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.
I just cook your Lentils soup ..so good&so tasty tkx for sharing
Hi, Iβm going to try this for the first time but the recipe says 14 oz. crushed tomatoes but in your video it looks like you used diced tomatoes. Do diced tomatoes work better in the recipe or does it not matter? Thanks!
I used diced tomatoes because I wanted the texture of diced and it came out perfect!! I made a double batch and pureed 2 cups of the soup (didnβt double that) I didnβt want it too thick and again that turned out perfect consistency.
I bet this would turn out great with some sweet potato as well.
Yes definitely Scott! N x
This is seriously so good. Iβm so glad I found you again! I deleted Instagram a while back but fortunately I found your blog again!
Delicious!
Omitted celery and added portobello mushrooms & spinach. PurΓ©ed about half and then added back in.
This soup seriously is amazing!!! Mine turned out more like a stew but only because my pot wasnβt big enough to fit in all the stock. I also added in some smoked bacon. This is seriously divine, so hearty and comforting. Also great for students especially (like myself) if youβre on a budget but wanting something filling and delicious. Thanks so much Nagi!
Great recipe! Do you have a recipe for the cheesy bread you dip in the soup? It looks delicious!
Oops forgot to add my stars!
Hello just came across the website looking for recipes for lentils I found the perfect one! I just finished making and wow itβs a big pot of lentils for a single person. So do these freeze well? I usually when Iβm cooking I make a big pot and then freeze serving so I have them later on to eat with no fuss! Iβm new to lentils! So am I able to freeze these? Oh theyβre delicious by the way!
Nagi, I just made this soup for the first time today, and it is a huge hit in our house. I made it exactly as written, and it was absolutely perfect!!! I will be making it again π
I happened upon your blog by accident and very thankful, and I look forward to more of your recipes.
Thanks so much!
OHβ¦..You just made me literally cry. Here I am making your soup (not done yet and I hope I donβt ruin it because I am crying over here LOL). I found your recipe in a food FB group and saved it until I bought lentils. So i literally have it on the stove right now. I scroll down to look at reviewsβ¦and I see your Dog. And I am just frozen in place. That is our Dog Buster. We had to put him down this year. We took him from a kill shelter and just knew he was old. We had him for like 6 years. OMG the way you described your dog is EXACTLY what I would have said (in a loving way of course) I sent it to my husband and we are all laughing and crying. Yepβ¦your dog is our Buster. Food Food..Hair, Poopβ¦all if it. I said to my husband βI swear to god I wrote that LOL. They look identicalβ¦..I mean like twins. Thank you for posting this. xoxoxoxo
Oh Erin! You are making ME cry reading thatβ¦ Iβm so sorry to hear you lost him, but Iβm also so happy to think that Buster was so lucky to have you as his mum. Dozer sends big furry hugs your way!! β N xx
Even without Celery (for I didnβt have any around), this soup is so delicious and has such a satisfying effect. I ate it for the last 3 days (with fresh, soft flat bread) and will try it with Celery next week. Thank you for all these amazing recipes.
Getting ready to make this soup tonight. I realize I have two types of paprika in my cupboard. Regular and smoked. Help! I donβt know which will taste better. I can actually smell the smoked paprika but the regular has no scent. PS β Dozer is a cutie βΊοΈ
Hi Pat, either will be fine, but I use regular here. N x
Thank you, Nagi! Since I wasnβt sure, I used both. Turned out Delicious!
Just pulled up this recipe to see what the proper proportions of lentils to liquid might be and decided to try your spice combo. Very good! but having a pop up ad window that obliterates the actual recipe is not helpful.
Hi Karen, Iβm so sorry about that β we are having this issue looked at I promise! N x
So good! The lemon pushed it over the top. Made as written, but subbed frozen roasted cherry tomatoes from my garden for the canned tomatoes and left out celery as I didnβt have any. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this yesterday and it was seriously amazing! I added two chopped potatoes to the recipe and a couple of dashes of turmeric as well. It was rich and earthy.
I made the soup but I did not have celery or coriander. I also did not have the machine to blitz the lentils so I just manually smash them along the side of the pot as much as I could then stirred it up. The soup was amazing. Thank you for the recipe.
Great recipe! Iβve made this multiple times and itβs only gotten better π
Iβve never made lentil soup before so I tried this recipe and it was JACKPOTβ¦!! I did modify a little. I only had a 28oz can of crushed tomatoes and the recipe called for 14ozβ¦I went ahead and used all 28oz. In my opinion it made the soup more vibrantβ¦I also used 8 cups of veg broth instead of 6. I also added a little more garlic because I like it that wayβ¦!! The lemon juice and zest is definitely a MUSTβ¦as the recipe says, βdo not skip thisββ¦THANK YOU for a great recipeβ¦
PSβ¦total cook time was about an hourβ¦
This a new winter family meal to put on rotation (and have lunch leftovers!) So simple but big taste. We topped ours with vegan sour cream.