Don’t settle for bland Lentil Soup! Make it right and you’ll have everyone begging for seconds….and thirds… This lentil recipe is one of the best nourishing, simple dishes you can make with dried lentils that’s 100% delicious. Use green lentils, red lentils, brown lentils or a lentil soup mix.
All it takes is a hint of spice flavourings, bay leaves and finishing it off with a touch of lemon to elevate this soup. It’s an easy recipe that delivers terrific results, a 5 star reader favourite with hundreds of feedback from readers!
Want to add some protein? Try this Beef & Lentil Soup!
Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is quite possibly the least sexy sounding soup on the planet.
At least, in my world. Regular readers know that I’m all about big flavours. Spicy, herby, curries – kapow, kapow, kapow!
But you know what? A well made Lentil Soup recipe is can’t-stop-eating-it good. You’ll go back for seconds and thirds, then you’ll be taking big tubs of it to work for lunch and happily have it for dinner again.
And – I’m going to say it (*head swell*) – plenty of readers have said this is the best lentil soup they’ve ever had!
A well made Lentil Soup recipe is can’t-stop-eating-it good.
Is lentil soup good for you?
If you’re wondering if lentil soup is good for you, the answer is yes! Lentils are nutritious, rich in minerals, protein, low in fat, high in fibre (digestive health). They are a terrific vegetarian source of protein with 25% of the calories in lentils attributable to protein.
Lentils are a carbohydrate, but it’s slow burning which means it keeps you fuller for longer. Studies also suggest that lentils are good for heart health.
The added benefit is that they are low in calories with 116 calories in 1 cup of cooked lentils (which is roughly the amount per serving of this lentil soup).
What does lentil soup taste like?
It tastes savoury and has a flavour boost from a hint of spices. There’s an undertone of natural sweetness from the soffrito flavour base of onion, carrot and celery. My favourite part is the texture! It’s thick and comforting, and just made for dunking in hot crusty bread!
What goes in Lentil Soup
Here’s what goes in my lentil soup. Nothing fancy, just everyday ingredients.
So what makes this Lentil Soup so good?
A touch of spices.
Cooking the onion, carrot and celery slowly so they sweeten and make a beautiful flavour base.
Lemon – The “secret” ingredient. Yes really. Little tip I picked up from Ina Garten. Just a bit of zest and squeeze of fresh lemon makes all the difference which takes it from really good to great!
Do you cook lentils before adding to soup?
Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there’s no need to soak them either!
What type of lentils are best for lentil soup?
Dried lentils are best for lentil soup. You can use most types of lentils for this recipe – brown, green, red or yellow, though it will affect the colour of the soup. I’ve used green lentils, pictured below.
The only type of lentil I do not recommend is Puy Lentils (little black French lentils) because they hold their shape and don’t soften like other lentils.
Can you used canned cooked lentils?
Yes you sure can, and directions are provided in the recipe notes. But it’s better made with dried lentils because of the texture in the soup, there’s only 10 minutes difference in cook time and it’s more economical!
How to make Lentil Soup from scratch
Sauté your onion, garlic, carrots and celery over over low heat for almost 10 minutes. Take your time here – the lower the heat, the longer you take, the more these will transform to create an incredible flavour base for the soup!
Add everything else other than the lemon;
Simmer 35 minutes until lentils are soft; and
Finish with a dusting of zest and spritz of lemon.
A hint of lemon earthiness from the zest and touch of freshness from the juice just jazzes up the soup and takes it to that next level!
You’ll find that the lentils mostly breakdown and naturally thicken the soup. But what I like to do to get a really luscious creamy texture is to give the soup a quick whizz with a blender stick (or transfer a couple of cups to the blender) to puree SOME but not all the lentils.
That way you get the benefit of both worlds – creamy soup with soft bits of lentils. YES!
How to store lentil soup
Lentil Soup will easily keep for 5 days in the fridge, making it ideal for cooking on the weekend and serving throughout the week. And it also freezes 100% perfectly for 3 months – even longer!
Every time I make this, I always wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s healthy, filling, super economical, freezes perfectly, versatile and it’s seriously good.
Serving this with some sort of warm crusty bread for dunking is not optional. It’s an essential part of the Lentil Soup experience.
But it is optional whether you slather said bread with butter, or grill it with cheese! Here are a few options – including making your own ultra easy homemade bread with NO YEAST:
– Nagi xx
Watch How To Make It
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Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped (white, brown, yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 celery ribs , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 cups / 400g dried lentils , green or brown, rinsed (Note 1)
- 400g / 14 oz crushed tomato
- 1.5 litres / 1.5 quarts (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock / broth, low sodium
- 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 lemon (zest + juice)
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, each
To Serve
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Warm bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don’t rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.
- Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 – 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Thicken Soup: Using a stick blender, do 2 or 3 quick whizzes to thicken the soup (see video below). Or transfer 2 cups to a blender, let it cool slightly, then hold lid with tea towel and blend then transfer back into pot.
- Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty bread slathered liberally with butter!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published March 2017, spruced up with new pics, new video and fresh new writing. Absolutely no change to recipe – it’s been a firm reader favourite from day 1, so I wouldn’t dare touch it!
More totally delicious lentil recipes:
Sexy Lentil Salad – try it, then you’ll get the name….
Dal – Indian lentil curry. The highest and best use of lentils, full stop!
Coconut Lentil Curry – outrageously addictive, and easy (I make this for a curry fix when I don’t have time for dal)
Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil Rice) – so good you can eat it plain, seriously!
