White bowl filled with Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup on a wooden surface.

Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup

Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup–Leftover holiday indulgence transforms into nourishing soup made with homemade stock and hearty vegetables.

White bowl filled with Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup on a wooden surface.
Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup

Beat the post-holiday blues by transforming leftover holiday indulgence into nourishing Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup.

White bowl filled with Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup on a wooden surface.

Not too long ago, seeing the return of the holiday bins in our house would bring that glum feeling. The post holiday blues would commence the moment the first ornaments were unhooked from the tree branches, the lights that had been so meticulously draped unceremoniously untangled and balled up for next year. The coziness of the holidays would disappear in mere moments, leaving the house feeling bare and cold.

I used to dread it, and if it were up to me, I would leave the decorations up for as long as possible. Not too long — after all, I am not a fan of seeing Christmas lights on houses year round — but long enough to feel ready to let it go.

At first, my husband and I were opposites on this matter. He is typically ready to part with the glimmer and the evergreen as soon as the last present is opened, and those first holidays together, he would struggle with leaving the tree up while I would call him a Grinch the moment he started packing things up.

A measuring cup filled with lentils with diced vegetables in the background.

Diced carrots and celery on a wooden surface.

But over time, we have slowly met in the middle, and when I discovered him in the living room dismantling the tree yesterday, I didn’t feel the usual pang of regret. Instead, I felt an inner peace, a sense of relief, a feeling of cleansing. Seeing our house removed of clutter and returned to normal was, in a way, welcome. I glanced down at my son and saw my old self in his eyes, and in his voice, when he saw the tree half undressed. “No!” he called out.

When the holiday festivities are over, we can’t help but feel some of the post holiday blues. But with the fridge full of leftovers, the pantry full of sweets, and having had our fill of baked goods bursting from the oven, we can keep the holiday feeling a little longer, even if our mantle is bare. Every year, I try to find a new way to reincarnate our Wasabi Garlic Crusted Prime Rib. I’ve made Beef, Shiitake Mushroom and Barley Soup and Prime Rib Pho. This year, I made Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup.

White bowl filled with Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup on a wooden surface.

Stirring Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup with a wooden spoon in a large soup pot.

If you roasted a prime rib this Christmas, or have one planned for New Years, be sure to hold on to the bones and any leftover meat. They’re full of flavor and ready to be transformed into something wholesome, something nourishing, something comforting after all the holiday indulgence.

This Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup will help you reset after all the festivities and keep you feeling cozy. It’s the best way to beat those blues and embrace the return to normal. Soup is always good for that.

Stirring Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup with a wooden spoon in a large soup pot.

MORE RECIPES FOR HOLIDAY LEFTOVERS

Mashed Potato and Stuffing Waffles
Cranberry Sauce Granola
Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Muffins
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Turkey Pumpkin Pot Pie
Prime Rib Pho

MORE SOUP RECIPES TO TRY

Mushroom and Short Rib Noodle Soup
Spiced Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
Instant Pot Beef Nilaga
Roasted Tomato, Garlic, and Herb Soup
Pressure Cooker Creamy Rotisserie Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup

Leftover holiday indulgence transforms into nourishing soup. If you didn't make prime rib but still want to make this delicious soup, then don't worry. See recipe notes below.
White bowl filled with Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup on a wooden surface.
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5 from 4 votes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 581kcal

Ingredients

For the Prime Rib Beef Stock:

  • 2-3 left over prime rib bones with some meat
  • 1/2 onion with skin attached
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 carrot
  • 10 cups water

For the Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion about 1 small yellow onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 cups diced celery about 2 stalks celery
  • 1 1/2 cups diced carrots about 2 medium carrots
  • 2 stalks celery diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more or lesss to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more or lesss to taste
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 8-10 cups prime rib beef stock or use your favorite low-sodium beef stock
  • meat from 2-3 roasted beef ribs
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley Italian parsley

Instructions

Make the Prime Rib Beef Stock:

  • In a Dutch oven or large pot, cover rib bones, onion, celery and carrot with about 10 cups water. Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer over low heat for about 3 hours. Strain broth, skimming any fat (chilling the stock makes it easier to separate the fat from the broth). Store in air tight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Reserve meat for soup. This can be done the day before you plan to make the soup.

