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.
My daughter canβt have lemon. Do you think it would still be good if I used lime instead?
Do you need to soak the lentils before cooking or do you put the dried lentils in the pot?
I saw this recipe on Pinterest; I donβt have paprika or coriander at home, but I do have cayenne, cumin, chili powder, etc various dried herbs. Also can I use red lentil for this recipe.?
Paprika has a very different flavour than chili powder so although it wonβt taste the same, it will taste more like chili, itβll still be good. Just not like lentil soup. If you can, go get paprika. I always leave corriander out because I donβt like the flavour
Try smoked Paprika, has a wonderful, fuller flavor than regular paprika! Great recipe!
THANK YOU for this recipe!!! I have never liked lentils AT ALL, but this soup is amazing!!!
I just made thisβ¦ itβs cooking now, we will see
if i plan to freeze the soup, do i still put in the lemon zest and juice? or is that just for serving time? thank you!
So delicious! Even my 6-year-old devoured it. I couldnβt find the garlic so we skipped that. Replaced lemon with a little apple cider vinegar. Forgot to add salt but didnβt need it. Definitely going to be a regular at our place!
This is a great recipe, exactly what you want from a lentil soup. I will definitely make it again. I tasted it both before and after adding the lemon, and while the lemon is delicious, the soup is also good without it if you donβt have a lemon on hand.
This recipe was delicious!!!! It came out to die for. The only thing I did different was withhold celery because eww and added beef chunks and carne asada I had done the night before. It gives it enough protein for me for a meal as I love having lentil soup in the morning at work to start my day! Thank you!
If I do not want the crushed tomatoes β can I omit or is there suitable alternative?
Lentil soup is my partnerβs fav. I made this (my first time making and eating) lentil soup and it was a hit! I did add a few tsp of babas curry powder, gave it just a bit more punch. Am about to make it again.
Cheers Nagi- your recipes are all favs in our house (fam of 10)
Made it on a whim. Borrowed celery from my neighbor:) I added a little more garlic. I really like it! Solid recipe!
My new favorite lentil soup! Iβve searched for a while and this is the one.
I was skeptical, but this is a game-changing lentil soup. I donβt usually love lentil soup and I love this one! Dried lentils, the spices, all the tips and especially the LEMON packs a umami punch of joy. Iβm definitely going to try Nagiβs other recipes now. Thank you!
Amazing, tasty, a splendid recipe
I used sweet curry 1/2 top & 1.5 tbsp of smokey paprika, 1 tsp crushed basil leavesβ¦delicious!
I started off incorrectly but it turned out delish ! Used βsoup kit β & water vs sauteeβg veg , after a hr of simmering added tomato paste , garlic, cumin & lentils. Allowed for another 45 & blitzed was delish !!! Served w/splash of lemon & drizz evoo π
I made this and accidentally added 14 oz of chili with beans instead of the tomato (they looked alike in my freezer and the label had come off). WOW. What a great mistake! Absolutely fabulous!
I made this soup last week after reading the glowing reviews. Followed the recipe exactly. Itβs ok, edible; perhaps I donβt like the taste of lentils that much. I neither love nor hate it. Nagiβs minestrone soup is much more to my taste. Just a personal preference.
Four stars because of personal tastes, nothing wrong with recipe.
can red lentils be used for this recipe?
Good recipeβ¦I couldnβt see any mention of rinsing the lentils firstβ¦Maybe I missed it!
This is the best lentil soup recipe, I have ever made. The only thing I add is feta, itβs amazing!
Why did you tell me thiiis π©π©π© LOL. Going to add rn!