Browse all Beans and Lentil recipes
Life of Dozer
He contributes less than nothing to this household, he actually contributes negative. Dropping fur everywhere, shaking vigorously so it flies everywhere along with an inordinate amount of sand, constantly sprawling out in my path so I’m forced to step over him (remember, I’m vertically challenged = giant steps).
Giant 💩 all over the backyard. Barks furiously at tree branches swaying in the breeze but I swear, he would happily show a robber where my jewellery box is in exchange for a pat.
Useless!!! (And yet we love them so much, don’t we? 🙂)
PS Another example of his uselessness – he spends 22 hours a day doing this. The other 2 hours are spent a) eating b) hoping to eat c) playing.
The best lentil soup, i did not use a lot of zest and did not use lemon, but other than that the best lentil soup iave had and easy to make! I know this was publish in 2017 but oh men so happy i found recipe now!
I’m so glad you loved it Johana!
Made Lentil soup many times but this recipe is definitely the best. In Germany we always added a splash of vinegar but I like the lemon much better.
Woah what a greta compliment Iris!!
I’m going to use my ham bone broth and try this recipe instead of my usual split pea soup.
It was absolutely delicious! As per a comment below I added a tsp of brown sugar and cinnamon. I’ve just had 2 bowls with garlic bread and am contemplating going for a third round. 😋
Perfect Abi!!
It’s good but too lemony for me too. I would make again but with less lemon and as suggested in another post, maybe add brown sugar to cut back in tomato acidity.
Delicious and easy! I live the soup over basmati rice and topped with some mango chutney and a side of naan. Plus, I get to use my new immersion blender that I got for Christmas! Woohoo. Top notch recipe.
Loved this recipe! I added a tsp of cinnamon and tsp of brown sugar to balance the tomatoes. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Sounds divine Deborah!
EXCELLENT LENTIL SOUP DELICIOUS
Thanks so much Sal!
Nagi, thanks! Very tasty soup turned out. Very cool photos!
Awesome Anne – N x
I made this soup exactly as your recipe says and it was amazing. Hubby doesn’t like soup but I asked him to give it a try and he also loved it. The only thing I forgot to do was take the bay leaves out before I blitzed it, which meant I was left with a few stalks 😂, it didn’t seem to affect the taste though which was a relief.
You’ve totally converted him Annette!!
Delicious and healthy recipe. The last two times I cooked it, I added bell pepper in there just because I like bell pepper so much, but it’s delicious without it. Love your recipes.
Peppers would be amazing! I’m so glad you love it Kay!
Just made the soup and I love it!! Just wondering what a serving size is equal to? Can’t seem to find it in the recipe .
Honestly perfect! Super easy, super delicious, and happens to be healthy and economical to boot! Honestly excited to eat it multiple days in a row (with baguettes slathered in roasted garlic butter!)
Can I add beef, sirloin maybe?This looks yummy and I will make it over the holidays but I have a house of young men in their 20’s and they want their meat. If I brown it first and then add, how much cooking time would i add to it? thank you!
Oh my goodness. First off, HELLO DOZER. What a CUTIE PIE! <3 🙂
Hi Nagi, I'm SOOO happy to have stumbled upon your lentil soup recipe. I live in NYC and it's getting quite chilly over here, so soups have been my absolute go to for lunch. There is a super posh market next to my work, called Citarella. I've currently been OBSESSED with their lentil soup and although I have yet to try your recipe, I have SUCH a good feeling I'll be able to recreate the soup I've been loving so much these days. With your help, I'll definitely be saving some money too, so thank you!!
I hope you give it a go – love to know how it compares Michelle!!!!
Happy New Year, Nagi!
Wanted to make sure to circle back with you to let you know the soup tastes amazing and compares beautifully! Thanks again & Cheers!
Just made this lentil soup it was absolutely amazing I see what you mean by coming back for seconds and thirds thanks so much I will definitely pass this around
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Cindy!!
Wife has cancer & I’m having difficulty find something she wants to eat.
THIS WORKED!!! She ate 2 small bowls, most she’d eaten in days. Thanks a lot
Oh, I Love It too
I’m so sorry to hear that Randy, but I’m so glad she’s managed to eat something – food can be the best medicine. Wishing you all the best ❤️
This is AMAZING and so incredibly easy! I love to cook but sometimes want to come home and make something easy. This hits the mark on all accounts. I doubled the veg intending to double the recipe, but didn’t have double the lentils-oh well..just go for it! All served over a batch of fresh kale (simply tossed with olive oil and massaged). DEEELICIOUS! Thanks!
Sounds fabulous Barbara!!
Followed the recipe exactly and it is soooo tasty!!
Budget friendly, healthy (full of proteins) and i love that i can freeze it and save it for later 😀
Wahoo! That’s great to hear Tara!!
Love, love Love your recipe! Made this for the first time tonight and it’s a keeper! Soooo good. Didn’t have paprika so used cayenne (and less). Spiced Lentil Soup served with Vancouver Sourdough bread and Austrailian Barossa Ink Shiraz 2016 vintage. Perfect for a freezing cold winter night.
Thank you Nagi! I’ll be trying more of your recipes :)! For Dozer – after every walk, teach him a new trick or task. Look up Canine Good Neighbor and give him a new recipe each day and watch him cook up more enjoyment for you :)!
I’m so glad you loved it Janice!!