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.
Love your soup β but made it in my pressure cooker β didnβt have to puree anything and cooked it for about 12 minutes. Yum!!! thanks for sharing a great recipe.
Sounds great Kathi! N x
Hi I made this soup which was delicious . It was really thick so one half I thinned down as soup and the other I used to make a lasagne instead of meat. It worked a treat and was delicious. Love your recipes thank you
Iβm so glad you enjoyed it Jacqueline! N x
I made this while under βstay at homeβ orders because of COVID-19. The soup was great and the lemon at the end was perfect. It made enough for several meals for two of us.
Thatβs great to hear Marilyn! N x
Iβm so excited to try this recipe! I have everything except for the crushed tomatoes. Any suggestions?
Hi Maya, do you have passata available? N x
Unfortunately I donβt. That would have been perfect. Thanks for trying to help π
I am one of the people who cannot stand coriander or cilantro. Should I double up on the cumin or just leave it out?
Hi Sue, just leave it out β it will still be amazing! N x
So easy, so delicious! And Iβm not even a lentil fan π
Youβre totally converted now Jess!!! N x
This is delicious and easy to make. I will be making this often. Very flavorful.
Thatβs great to hear Elaine! N x
WyΕmienity przepis π Pyszne !
Hi Nagi, I was just looking for a soup recipe for todayβs dinner and immediately decided it will be this one. Gonna make it tonight, just have to buy some lemonsβ¦
Thank you very, very much! I love your style. Will let you know how it went.
Youβll love it Kasia!! Enjoy! N x
You were right! Simple and delicious! Thank you!
Made this recipe last night as I raided the pantry & had all the ingredients, YUM!! I even got fancy & added some shredded chicken & it turned out great. Thanks again Nagi for another great recipe X
Sounds perfect Lynette!! N x
Now every time somebody annoys me Iβm going to yell βScoop off, scum!β Thanks for the recipe and insult inspo Nagi! xx
π Too funny!!! N x
Hi Nagi β is there a substitute for the coriander. I donβt have any coriander and neither did the store, The shelves here are a little bare in NY. This looks delicious, canβt wait to try. Thanks.
Hi Nora, just leave it out π N x
I do not have lentils, can I substitute with a bean ?
I just made this soup again and freeze batches for later. It is the best recipe ever!!
Yes itβs perfect to freeze for emergencies!! N x
I made this today for our family of six. It was a great hit! Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely be making it again.
Wahoo, thanks so much Kathy! N x
Hi Nagi, I want to try this recipe but I donβt have all the ingredients! I was wondering whether I could substitute the celery & carrots with vegetable stock? Trying to avoid the shops during this lock down as much as possibleβ¦ Iβm probably going to try your βeasy yeast bread recipeβ to have with the soup! Thank you for your recipes β with love from South Africa π
Hi Claudia, you can leave the carrot and celery out β flavour wont be quite the same but it will still be delicious. N x
Love this soup as itβs tasty, healthy, easy and inexpensive.
Yes exactly!!! Iβm so glad you enjoyed it Cate! N x
Are you not supposed to season with salt at the end rather than before simmering? Can you skip the broth and just add water? a veggie cube also contains salt. Thanks!
Hi Kris, I prefer to use broth for more flavour otherwise youβll find it a little bland. Alternatively you can replace with a stock cube and water and season at the end. N x
To remove the βscumββ¦. arenβt we just removing all the seasoning? Iβm in the middle of making it and I just canβt understandβ¦. is everyone doing this step?
Hi Amenda, youβll find the lentils give off a little scum which you can remove. Youβre not taking away the seasonings here but if you want to skip this step you can. N x
Made this yesterday and it was a perfect, hearty soup. Great for dunking fresh sourdough π
Yes β sourdough is a must for dunking! N x
Iβve made this recipe countless times and Iβve never rated it. Itβs the best lentil soup recipe. Truly never fails. The lemon sets it off and I add some chopped kale at the end. Iβve used Garam Masala and coriander interchangeably. Thank youuuuu
Wahoo, thanks so much Arielle! N x