Make the Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup:

  • In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté onions until transparent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes more. Add lentils and beef stock, and bring to boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, then cover the pot, and allow to cook, stirring periodically, for about 15 minutes. Stir in the meat from beef ribs, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, partially uncovered, or until the lentils are fully cooked and tender. Stir in balsamic vinegar and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

If you didn't make prime rib but still want to make this delicious soup, then don't worry. Use store bought beef broth in place of the prime rib beef stock. For the meat, use any leftover roast beef or steak - leftover roasted tri-tip would work nicely here, too.

Nutrition

Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1647mg | Potassium: 1726mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 10755IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 5mg
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Comments

Recipe Rating




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  1. Maggie Slyh

    5 stars
    I love, love, live this recipe! After finding it a few years ago I’ve started just tossing the bones and attached meat in the freezer so that I can enjoy this recipe “in the bleak midwinter”. But this year we are having a 12th night open house and I will be serving this with traditional pork pies and a sundry of finger foods!

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Maggie, I want to thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so happy that the Prime Rib Beef and Lentil Soup has brought a bit of cozy to your winters! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season!!!

      Reply
  2. Nancy Carson

    5 stars
    Hello I am by myself and my 14 month old puppy in Greece since November. I am from Squamish BC I am the biggest soup lover ever.. I don’t eat a lot of meat but was craving steak yesterday and Picked up a beautiful steak at the butchers… then I was like I am going to buy some lentils ( craving them as well) and I was looking in my fridge had carrot parsley onion garlic. I went online to find a recipe and there it was. I was moved by your Christmas blues and taking down the holiday is sure not as fun… I was married for 30 years divorced for 3 and I was moved because I never set up or took down and that was ok skipped it all together ha ha but when I stir my soup I will remember good memories from all those times spent with my ex and the kids and I will smile then stir again. Looking forward to tonight’s soup. Cheers.”… in Greek it’s Ya mas

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Hi Nancy, I’m so touched that my post resonated with you! I hope you enjoyed the soup, and please give your puppy a belly rub for me!

      Reply
  3. Lissa

    5 stars
    great hearty recipe…. I’m making this Vegan, instead of beef I’m using either mushrooms or grounded walnuts and instead of beef broth I’m using veggie broth once again thank you for the great content I’m trying this tomorrow for family dinner….

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Hi Kathy! I believe you probably meant to share/email this recipe, but it looks like you left a comment instead! Next time, there is an email button under the “Share This” part under the recipe card that should help. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
  4. Alyssa

    This is exactly what I was looking for to use up leftover prime rib roast bones. Any idea how to make this recipe in an instant pot? Thx!

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Hi Alyssa, this can definitely be adapted for the instant pot! I make soup stock with my pressure cooker all the time, see the pressure cooker soup stock recipe here. All it takes is 30 minutes in the Instant Pot.

      For the soup itself, you can also start by sauteeing in the pressure cooker, then add the lentils, stock and beef and cook at high pressure for about 15-20 minutes.

      Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  5. Mary Ann

    Very good recipe. I added 2 tsp of Jugo and 2 tsp powdered beef bouillon instead of plain sale to season it up a bit. I also added peppercorns and 1 tsp of salt to the stock recipe. I think that the stock would also be good if cooked with a tomato. I freeze the tomatoes that I have at the end of the season for use in soups like this.

    Reply
    • Liren Baker

      Hi, MaryAnn! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the soup! Love the tip about adding Jugo, and tomatoes would be fantastic, too!

      Reply
  6. Roxana

    Mmmmm lentil soup is one of my favorites! This looks so hearty and comforting – I can’t wait to try your recipe! :)

    Reply
  7. Brian @ A Thought For Food

    The holidays bring all sorts of weird emotions for me too. I don’t know what it is. I guess I feel similarly… there’s that anticipation and the joy that come with these festivities, but then  it just feels like it ends abruptly. 

    We had our first snow fall last night and now I’m craving comfort food. Definitely saving this soup for a day when Eric’s outside doing a lot of shoveling. I like to surprise him with a soup or a stew. 

    Reply
  8. Isabella Ava

    The dish looks very yummy! Lentil always favorite to me . I will try it home. Thanks LIREN BAKER for such a delicious dish.

    Reply
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