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 and I loved your soup recipe and think it is the best lentil soup we have ever tasted and made. The lemon kind of scared me, but you were right it was absolutely amazing and I would never leave it out. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Love your floopy Dozer! Just put this lentil soup on and it smells amazing as it cooks. Its a rainy day here and this will just make it all the better!
When making this soup, if Iβm going to freeze it, should I still add lemon zest and juice at end of cooking or wait until Iβm eventually going to eat it? Canβt wait to make this as I love lentils
Hi Marion, itβs fine to add it before freezing, but yes, after defrosting β taste and then maybe pimp it up with a little fresh lemon too π N x
So so good! My children were not fans, but my husband and I loved it! Even my mom liked it and sheβs not a fan of lentils. As someone else mentioned- use the lemon for sure! Although the flavor is subtle, it adds such a great depth of flavor to the soup. Thank you so much for the recipe.
I probably made the soup at least eight times now. I love it and itβs something I can almost eat everyday! Itβs healthy, itβs tasty, it freezes well if you need to give yourself a break. Less meat, more lentils! Yum!
THE only lentil soup I like. It is delicious.
Will try this soon. Canβt wait looks yummy
Iβve just made it with green lentilsβ¦I didnt have any bay leaves but it turned out lovely all the same. So tastyβ¦definitely going to be on my weekly soup list π
I made this tonight, and it was great! I hate people who rate a recipe that have changed it, butβ¦ I only changed things I didnβt have, lol! I didnβt have celery, so put in a few pinches of celery seed. I used a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes. I used green lentils, 8 cups chicken stock, (hate having a half box hanging around). I cooked it 30 mins, but should have let it go a little longer. Buzzed it briefly with stick blender, but it was still a little thin for me. So I put in a small handful of instant mashed potato flakes, which thickened it up. I served it with homemade pumpernickel bread out of my bread machine. π
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Nagi! Have you tried doing this with mung beans?
I havenβt Jess β would love to know if you give it a go though! N X
One of my top 5 go to soups! Super tasty, healthy, cheap and easy to make. Hits the craving spot every time.
Excellent! Iβve been a lentil soup eater since childhood. This was a fresh very tasty twist on my go-to recipe. Definitely will make it again!!
Made tonight for 1st time and recipe is fantastic. I made no changes but I did use smoked paprika instead of regular before I thought about it, If you do so it will smell smoky while cooking but the taste is perfect, and I will likely use again. Simmered covered at final stage for 35 min, soup was a bit thick so thinking next time I will increase chicken broth to 7-8 cups, or just add water at end per recipe. Really a tasty and healthy dish, I did omit salt β personal preference β and was out of lemons but neither affected the great taste. Definitely will make again!
Is 1 serving 421 grams of the lentil soup?
Anyone ever try adding coconut milk to this recipe?
Never ever tried a lentil in my whole life but this recipe looked so good I had to give it a shot. Seriously the best soup EVER. Iβm completely besotted. Thank you. P.S. Even if youβre tempted, donβt skip the lemon!! It makes it!
Yummy lentils loveβem
I completely agree about the lemon Kristine! Although subtle, you could taste the lemon and it gave this lentil soup such a great depth of flavor!
Hi! Can I use moong dal for this recipe, I hope!!!
Made exactly as recipe and it was delicious! My son declared it the best weβve had!
We make this every week in the pressure cooker (we get more of a stew consistency this way, its still seriously amazing) then make brown rice to eat it with. It serves the 3 adults in this house for most lunches during the week, and our 5 year old loves it too. Thank you for providing this nutritious, filling, cheap and delish staple for us! Iβve tried many of your recipes, all are winners x
Can you share how to adapt this to a insta pot?
Jenny Iβm by no means an expert, and very much wing it, saute function to start with carrots/onion etc, then add in everything except lemon/salt and set to 20 minute pressure cook (probably far too long, but it works and lentils arenβt undercooked!). Immediate pressure release, but when Iβve forgotten about it and had natural release was perfect too. Iβve had a good outcome with brown and red lentils in pressure cooker, red mushier texture.
Made this, quite a quick reciepe really, I just had a bowl with Nann bread. It is super filling and flavorful. First time cooking with lentils, love it.
It is delish! Iβve made lentil soup several times before using various recipes, but this by far is my favorite! I will only use this recipe from now on. Lemon zest + juice for the win!