Lentil Soup Potpie

Name: Lentil Soup Potpie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; Salt and black pepper; 2 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced; 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 3 fresh thyme sprigs (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 (14-ounce) cans lentils, drained (or 3 cups cooked green or brown lentils); 1 (14-ounce) can vegetable stock (or 1 3/4 cups homemade vegetable stock); 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 (8-ounce) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed; 1 egg, lightly beaten

By Ali Slagle

Published April 8, 2025

Lentil Soup Potpie — Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Rating: 5(80)
Comments: Read comments

Rescue lentil soup from austerity by simmering it underneath a flaky, buttery crust. All of the hallmarks of a good lentil soup are here — sweet carrots, celery and onions, tender lentils and savory broth — with the added bonus of a warm pastry crown that shatters with each spoonful. The recipe is fairly hands-off, too, thanks to two shortcuts: canned lentils and store-bought puff pastry. To make this vegan, use vegan puff pastry (like Pepperidge Farm) and skip the egg wash, which will result in a more matte, but just as delicious dish.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1yellow onion, finely chopped
4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt and black pepper
2medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced
2celery stalks, thinly sliced
2tablespoons tomato paste
1teaspoon ground cumin
3fresh thyme sprigs (or 1½ teaspoons dried)
2tablespoons all-purpose flour
2(14-ounce) cans lentils, drained (or 3 cups cooked green or brown lentils)
1(14-ounce) can vegetable stock (or 1¾ cups homemade vegetable stock)
1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1(8-ounce) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1egg, lightly beaten

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a medium (10-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened but not browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, tomato paste, cumin and thyme and stir until the tomato paste is a shade darker, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the flour disappears, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lentils, broth, vinegar and ½ cup water and stir to combine. Once simmering, turn off the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 2
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry until it is 1 to 2 inches larger than the skillet. If you find the pastry contracts when you roll it, give it a few minutes between each roll to relax a little. Transfer the skillet to a sheet pan. Drape the puff pastry over the skillet, trimming the edges with scissors so that there is only ½- to 1-inch overhang. Brush the beaten egg onto the puff pastry, then use scissors to cut four slits in the middle of the pastry.
Step 3
Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until the pastry is cooked through and the filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. (If the pastry is getting too dark, cover with foil.) Let sit for a few minutes before diving in.

Ratings

5 out of 5

80 user ratings

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Comments

Sue Barnet2 months ago

Use any soup to make a vegetarian stew with a crust. Ladle a thick soup into a casserole: heavy on the veggies, lighter on the broth. Cover with baking powder biscuit dough, pastry, or a stiff cornbread mixture. Bake. A nice variation is topping thick soup with steamed dumplings. Endless combinations for nourishing, filling meals.

Gknee2 months ago

This was a family hit! Made as directed using cooked brown lentils. One substitution for our GF household: used the cornmeal biscuit recipe from Melissa Clark’s Ratatouille & Sausage Potpie and adjusted oven temperature to 425. Delicious.

Lydia2 months ago

Super yummy! I used dry brown lentils (1 cup dry soaked for 6 hours and boiled for 10 minutes) and regular vinegar. It turned out really well! Served with mashed potatoes and a drizzle

Megan3 weeks ago

Subbed potatoes for the celery and added kale. The youngest kid went back for thirds.

Shannon1 month ago

My husband - a meat eater - said it's the best pot pie he's ever eaten.

Nancy1 month ago

I made as directed and thought it was delicious. Easy with canned lentils! The soup is liquidy and came to the very top of my skillet, so I put a cookie sheet on the rack underneath for drips. I think this would also be good with a mashed potato topping, like a cottage pie and would freeze well. Great lunch on a rainy Saturday. Eating less meat these days, so foresee making this often. Thanks for a great easy recipe.

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