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. It’s seasoned with a few of my favorite spices and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Honestly, it’s the best lentil soup I’ve ever had.
The original title of this recipe was “Spiced Vegan Lentil Soup,” which is accurate, but a mouthful. With over 500 five-star reviews, I think it’s safe to call this the Best Lentil Soup. Period.
Whether you’re looking to lighten up your meals or warm up with a steaming bowl of soup, this healthy lentil soup recipe is for you! It’s 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 that’s 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. It’s 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. I’m 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.
Don’t miss my lentil minestrone recipe in my cookbook—if you’re a fan of this soup, you’re 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
- ¼ 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
- ½ 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 (½ 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 purée the soup until smooth. Pour the puréed 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 America’s Test Kitchen’s lentil soup in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, with reference to The First Mess’ 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 nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
If someone in your family does not tolerate tomatoes, what would you substitute?
Thanks in advance!!
You could try to omit, but I recommend this best as is. Sorry!
This is absolutely the best recipe I have ever made, we absolutely love it! I did end up adding a bit more chicken broth, but really that was just a preference thing. The flavors come together so well! Thank you!!!
I made this as written. It was amazing! Don’t forget the lemon juice at the end. It really brightens up the dish.
Made this tonight for the second or third time and it’s our favorite brown lentil soup. I riffed a little tonight and added parsnips that needed to be used up and two separate curry powders just because. Was feeling under the weather so didnt want to deal with so many dishes and skipped the blender part and it was still fabulous. The parsnips were a nice sweet counter to the earthiness of the curry and cumin. Kale and the juice of a whole lemon. Truly a keeper.
I made this today. The only thing I was unsure about was the “lightly drained” instruction for the diced tomatoes. I drained them fully and then added roughly 50% of the juice with the tomatoes. Seemed to work fine. I, like others, did sub spinach for the kale. I use an 8 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed it, and then squeezed it until very dry. I forgot lemons at the store but had limes added the juice of one lime…which added an excellent fresh but not overly strong citrus flavor. I also used Flat Iron Pepper Co.’s Dark and Smoky dried pepper blend (as opposed to the spice aisle’s normal red pepper go to) which added a lot of depth. I don’t know if I can mention brands in a review please edit it out if not. Yield is just under 2.5 quarts so just over two cups per serving. Absolutely five stars from me.
HI !!
I have made this delish lentil soup a few times
and it keeps getting better & better .
thanks for sharing Kate.
You’re welcome, Andrea! I appreciate your review.
Made this for the first time today. I see why it has over 3.5k 5-star reviews. It’s the right balance of seasonings and acid. Paired it with some toasted sourdough bread. Thank you!!
Made this yesterday and had for lunch today. Delish. Period. As a type 2 diabetic this is a excellent meal. Lentils are good for you. I used baby spinach instead of kale. Threw it in the pot after I turned off the stove. Stir and it cooked from the heat of the soup. Going for the extra vitamin content of the spinach.
Outstanding soup!
Easy to prepare, the best lentil soup I ever had. Thank you Kate!
Even my friends who don’t like soup LOVED this one
Great to hear, Marissa!
Really good recipe! On my rotation now!
Hello can use a Mixer I do not have Blender??? I am just making it to day.
A mixer won’t blend up the portion of the soup. You can try without it.
Awesome awesome , Miss Kate , soooo very yummy !!
Truly the best lentil soup ever! I substituted a big bag of baby spinach and kale mix for the greens…fantastic…otherwise followed the recipe exactly (which is highly unusual for me). I’ll be making this for the rest of my life!
Hi. Could red lentils be used? They are all I have in the cupboard
Sure, you will want to reduce liquid and cooking time. Reference my How to Cook Lentils
There are many different colors of curry, yellow, red, green …
Which one do you use?
Hi! This is a curry spice vs paste. I hope that helps!
This is an outstanding recipe. Thank you!
Perfect recipe! We LOVE it! Unfortunately, I bought several pounds of red lentils before we tried it & I would like to use them up. Will they work in this recipe?
Hi Olivia! They should work, but you will want to reduce the liquid and cooking time. Reference my How to Cook Lentils for a guide.
If I don’t like cumin or curry, but know that they add a flavor depth. Do you have suggested substitutions? Thank you.
You can try it without, but this soup is really the best with the curry.
This is fantastic! I make the basic recipe without the kale as I usually have a salad on the side, and no lemon. However, I do add some home smoked pork butt.
The smokey flavor is wonderful with this.
I also saute the garlic -half the amount of olive oil as I’m adding pork- with the spices.
