Charred Cabbage and Lentil Soup

By Ali Slagle

Published Feb. 14, 2023

Charred Cabbage and Lentil Soup
Dane Tashima for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(1,472)
Comments
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To make a soup that is different and perhaps more interesting than the last, play with how your usual soup ingredients are put to work. Instead of layering ingredients in the pot, build the foundational flavor in the oven. Here, cabbage is roasted until mostly charred and chip-like, while lentils, cubed carrots and onions simmer on the stove. When the smoky cabbage, sweet vegetables and earthy lentils meet in the bowl, they offer a range of textures you’d never achieve if everything boiled away together. (And once you roast cabbage, it’ll be hard to think of it as drab again.) As with most soups, this one’s adaptable: Roast sausage with the cabbage, use cauliflower instead of cabbage, or finish with lemon and so on.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1 to 1½pounds green cabbage, sliced 1-inch thick (from 1 medium cabbage)
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6cups water, or vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1cup green or brown lentils
  • 1medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1medium carrot, coarsely chopped
  • 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
  • 2thyme sprigs (or 1 small bay leaf or rosemary sprig, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
  • 1Parmesan rind, plus grated Parmesan for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

458 calories; 14 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 58 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 1445 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

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss the cabbage with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast, stirring halfway through, until various shades of browned, from golden in parts to nearly burnt in others, 25 to 30 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine the water, lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, thyme and Parmesan rind. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes; season to taste with salt.

  3. Step 3

    Divide the cabbage among bowls, then pour over the lentils and broth. Top with grated Parmesan, more red-pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. (Leftovers will keep for a few days, but the cabbage will lose its crispness.)

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,472 user ratings
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Comments

Miti

I loved this! I am a first time reviewer, but long time follower of NYTCooking and felt the urge to comment. As others have noted I thought I could add a bit more flavour by sautéing the onion, garlic, carrots, etc., which I believe it did. After I did this and added the lentils, I added about half a cup of white wine and let that reduce before adding in the stock. I also found adding about a tablespoon of Miso amped up the umami flavour to the max!

kathy F

Because I used salted chicken broth, I cut the soy sauce in half. The recipe was still quite flavorful. I liked the earthy flavor of the charred cabbage. I used Gruyère cheese as a topping because it was what I had. It complemented the flavors nicely. I added a little cooked Italian sausage at the bottom of each bowl too. (Actually, the recipe would have been fine on its own.) I layered the two leftover servings in bowls and saved some of the crispy cabbage to top at serving time.

Golem

I haven't made this yet but it would seem that the onion and carrots should be sautéed first or roasted with the cabbage to get more char (Maillard effect).

Nmnm

This was so disappointing. Our household loves cabbage and lentils but this was not worth the time. Tasted muddy and flat. There are so many better recipes on this site.

Yespat

I made this, adding a pound of mushrooms and using mushroom stock for 2 cups of the liquid. I think the mushrooms were a needed addition. When serving I added dollops of yogurt on top and sprinkled with cilantro. For leftovers, I just mixed the charred cabbage and charred onions (I charred the onions along with the cabbage) in with the soup. It was tasty enough but wasn’t crazy delicious. Likely won’t make it again,

Nat

I was worried that, to put things politely, this might be "hard to digest." Reporting back that it was delicious and no one had a tummy ache after eating the soup. Found that a little lemon zest, lemon juice, and good quality olive oil on each bowl put this simple, economical vegetarian soup over the top. I hope this helps!

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