Best Lentil Soup
This healthy lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with pantry ingredients. Simple spices, fresh greens and a squeeze of lemon make it the best! Vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 3, 2024
This soup recipe was a long time coming! Over the years, I made some lackluster lentil soups that never saw the light of day on this website. No vegetarian food blog would be complete without a proper lentil soup, though, so I perfected one of my own.
Here it is. My lentil soup is made with mostly pantry ingredients but includes hearty greens and a squeeze of lemon for bright, fresh flavor. Itโs seasoned with a few of my favorite spices and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Honestly, itโs the best lentil soup Iโve ever had.
The original title of this recipe was โSpiced Vegan Lentil Soup,โ which is accurate, but a mouthful. With over 500 five-star reviews, I think itโs safe to call this the Best Lentil Soup. Period.
Whether youโre looking to lighten up your meals or warm up with a steaming bowl of soup, this healthy lentil soup recipe is for you! Itโs one of my all-time favorites and I hope it becomes a staple in your kitchen as well.
How to Make the Best Lentil Soup
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients, but tastes gourmet.
- This lentil soup has an amazing hearty texture thatโs lightly creamy (yet there is no cream). The trick is to blend up a portion of the soup once the lentils are tender, and then pour it back into the pot. Itโs like magic.
- This nutritious, well-balanced soup counts as a meal if you enjoy a generous portion. Lentils are rich in protein, fiber, iron and folate.
- Lentil soup packs well for lunch in a leak-proof container, and it tastes even better the next day.
- This soup freezes and defrosts well. Make soup now and enjoy it later!
Watch How to Make Lentil Soup
Please let me know how this lentil soup turns out for you in the comments. Iโm always so eager to hear from you.
If you love this soup, check out my hearty vegetarian chili, favorite black bean soup and pinto posole. You can check out all my soup and stew recipes here.
Donโt miss my lentil minestrone recipe in my cookbookโif youโre a fan of this soup, youโre going to love it.
Best Lentil Soup
This simple vegan lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with mostly pantry ingredients. Be sure to have your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking! Recipe yields four large bowls of soup, or six more modest servings.
Ingredients
- ยผ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ยฝ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, lightly drained
- 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (ยฝ to 1 medium lemon), to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. One-fourth cup olive oil may seem like a lot, but it adds a lovely richness and heartiness to this nutritious soup.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.
- Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Securely fasten the lid, protect your hand from steam with a tea towel placed over the lid, and purรฉe the soup until smooth. Pour the purรฉed soup back into the pot. (Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.)
- Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. For spicier soup, add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
- Serve while hot. Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for several months (just defrost before serving).
Notes
Soup recipe roughly based on Americaโs Test Kitchenโs lentil soup in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, with reference to The First Messโ favourite lentil soup.
Recommended equipment: I love my Vitamix blender and Le Creuset 5.5-quart Dutch oven (affiliate links).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hello
Always looking for a lentil soup recipe that satisfiesโฆ. Official letter signed to a good start with the curry and kale. Textured it up and added color with celery, red pepper, potato. Took out the cumin; just not a fan.
I wish I could add the photo; it is beautiful! Happy happy!
Oops missed the lemon juice; will add !
Thank you!
Hi Jeanne, thanks for sharing your additions. The lemon does make the flavors pop! I recommend you add it next time.
I have lost count of how many times Iโve made this delicious soup. My kids (11, 9 and 7) LOVE it and ask for it frequently. Itโs my go-to meal for friends that are postpartum or sick. Depending on whatโs in the fridge, Iโll include the kale or leave it out. If Iโm out of chicken broth, Iโll substitute Knorrs. Amazing with a fresh baguette or Pillsbury crescent rolls! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
I am making this soup for about the 4th time today. I make it exactly as written and it is excellent. I think blending part of the soup is part of itโs magic. Today i only have spinach and not kale so we will see how it goes with this addition. I chopped a bag of spinach finely. I do think adding FRESH lemon juice is essential as well.
Do you think French green lentils will work in this recipe?
Hi Jan, they have a peppery flavor and hold their shape well. I prefer them in salads and regular green or brown lentils for soups, but they will certainly work!
Thank you, I have struggled with lentil soups for so long always come out lentils but now it all makes sense.
First rate. Best of many lentil soups and stews Iโve made over the last fifty years, quick and easy with a lot of subtle flavors and fresh ingredients.
Iโm on a low sodium diet. This soup is way too high in sodium. Can you make any suggestions on how to make this with less than 200mg of sodium per serving. Soup is a real challenge for me.
Hi Lynne, you can use no salt added tomatoes and vegetable broth, or increase the water and reduce the broth. I would test your specific brands of ingredients in a nutrition calculator to be sure, but that should help.