Would it work to use red lentils for this soup? I have them on hand. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Sure, you will just want to reduce the liquid and cooking time.
Can you use canned lentils? Does that change the cooking time?
Sure, you will just want to reduce the liquid and cooking time.
How much do you think you should reduce the liquid and cooking time for canned lentils?
I haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
Hi. Thoughts on adding potatoes? Wondering if they’d absorb too much liquid?
By how much would you reduce the liquids?
Sometimes you are skeptical when a recipe says “best” of anything. But I’ve had lots of lentil soup and this is the BEST one yet! Thanks!
It is the best lentil soup ….so flavourful. I’ve made it many times & everyone loved it.
I was at a friends home for lunch today. She served this soup for our lunch.
It was excellent.
I now have the recipe, and it will be soup this weekend.
Thanks for a super recipe
This is a go-to in our house and whenever we need to bring a meal to someone! Highly recommend trying it!
This is the best hearty soup I’ve ever had! It’s a family fav – all love it – easy to make and fills the house with the best aroma!!
A very nice soup. I did make some subsitutions. I had no curry powder but I did have garam masala, so I used it. I also used canned unseasoned kale. That worked out great!!! I would definitely recommend this soup as it was very easy with good results. We had ours with carrot-cornbread, yum!
Very easy recipe with perfect results. I really enjoy this soup and it’s even better next day or two. I will be making this soup regularly in years to come.
Hi can I use spinach instead of kale?
Sure! I know others have and didn’t mind the results.
Can I use red masoor lentils instead of brown or green lentils?
Sure, you will want to reduce the cooking time and liquid.
Add some chickpeas to the mix and really enjoy. Pureeing part of the lentils works wonders for the overall feel and texture. Also, try topping it off with chopped onions and fresh coriander.
Hi. I’m wondering if white lentils can be used for this soup ?
I haven’t tried it, but I do know others have used a variety of lentils for this recipe. You may need to adjust cooking times and liquid.
This was an excellent recipe! I made it yesterday and it was delicious! I substituted a 14-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes. I also used more broth and lentils to make up for (14 ounces of) tomatoes that I omitted. I will be making this recipe again. Thank you for sharing it with us!
I made a low salt version of this and it is good. 58% of daily sodium from one bowl of soup is really a lot.
Would red lentils work w this recipe?
Sure! Others have tried it and didn’t mind the results. You will just need to reduce cooking time and liquid.
This was a very good soup and I got compliments on it
Can butternut squash be used in place of carrots?
Sure, you can try it. Let me know what you think!
Love it! I accidentally left out the garlic this time (I’ve made it like three times already) and it was still excellent. Thank you for sharing it with us!!
You’re welcome, Cara!
The lentil kale soup is a favorite of our family and friends I want to make it without tomatoes because of diet restrictions. What could I substitute for the lentils How would the soup taste without tomatoes
It sounds like it might be a totally different soup than is presented here :)
Such a yummy recipe! Even the husband liked it and he doesn’t prefer kale!
That’s great, Leah!
My son and I are self-avowed soup snobs. We spend time on the phone discussing recipes, possible upgrades, etc. One thing we always agree on is the tweaking that is necessary before serving. Until I made this two days ago. Absolutely grade A perfect, no tweaking needed! Thank you so much for a new favorite!
I love this soup! There’s not a ton of prep, and it comes together easily with most of the ingredients being pantry staples. It is so warming and cozy on a chilly fall or winter night. On rotation.
This soup is awesome! Just the right amount of spicy. I added a pinch of smoked paprika for a bit of extra flavor. Love all of your recipes. Thank you!
This was a delicious lentil soup and one which I will definitely make again!
This lentil soup is absolutely delicious!! I’m not a fan of lentils but this soup is amazing!! This is a must try!!
Thank you for your review, Halley!
Love this soup. What is the serving size?
Roughly 1.5-2 cups is a serving size.
Hi Kate,
I just made your recipe and it’s so good! I’m taking it to church tomorrow for our soup and bread Sunday gathering where I’m sure it will be a hit!
Thank you for sharing it.
I’ve made this time and time again… Sometimes I use marjoram instead of thyme (because I didn’t have it), otherwise the ingredients are the same. Delicious, nutritious, simple…
So much flavour, delicious!
The best lentil soup we ever ate. I used spinach greens in place of collard and I skipped on the lemon . I used 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes, which I had on hand.
Highly recommend.
This lentil soup is always my go to. The best for sure.
Thank you
Fran Slat