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.
I stumbled upon your recipes this morning and just finished making this lentil soup. I used smoked paprika and O-M-G!–it’s delicious! I’m looking to trying some of your other recipes, too. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed this Donna! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Using this as part of a heart healthy diet – trying to lower cholesterol. What a delicious way to do it. Thanks Nagi!
So glad you liked this Anna! 🙂 N x
This recipe was delicious! Will make it again!
That’s great Lisa! So pleased to hear that! N x
I just cooked this and it’s delicious! Thank you.
That’s great Maria! So pleased to hear that! N x
Oh my!! This is amazing! My husband liked it also. We are first time lentil eaters and we are hooked. I didn’t use the lemon juice or zest and I added spinach. Love it!!
So glad you enjoyed this Stefanie! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Oh. Also I put it in the crock pot overnight.
Absolutely delicious, huge hit in my house. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Trish! Thanks for letting me know – N x
This was better than expected! I used 8 cups of vegetable broth, and canned diced tomatoes instead of crushed. No blending. Consistency was perfect and it was really flavorful. I also served cornbread with it. This was a hit!
So glad you enjoyed it Kay! N x
Hello — getting ready to make this today! However, is it sweet paprika or smoked paprika? Thanks for clarifying!
Hi Bette! I usually use sweet but smoked is also so good!
Thank you! Just made my first batch and left out the paprika entirely b/c I didn’t have any. I doubled all the rest of the spices, though. Here in the states, our lentils come in 1-lb bags, so I used 454 grams, and a little extra water. Absolutely delicious! And you’re right, the lemon makes it!
That’s wonderful to hear Bette! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
Has anyone does this in an instant pot?
Yes just made this in my instant pot , used the soup button .
It was really delicious !
Yummy!
🙌🏻
I love your recipe, I just cooked it and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing!
That’s so great to hear Brenda! Thanks for sharing your feedback – N x
Can i use fresh tomatoes
Sure thing! I’d use about 600g / 1.2 lb 🙂
would one need to skin the fresh tomatoes before using? then what is the best way to ‘crush’ them for this recipe?
Sounds so good and I need to try this recipe!—
With the cook time for this recipe I think using tomatoes without peeling should be fine! I would blitz whole tomatoes in a food processor or blender 🙂
I actually used fresh cherry tomatoes.
Well attempting to make this recipe! Sounds delicious! However, do you soak the beans prior to cooking? The recipe does not saying about soaking the beans overnight.
Hi Alexa! Nope, no need to soak – lentils are small 🙂 They cook quickly!
Sounds great! How would you convert to instant pot?
Hi Geri! Do the saute part in the IP on the saute setting, then add the other ingredients and switch to the pressure cooker function, pressure cook on high for 15 minutes 🙂
Thank you so much. The recipe looks amazing! I’m dying to make it!
Thanks so much! Will make it!😊
I followed your recipe and the taste was scrumptious. We had red lentils and they pretty much disolved but the taste was fantastic. Next time we’re going to use the larger dry lentils. And Dozer? Wouldn’t life be boring without him?? Give him a pat on the head for me, please. Happy weekend. 🤗
YES YES YES!!! OK that’s pretty much the most incredible validation ever, to hear from you! N xx PS Hug passed on, pat was insufficient 🤣
Delicious! I added chopped mushrooms, an extra carrot, and 1 cup of millet (with 2 cups extra veg stock). Hearty! Had plenty for two more dinners even after my husband ate at least 4 servings!
I’ve made this soup twice now and I love it. I must admit that I did something different the first time and it was better. Can’t think of what it was though. Nevertheless, I look forward to eating it for several days in a row.
One question I have is about the nutrition information. I’m trying to put it it my fitness pal and can’t figure out serving size. Can you tell me in cups how much 341 grams is? Thank you!!
Thank you for this recipie! It is wonderful I have made it two times now
That’s terrific to hear Charlotte! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
So delicious! I’m making this again tonight. Great vegan soup for a cold winter evening like this! And the toast topped with Earth Balance really topsnit off!
Love hearing that Karmen! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N xx
Awesome, five stars!
🙌🏻