into the soup will change. Spanish rice absorbs much more liquid (1 cup rice to 3 cups liquid). So if you´re using a rice that absorbs less liquid, just add in a bit less liquid into the soup.

Lentil & Rice Soup

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: To add more flavor into this soup, I used homemade vegetable broth instead of water. But you can use water if you like, just make sure to season accordingly. This soup will hold for up to 3 days in the fridge and also freezes well in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

Lentil & Rice Soup

Key Ingredients & Cookware I used in this Recipe:
MY NONSTICK FRY PAN
EXTRA VIRGIN SPANISH OLIVE OIL
DRIED BROWN LENTILS
SPANISH ROUND RICE
SPANISH PAPRIKA
SPANISH SEA SALT

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Watch the Video Below on How to Make this Heart-Warming Lentil & Rice Soup

Heart-Warming Lentil & Rice Soup

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Spanish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 391 kcal
Author Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 30 ml
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 carrot
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 cup dried brown lentils 210 grams
  • 8 cups vegetable broth 1800 ml
  • 1/2 cup Spanish round rice 110 grams
  • 2 cups fresh bagged spinach 100 grams
  • 1 bay leaf
  • pinch sea salt
  • dash black pepper

Instructions

  1. Finely dice 1 small onion, finely chop 1 green bell pepper, finely chop 1 peeled carrot, roughly chop 4 cloves garlic and finely grate 2 tomatoes to end up with 1/2 cup (115 grams) tomato sauce

  2. Heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  3. After 2 minutes add in the onion, green bell pepper, carrot and garlic, mix with the olive oil continuously, after 5 minutes and the onion is translucent, add in 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika, quickly mix together, then add in the tomato sauce, mix together and simmer

  4. When the tomato sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes, add in 1 cup dried brown lentils (rinsed under cold water beforehand), mix together, then add in between 7 to 8 cups of vegetable broth, add in a bay leaf, mix together and raise the heat to a high heat

  5. When the broth comes to a boil, place a lid on the stock pot and lower to a low heat, cook until the lentils are done, check package instructions

  6. Once the lentils are cooked through (30 minutes in my case), remove the lid (If the soup looks to dry, add in more broth at this point), then add in 1/2 cup Spanish round rice, give it a mix and place the lid back on the stock pot, cook until rice is fully cooked through, again, check package instructions, once the rice is cooked (18 minutes in my case), remove the lid, add in 2 cups fresh bagged spinach and season with sea salt & black pepper, gently mix together until spinach is just wilted, remove from the heat

  7. Transfer into shallow bowls and serve at once, enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Heart-Warming Lentil & Rice Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 391 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Sodium 189mg8%
Potassium 827mg24%
Carbohydrates 64g21%
Fiber 20g83%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 4464IU89%
Vitamin C 36mg44%
Calcium 68mg7%
Iron 6mg33%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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23 Comments

  1. Chrissy

    5 stars
    Love this soup, it’s so very tasty and delicious, easy to prepare and cook. Thanks for another great recipe Albert.

    23 . Oct . 2023
    • Spain on a Fork

      So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Much love

      25 . Oct . 2023
  2. Asha kubu

    5 stars
    One of the best soup recipes I’ve tried. I used a baged rice and lentil mix for this, added lemon juice, used chicken broth and water, kale instead of the spinach and tomato sauce I made the other day. I’ll definitely make this again, it was absolutely delicious. Than you.

    09 . Apr . 2023
    • Spain on a Fork

      Sounds great! Much love 🙂

      11 . Apr . 2023
  3. Brenda

    TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: To add more flavor into this soup, I used homemade vegetable broth instead of water. But you can use water if you like, just make sure to season accordingly. This soup will hold for up to 3 days in the fridge and also freezes well in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

    what do you mean by season accordingly?

    Great recipe!!
    thank you
    Benda

    23 . Sep . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      What I mean is to season the water so it adds flavor to the water, as broth is seasoned already 🙂 Much love

      24 . Sep . 2022
  4. Lisa Walters

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing and thank you for sharing
    Peace and lots of love 🙏❤️

    09 . Jun . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      So happy to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂 Much love

      10 . Jun . 2022
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    16 . Apr . 2022
  6. Vicky

    Wishing you a speedy recovery from COVID! Quick question .. if I use lentils from the can, do I add them in later in the cooking process?

    22 . Feb . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Yes 🙂 Much love!

      23 . Feb . 2022
  7. Kim Lusk

    I am wanting to try this recipe, but have a mixture of brown, red and black rice. Could I substitute this and use red lentils. I am sure I would need to adjust the cooking time. I really enjoy your YouTube videos. God bless hope you heal quickly.

    01 . Feb . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Yes you can! Just adjust the cooking times as you stated 🙂 much love

      01 . Feb . 2022
  8. Janice Smith

    5 stars
    Going to make this today.
    I hope you are feeling better.
    Love your recipes
    Simple ingredients and easy to make.

    30 . Jan . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Thank you! Much love 🙂

      31 . Jan . 2022
  9. VH

    5 stars
    We love your recipes. Your food is absolutely delicious and healing. And we wish you healing.

    30 . Jan . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Thank you so much 🙂 much love

      31 . Jan . 2022
  10. Gregg Cook

    5 stars
    I make a similar soup with Brown rice for more fiber. it cooks for an hour. The lentils do not overcook.

    29 . Jan . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Sounds great! Much love 🙂

      29 . Jan . 2022
  11. Joann

    Thank you Albert for your awesome recipes. I just watched your you tube of this recipe.
    Hope you are feeling better soon!

    29 . Jan . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Thank you so much! Much love 🙂

      29 . Jan . 2022
  12. Delrae Johnson

    Would chicken broth work here?

    28 . Jan . 2022
    • Spain on a Fork

      Absolutely 🙂 much love

      28 . Jan . 2022

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