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.
Delicious I added salsa instead of tomato, doubled the spices, and added asparagus because I had it. I also forgot the lemon but I added 2 slices of ham. Everyone loved it.
Unfortunately I followed the directions for 1 lemon (zest and juice) and ended up with lemon soup with lentils..Thereβs an awesome lentil soup under that lemon but Iβll never taste it in this batch.
Absolutely delicious! Everyone who tried it agreedβ best lentil soup ever and the squeeze of lemon and hit of zest was transformative! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I used to partially stick blend soups for a smoother texture too until I got really good at sauces. Thereβs already shoved fat from the oil, so I just add a teaspoon of flour to the veggies after theyβve worked a bit. It will create a fine sauce that smoothes out the dish.
This has got to be the most DEE-licious Lentil Soup this side of the cosmos . That lemon was the icing on the cake. The only thing I added was a little bit of Tony Chachereβs Creole Seasoning instead of salt. It gives it a bit of a bite . LOVE IT!
Obsessed with this soup β itβs the third time Iβve made it in 2 weeks π. So hearty and satisfying. Thanks so much for what will now be a delicious household staple.
Lentil Soup β Nothing short of AMAZING!!!!
Quick β easy to follow instructions β You infused it with LOVE and it came through to our bowls!!!
This recipe is fabulous! The lemon adds so much⦠and, yea, I confess I used 4 gloves of garlic rather than the 2 recommended, but I was otherwise faithful to the recipe. Thank you. A definite keeper!
Thereβs a tiny mistake: Lentil soup does not store in a fridge for 3-5 days: It just magically disappears in under 48 hours π
I donβt know if I left a comment before..but this lentil soup is awesome! Iβd never made it before, but we made it for our Meals on Wheels clients and all the kitchen help LOVED IT! Iβve made it many time since, for friends who are sick, and they rave about it! Itβs so easy and delicious! I made a pot tonight to share with 2 more friends who are sickβ¦I did forget to blend it up some, so Iβll do that in morning!
I only had French lentils on hand so used those. I was out of carrot and celery so substituted organic sweet potato and mushrooms. It was delicious. Threw some in the blender for 10 month old, but the rest of us including 3 year old ate it unblended. Sweet potato gave it a creamy texture similar to what blending half would have done and the lentils did hold their shape.
This lentil soup was amazing! I ended up making a few different versions that were more or less blended for different consistencies. The blended Lentils actually ended up creamy and comforting, and the flavours were so rich and cozy. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I will definitely be making it over and over!
Tried my grandmaβs recipe but no one liked it. Yours was surprisingly delicious and even my daughter ate it even though she doesnβt like lentils.βΊβΊ
Is it 1/4 cup of celery & carrot or 1 1/4
Hi Terry, itβs one and a quarter cup each of celery and carrot
Although your have a section that says how to make it from scratch, you didnβt go over how to make the soupy part β without having to buy chicken or vegetable broth?
I always hear that lentil is good but never made anything with it. Last night I made a pot but couldnβt eat it. We had the Middle Eastern chicken and it filled us. So, this is our lunch today while we WFH. Yummy! Even my husband who is not a fan of lentil agreed and he had a bowl. π
I found this recipe about a year ago and it has become my favorite soup recipe. The flavor combinations are perfect, and I also love to add sausage in it which kicks it up another notch! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
I followed this exactly and it is so delicious! Thank you very much.
I made the lentils today for dinner. So good. I will freeze the leftovers for another time. There are only the two of us.
Delicious! I added some sweet potatoes to this as well, so yummy!
Any chance you have the nutritional value that you could share?