Filipino (Pinoy) Style Lentil Soup
Hearty and delicious soup prepared with an Asian flair! With lots of lentils, spinach, and sausages – it’s the nutritious way to enjoy soup this fall and winter! Great comfort food for fall and winter nights.
It’s getting really cold now and I miss my favorite Mung Bean dish – Ginisang Munggo – which we often have in The Philippines. When I discovered that lentils have a similar taste and texture to my fave mungo I decided to cook it the same way and I love the result.
For this recipe, instead of the usual pork and beef cutlets traditionally added in Ginisang Munggo, I opted for Italian sausages for richer taste and texture. Towards the end of cooking, I added some spinach leaves to pack in extra nutrients!
If you’re thinking of one healthy meal to cook for your family that’s full of good flavor without much guilt, you have to try this recipe. My husband particularly loves this and little Sophie eats this with rice!
Just leave out the meat if you want a vegan or vegetarian option. Enjoy this healthy soup (or stew) during the cooler days!
FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS and to PRINT, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.
WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR FILIPINO-STYLE LENTIL SOUP?
- Olive oil (or oil of choice)
- Garlic cloves
- Onions (medium size or 1 large one)
- Your favorite Italian or any herb sausage (mild or hot or a combo)
- Reduced-sodium soy sauce
- Dried lentils
- Water
- Spinach leaves
- Salt and pepper, to taste
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE FILIPINO-STYLE LENTIL SOUP?
Heat the olive oil in a deep pan. Sauté the garlic and onions until the onions are tender.
Add the sausages and cook until brown. Stir in the tomatoes and soy sauce.
In the meantime, rinse the lentils and drain. Add the lentils and water to the sausages and vegetables then bring to a boil.
Simmer covered for about an hour or until lentils are tender. Finally, add the spinach and cook just until it’s wilted.
Adjust seasoning with a little salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot on its own or paired with bread or rice.
This soup is delicious as is but for extra depth of flavor – add your favorite spices for some heat or your favorite herbs. What a delicious soup for chilly fall and winter nights!
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Filipino (Pinoy) Style Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or deep sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 medium onions (or 1 large), peeled and chopped
- 1 lb Italian or your favorite herb sausage, sliced diagonally
- 5 roma or plum tomatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp reduce-sodium soy sauce, or to taste
- 1½ cups lentils
- 5 cups water
- 10 oz bag of spinach,
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil to medium in a deep pan. Sauté the garlic and onions until the onions are tender about 3-4 mins.
- Add the sausages and cook until brown. Stir in the tomatoes and soy sauce.
- In the meantime, rinse the lentils and drain. Add the lentils and water to the sausages and vegetables then bring to a boil.
- Simmer covered for about 50 minutes or until lentils are tender. Finally, add the spinach and cook just until it’s wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Serve hot on its own or paired with bread or rice.
Notes
Last updated on September 21st, 2024 at 01:12 pm
Ooh, this has got to thaw those cold evenings!
Thanks for another great and simple recipe Abby 🙂
Thanks, Jen! This is a staple in our household when the cold weather sets in. Thanks for coming over!
Abby! This looks great! I saw it on Facebook the other day and shared it on my wall. Thanks for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday! Please come back on Sunday to VOTE!
Thank you so much, Lois for sharing it. I truly appreciate all your support and I will be there to vote!
This looks so good. It has all of my favorites in it! I love soup season and will add this to my list of soups to make!
Thank you for linking up to Foodie Friends Friday and hope you come back next week with another wonderful recipe!
Thanks for stopping by Cynthia! Hope you like it when you get the chance to make it.
Wow..this soup looks delicious!! I like your blog.
I m your new follower, please check out my blog anytime.Meriem
Hi Meriem, thanks for stopping by and joining manilaspoon. Glad that you like the blog. Hope you like the soup too when you are able to make it.
I tried looking for lentils in our local grocery but they seem to be clueless about what it is. I'll try again this weekend at S&R, maybe they have some on stock. Can't wait to try this 🙂
I don't know if there's any Indian store somewhere near you, but for sure they'll have it or perhaps a health store if there's one in Manila. Hope you find it and thanks for dropping by!
Would love to try this tomorrow for dinner…my children will love it with rice. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks, Fe! Glad you came by and hope you and the kids like it!
Making this right now…used chicken stock instead of water but everything else the same…added some sugar, organic, cause of tomatoes…it smells so delicious….THANKS!!!
Great! I am glad you tried this and I hope you liked it too. Just had this recently and simply love this recipe.
Abby, this soup looks amazing! Just saw it on Mom! What's for dinner? on FB. I'm pinning now so I can try it later 🙂
Hi Liz, thanks for stopping by! I do hope you enjoy this as much as we do. Glad you came by! 🙂
Hi…I printed out this recipe last October (2012) and finally decided to make it…mission accomplished this morning! AWESOME! I added cumin, 2 small potatoes (cubed), 1 can of white beans (rinsed and drained) and only 2 links of sweet Italian sausage out of the casing. I am sorry I didn't try this sooner, it is SO delicious!! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!!
Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed it! One of our favorite soups for sure! Appreciate the feedback. Thanks for letting us know.
I am always looking for new ways to use lentils, as they are so cheap. This lentil soup with Italian sausages look delicious!
I am totally drooling over this – it looks and sounds just incredible. It’s all the flavors I just love. Can’t wait to try it!
Such great flavour combinations in this lentil soup! This looks like a terrific warming winter dish.
Such a deliciously comforting and hearty lentil soup. The whole family loved it.
Wow, what a perfect soup for this season. I love everything you have for ingredients and especially Italian sausages. As a huge lentil fan, I look forward to making this. Cheers.
Hi! I would love to know how you think this will do if I cook it and then freeze it for another time? I cannot wait to try this, looks great!
Thanks for the recipe and the advice on freezing.
Rhonda
I can’t see why it can’t be frozen. You can go ahead and freeze it – perhaps lay it flat in a container or in a heavy plastic when you freeze it so it’s not too bulky and difficult to thaw. But certainly, go ahead and freeze it. You can simply leave it overnight to thaw or put in very low heat to defrost (that’s what I’d do) or simply microwave too until fully heated up. One thing you might want to do if you wish to freeze it – make sure your meat is in smaller chunks too so they’re easier to reheat as well. Just adjust the cooking time when you make it.
Great recipe, I did however add mushrooms and a little creole seasoning, 2 bay leafs and crushed red peppers for a little spice. Love this so much!
Glad you adjusted it to your liking! Thank you for letting us know. So happy you loved it!