Donβt settle for bland Lentil Soup!Β Make it right and youβll have everyone begging for secondsβ¦.and thirdsβ¦ This lentil recipe is one of the best nourishing, simple dishes you can make with dried lentils thatβs 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. Itβs an easy recipe that delivers terrific results, a 5 star reader favourite with hundreds of feedback from readers!
Want to addΒ 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 Iβm all about big flavours. Spicy, herby, curries β kapow, kapow, kapow!
But you know what? A well made Lentil Soup recipe is canβt-stop-eating-it good. Youβll go back for seconds and thirds, then youβll be taking big tubs of it to work for lunch and happily have it for dinner again.
And β Iβm going to say it (*head swell*) β plenty of readers have said this is theΒ best lentil soup theyβve ever had!
A well made Lentil Soup recipe is canβt-stop-eating-it good.
Is lentil soup good for you?
If youβre wondering if lentil soup is good for you, the answer isΒ yes!Β Lentils areΒ nutritious, rich in minerals, protein, low in fat, high in fibre (digestive health). They are a terrific vegetarianΒ source of proteinΒ with 25% of the calories in lentils attributable to protein.
Lentils are a carbohydrate, but itβs slow burning which means it keeps you fuller for longer.Β Studies also suggest that lentils are good for heart health.
The added benefit is thatΒ 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. Thereβs an undertone of natural sweetness from the soffritoΒ flavour base of onion, carrot and celery. My favourite part is the texture! Itβs thick and comforting, and just made for dunking in hot crusty bread!
What goes in Lentil Soup
Hereβs 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 βΒ The βsecretβ ingredient.Β 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 minutesΒ in the soup, and thereβs 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 β brown, green, red or yellow, though it will affectΒ the colour of the soup. Iβve used green lentils, pictured below.
The only type of lentil I do not recommend isΒ Puy Lentils (little black French lentils) because they hold their shape and donβt soften like other lentils.
Can you used canned cooked lentils?
Yes you sure can, and directions are provided in the recipe notes. But itβs better made with dried lentils because of the texture in the soup, thereβs only 10 minutes difference in cook time and itβs more economical!
How to make Lentil Soup from scratch
SautΓ© your onion, garlic, carrots and celery overΒ over low heat for almost 10 minutes. Take your time here βΒ 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!
Youβll 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 aΒ 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 β 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 β even longer!
Every time I make this, I always wonder why I donβt make it more often. Itβs healthy, filling, super economical, freezes perfectly, versatile and itβsΒ seriously good.
Serving this with some sort of warm crusty bread for dunking is not optional.Β ItβsΒ an essential part of the Lentil Soup experience.
But itΒ is optional whether you slather said bread with butter, or grill it with cheese! Β Here are a few options β including making your ownΒ ultra easy homemade bread with NO YEAST:
β 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 β 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Donβt rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.Β
- 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 β 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 β itβs been a firm reader favourite from day 1, so IΒ wouldnβt dare touch it!
More totally delicious lentil recipes:
Sexy Lentil Salad β try it, then youβll get the nameβ¦.
Dal β Indian lentil curry. The highest and best use of lentils, full stop!
Coconut Lentil Curry β outrageously addictive, andΒ easyΒ (I make this for a curry fix when I donβt have time for dal)
Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil Rice) β 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 contributesΒ negative.Β Dropping fur everywhere, shaking vigorously so it flies everywhere along with an inordinate amountΒ of sand, constantly sprawling out in my path so Iβm forced to step over him (remember, Iβm vertically challenged = giant steps).
Giant π© 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, donβt we? π)
PS Another example of his uselessness β he spends 22 hours a day doing this. The other 2 hours are spent a) eating b) hoping to eat c) playing.
Absolutely beautiful. We fell in love with lentil soup in TΓΌrkiye and this is as goodβ¦. Love the lemon and I always add chilli flakes and dried mint. Serve with Turkish bread and OMGβ¦.
Followed this recipe to a T. Had a Honeybaked Ham leftover from Easter dinner. While simmering put the bone in (with lots of ham still on it) and simmered for about 45 minutes. Removed the bone and bay leafs and OMG. Absolutely Delicious. Froze leftovers for my parents. Thanks for another delicious recipe.
Excellent. The best lentil soup Iβve ever made and Iβve made many. The lemon gives such a depth of flavor. Highly recommend. Thank you for a great recipe!
My favorite lentil soup, specially for those rainy days.
Thank you
I love this lentil soup so much and have made it several times. I always chop up a package of kielbasa and throw it in with the vegetables.
Title says it all! This lentil soup is seriously amazing!! I made a double batch and froze most in portioned out containers. So convenient for a quick, cheap, and healthy meal (not to forget delicious too!)
Mmmmm I lvoe loentil soup
Absolutely delicious and so easy! Thank you.
Great soup, filling and nutritious
Enjoyed reading your recipe, it was mouth watering
At the moment, just eating some Lentil home made. I left out some of the ingredients ie. carrots and celery and the herbs, just made it more basic.
Used dried red lentils after rinsing
So, used Red lentils, Yaemon Tamari extra strong with mirin included, lots of black popper,
did not use coriander or cumin as not keen. half tablespoon of KOKO (coconut) margarine (vegan) and some already cooked cold Tilda rice Simmering for about 35 mins on low
Eaten all with some toasty bread
Really filling, and feel great. After digesting, will be ready for a couple of miles along the beach
Loved your recipe, will add carrots next time for extra flavour π
Thanks again
Phenomenal soup! The flavors really burst.
This was the best lentil soup Iβve ever had in my life. I am even on a strict diet from my dietitian where I canβt eat onions and garlic right now, so I couldnβt add them to the soup and it was still fantastic. Definitely will be making this soup again.
Lentil soup, lemon killed the soup!! Not happy
Iβm making this lentil soup for the third time after discovering the recipe. Pretty much every time we have a whole chicken, at this point. My wife loves it. And sheβs difficult to impress in the kitchen. Thank you.
Wow! Amazing taste that lived up to the hype. My daughter had it with grilled cheese on toast. Magic. Thanks Nagi.
OUTSTANDING. Easy to make and so delicious
I canβt find where it says how much water to use. Iβm inexperienced at cooking.
I would love to make this in the Instant Pot, would you happen to know what the timing would be and quick or natural release? Hopefully you might have tried doing it in the Instant Pot. Please & Thanks π
Such a beautiful soup. Even my kids loved it
This is just like Greek lentil soup. We use vinegar at the end instead of lemon, and donβt use coriander. Otherwise, itβs the soup of my childhood.
This is an excellent recipe. A smooth rich flavor. Thank You for developing and sharing it.
Delicious recipe. I had slightly varied it π Added bacon in the beginning and some cabbage I had laying around. Also no tomatoes in a can, but a 3 tomatoes and a squirt of ketchup did it. The lemon juice addition brings out a great zing.
most disgusting thing I have ever madeβ¦seriously. Hoped the second day would help..itβs down the garbage disposal. I even spent $$$ on the spices..followed the recipe to the letter. HORRIBLE..
Wow, is that even necessary? Itβs probably YOU that made it wrong
This took way over one hour, if you count sorting the beans, rinsing the beans, peeling the carrots, getting the soup to a simmer.
I figured once I got it all in the pot it would finish in an hour, and I did use a lower heat setting to avoid burning it, but it was at least two hours getting the lentils tender.