I have been making this soup for a few years now.. and a few changes i make to make it lower sodium are:
1. Instead of canned tomatoes, I use fresh grape or cherry tomatoes โ chopped in a blender.. (I donโt really measure โ but maybe 1 to one and half pints.. ish)
2. I also make my own chicken stock, not adding a lot of sodium to the stock..
This soup is so incredibly delicious โ Iโm so glad i found it! I just tweak it a little..:)
Hi Kate,
I have made this yummy soup many times and now have a question. What makes the carbs so high in your nutrition chart?
Thank you,
Wendy
Hi Wendy, carrots and lentils would be the main source. The nutrition information is calculated based on the ingredients and is not a substitution for a professional nutritionist. See the full disclosure.
You do not need to worry about the carbohydrates. You need to worry about the carbohydrate fiber ratio, which is recommended about 5 to 1. Any ratio five or less is considered a good choice and this recipe is about 4.4.
Soup was delicious. My stomach is sensitive to lentils and I should have soaked to them for several hours and then rinse them off before making this soup. What does what I have terrible gas pains 2 days later still. I will definitely make it again but be sure to soak and rinse my lentils first.
Thatโs my issue also, how about instant pot. I heard/read that pressure cooking lentils or beans are easier to digest. Was wondering if anyone has tried this??
Kate???
I havenโt tested it, but this method should work: Select the Instant Potโs Sautรฉ function, and set the time to 8 minutes. Once the Instant Pot preheats, pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the vegetables. Then add the rest of the ingredients and use the Pressure Cook setting on High for 15 minutes (it will take a while to heat up). Add in the greens at the end.
This soup was good and very flavorful. I forgot to add the collard greens but it wasnโt missed.
Thank you for the recipe! Can you make this with red lentils? :)
Hi Liana, i prefer with green or brown lentils because red lentils cook so much more quickly and get softer. You can, but but reduce the cooking time and expect less toothsome lentils.
Great and easy recipe!! I thought Iโd share some modifications I ended up having to make
1. used red lentils
2. used crushed tomatoes
Because of 1 & 2 โ skipped the blending step but still had a nice creamy consistency thanks to the softer property of the lentils and the puree of the crushed tomatoes
3. added celery because we had it
4. added some smoked chipotle for a little extra heat and warmth
Great combo of flavors for a warming and comforting winter meal โ served with feta and pita and will return to this recipe for sure! Thanks Katie :)
Can I substitute the broth for water and would it still come out red like yours? Also what type of seasoning adjustments would I need to make if I use water? Thank you!
Hi Mandi, yes you can use water instead of broth. You might find you need more salt. The red color comes from tomatoes, so it should still have color.
This soup is SO good
I use paprika instead of curry!
One of the best lentil soup recipes Iโve . Itโs perfect for the winner, a nice blend of flavor, the lemon is a plus. Very enjoyable. I will make this again. Thank you!
Excellent recipe! I will definitely add this to my soup rotation. Thank you :)
Delicious! And it just finished cooking, which means it will be even yummier tomorrow. I had to sub frozen chopped spinach for the kale and balsamic vinegar at the end instead of lemon โ both worked out wonderfully in case anyone else is missing those ingredients. Thank you for another great recipe! Iโve been making your Classic Minestrone for years and came back here to try out a new soup.
This soup is amazing. Iโve made it before but this time I added too much lemon juice. Any recommendations for masking the lemon juice? Thank you for your great recipe.
I have made this recipe several times and definitely is my go to guest lentil soup. I add cut up potatoes usually 2-3 smaller ones that I boil first and add when I add kale at the end.
I also strain and rinse canned tomatoes so juice doesnโt overpower the spices. This recipe is so versatile
This recipe is awesome, made it exactly as written, so yummy. Iโm going to be following Cookie and Kate for more wonderful food to make at home. Truly the Best Lentil Soup Recipe!
This was SO good! I wanted a stew like soup so I doubled the lentils, added some celery, and upped the spices a bit to compensate for the extra ingredients I was adding in. Served with toasted sourdough. Will definitely be making this again!
Can I make this recipe with canned cooked lentils that I have on hand? Would the only modification be to reduce the water and cooking time? Thanks, canโt wait to try it!
Hi Jessica, yes it will work with canned lentils. You might not need to reduce the liquid much, but do add the lentils towards the end, before the greens.
This was so, so good! I added celery with the onions and carrots but otherwise followed the recipe. Wonderful!
