Spicy Miso Lentil Soup
Published April 24, 2025
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 cup green or brown lentils
¾ cup long-grain white rice
Salt
1 (5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach (about 6 cups, not packed)
2 ½ tablespoons white miso
1 inch fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
1 or 2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, destemmed and halved
1 lime, halved
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, destemmed and thinly sliced
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
68 grams carbs; 379 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 437 milligrams sodium; 17 grams protein; 3 grams sugar
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
This is really good with crumbled feta on top. That is all.
@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.
Really delicious! I had like a kilo white miso in my fridge and I was eager to use it. Then I saw this recipe. I don’t understand why people say it’s bland. It has a lot of different flavors and texture. One thing tough, I wish that the instructions mentioned “a wait time” or temperature drop of the soup. I added the spinach too soon and the beautiful vibrant green became olive. I ate 3 bowls regardless haha. Also, for some reason I added lime to the first bowl and I felt it taste like dish soap. I skipped the lemon for the second and third bowl. So delicious!! Thank you Ali
More of a porridge or kitchadi than a soup. If you're going for spicy gruel, great, otherwise, skip.
Just made this recipe for the first time…fantastic! Such an unusual & interesting umami flavor profile in the spinach mixture. I used red pepper flakes in lieu of jalapeño or Serrano peppers—only because I forgot to buy the peppers. (The pepper flakes turned out fine, and were less work than seeding peppers…buying a bag of pre-sliced, pre-stemmed, frozen shiitake mushrooms also cut down on prep.) My husband and I both loved this soup…into rotation it goes!