Smoky lentil soup is packed with flavor, protein

Rich bean soups are classic winter comfort food. They are filling, healthful and inexpensive, making them a worthy addition to the menu rotation. The downside to dried bean cookery is the time it takes to soak and then cook beans. Canned beans are a reasonable substitute, although they cost more than three times the price of their dried, bagged counterparts.

An easy, money-saving solution is lentils, which you can find at almost any grocery store, next to the dried beans. Brown lentils — the type you’ll most likely find in inexpensive bags next to the rice — don’t require any soaking (although a good rinse is recommended), and are cooked to tender perfection in about 30 minutes. Green lentils are a little thicker and firmer than brown lentils (and often a little pricier), so they take a few minutes more to cook. Red lentils are softer, holding their shape less, so are best used for sauces or stews where you are seeking a thicker, creamier texture — for instance, when you are making an Indian dal.

Don’t let the cheap price fool you: The everyday brown lentil is a nutrition powerhouse. One serving has more than 8 grams of fiber, 9 grams of protein and a nice array of vitamins and minerals, including over half the daily requirement of folate and nearly 20 percent of our daily iron.

Lentils themselves have an earthy, mild flavor, so they easily take on the flavors of other ingredients. Today’s recipe for Smoky Lentil Soup is all plant-based, which means it’s truly jam-packed with health-boosting foods but it’s also full of flavor. It gets its smokiness from smoked paprika instead of the traditional ham bone, and little bit of cumin.

Finely chopped mushrooms add meaty depth of flavor, and I use small cubes of butternut squash instead of classic carrots for just a touch of sweetness. A bonus: the entire dish cost about $10 to make, and you’ll probably have leftovers. Meatless Monday fans, this may be your new favorite dish.

Smoky Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

4 ounces white mushrooms, finely chopped

1 ¼ cups cubed butternut squash (½-inch cube) (or substitute chopped carrot)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning (or dried oregano)

3 cups vegetable stock

2 to 3 cups water

½ pound dried brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked through (about 1 ¼ cups) 1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons apple cider

vinegar (or wine vinegar) ½ teaspoon kosher salt, if needed

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium head. Add the onion, celery and mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently or until softened. Add the squash, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, chile powder and Italian herbs and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Onion should be quite soft now.

Add the stock, 2 cups of the water, the lentils and bay leaf and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Reduce heat, cover partially with a lid and let simmer until lentils and squash are tender, about 30 minutes for brown lentils; 40 minutes for green. If the mixture gets too thick, add up to another cup of water.

Once soup is cooked, transfer 1 to 2 cups of the soup to a blender and very carefully blend on low until somewhat smooth. Return the thickened, blended soup to the pot and stir. Stir in vinegar and taste for salt. Makes 8 servings. Nutrition information: Each serving contains approximately 155 calories, 8 g protein, 3 g fat, 27 g carbohydrate (4 g sugar), no cholesterol, 328 mg sodium and 7 g fiber.

Carbohydrate choices: 2.