This is one of my favorite soups. The combination of thyme and curry powder is brilliant! I make it at least twice a month in the winter. I use a whole pound of lentils and adjust other ingredients accordingly, although at this point I do not measure. Regarding substitutions, If I am out of brown/green, I have used red as I see others have. It is different with red lentils but is still good. Same deal with subbing ACV in replacement of the lemon juice. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Emily, Iโm so glad youโve enjoyed this recipe! And yes, some apple cider vinegar is a great substitution for lemon juice. The acidity is what enhances the flavors.
I started the Mediterranean diet a couple months ago, and Iโve been making this every weekend! I put extra kale and some celery in my.
This lentil soup is wonderful. I make it almost every week. Loved lentil soup my whole long life. Have made several ways, but this is certainly a winner. Lots of depth in the flavoring. LOVE IT !!
Why canโt I PIN this recipe?
Hi Sarah, I just tested in and it worked for me. What browser are you in, and how are you trying to pin?
Never mind, I got it. Thanks for your prompt reply. Cheers, Sarah
Tried this before and loved it. How would you adapt the recipe for a crock pot? TIA!
Tasty, delicious and easy to prepare!
Made this New Yearโs Day with some black eyed peas thrown in for good luck. Used Swiss chard and apple cider vinegar instead of lemon. Outstanding. Iโve made many veg lentil soups and this might really be The Best!
Best Lentil Soup is a very good name for this soup! I followed your recipe exactly and I can honestly say I wouldnโt change a thing! What a wonderfully warming, hearty, and healthy soup for a cold January day in Canada! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Wonderful soup!! Thank you for creating the recipe.. It was easy to make and will be a frequent presence at our table.
Well, this was the best lentil soup Iโve ever had! Didnโt have any kale in the house, so I substituted spinach โ still delicious!
hi โ love the look of the lentils and want to make this soup but because of a health problem Iโve been told to not eat tomatoes. Often I use butternut squash โ will this work or do you have another idea. Thanks Jan
Hi Jan, yes you can add more vegetables and broth to substitute for the tomatoes.
Iโve made this a few times and itโs quick, easy and tasty.
One tip: wait to add the water until after the soup is done cooking because you might find that you prefer a thicker consistency (it could depend on the specific kind of lentils used). For me, just the 4 cups of broth is usually perfect for a heartier stew vs. thin soup. And definitely donโt skip blending some of it โ this is key for a creamier texture!
I am not a recipe follower. I tend to use them more as inspiration and a guide.
However, with a claim like โBESTโ Lentil SoupโฆI had to give it a try. I followed it precisely and you are right!!!! It IS the BEST!
You are truly one of my inspirations, love everything you put out there.
Thank you.
This lentil soup is absolutely amazing, I am not a soup lover at all, however, I decided making lentils was kind of boring so I would try to spice it up a bit. Your recipe looked so inviting so I decided to give it a try. Honestly, this will be my new go to.
I also plan to share it by giving out little samples to my friends and family.
In addition, I will try some of your other recipes!!!
THANKS SO MUCH!!!!
What a delicious and amazing recipe.
I followed another commenterโs advice, we both like thicker lentils, and I omitted water.
I made this today, at a house not my own, and I didnโt have the spices on hand to mix up a curry powder. :( Buuuut, just in case someone else has the same challenge, I added that rich umami depth with Trader Joes mushroom powder, and a dash of chili powder. You work with what you got, right?
No immersion blender here, it was truly worth it to clean the whole darn food processor for the creamy finish.
Everything else I followed to the letter, except adding half a red bell pepper, which was wanting to be used.
Iโm going to make this again when I get home, using curry powder. I can see how that would be amazing. Thank you for this very good recipe!
Any suggestions for when you donโt have a blender or immersion blender on hand??
Hi Steph, do you have a food processor? Blending a cup in that would work. Itโs fine to skip the blending, the texture will just be more components in broth, which is still tasty!
Potato Masher
Made the lentil soup fantastic!
I love this soup! The first time I made it, I omitted the blending step because I was trying to avoid extra dishes. The soup was good, but not great. The second time I made it, I followed the recipe and blending 2 cups of the soup (using the 1x recipe) and it made such a different. It was incredible. I will definitely be trying some of your other recipes very soon. Thank you!
Excellent! We ate the whole pot of this scrumptious soup
This recipe is delicious! I love the curry and cuminโฆ.. I used Better than Bouillon veggie paste for the brothโฆ.. my husband like some meat in his soup so I always have some frozen precooked sausage crumbles he can add.
This is the first time I have made lentil soup and scoured the internet looking for a good recipe. I happened upon this one and decided to give it a try, given all the great reviews. Wow, what a great tasting soup! Will definitely make again!