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.
Beautiful n yummy
Thanks so much Lallie β€οΈ
This soup turned out so good π Even better than my parents soup I grew up with. So easy AND flavorful! I didnβt add the carrots or celery because Iβm used to a plain soup and it still turned out good. I soaked my lentils for 2 hours beforehand and rinsed them and they were so fall apart tender. Also, used 1 can tomato sauce and 1 big juicy tomato on the vine, diced. At work writing this and canβt wait to go home for leftovers β€οΈβ€οΈ Thank you SO much for the recipe!
Youβre so welcome Nadia, Iβm so happy you enjoyed it β€οΈ
Delicious and nutritious! Loved this hearty soup for fall!!
Thanks so much Kiki β€οΈ
Again, canβt tell you how simple and delicious your recipes are. This was no different. My personal favourite, so hearty and filling. Beautiful.
Marvellous Jess, thanks so much for letting me know β N x
Stunning! Nagi, she of slow-cooked flavour bases and well-spiced mixes. Love this soup/stew so much. As we head into Cdn winter, this will be a regular friend. Followed recipe almost exactly, but
used three kinds of paprika (.5 each) and added some leftover BBQ potatoes. Lentils. Who knew?
Sounds great Christopher!
Made a double batch of this for my family on a rainy evening this fall. Everyone loves it!
I made this last year and it was fabulous. I have a really hard time cooking lentils to the right texture. You introduced me to canned lentils in your Middle Eastern Rice Pilaf recipe recently and I am so excited. I rushed out and bought 4 cans and will use some of them in this soup next time I make it. Canβt believe I never knew about canned lentils. Itβs a π
Youβll love the soup Gale!! Itβs just so handy to not have to cook the lentils βΊοΈ
I loved this soup! I didnβt have any celery & I only had tomato sauce so I used that instead of crushed tomatoes. Other than that, went exactly by the recipe & it was yummy!! Will definitely make again!
Im making this now, love your recipe. My problem is every time I make Lentil soup it tastes bitter, & leaves a bitter taste in my mouth afterwards. Why is this?And what should I do to counteract the bitterness, please!?
Hi Lez, what kind of lentils are you using?
Thanks for quick response! They are normal brown lentils.
If the lentils are properly rinsed then chances are the lentils arenβt the issue and itβs to do with the spices getting over cooked. You can usually salvage a bitter lentil dish by adding salt and a sweetener like regular sugar in equal parts until the flavour mellows. Salt helps bring out the flavour of the spices and sugar helps balance the bitter taste. This is just my thinking. Hope it helps !
And the video shows adding the salt and pepper, but directions say to wait on the salt?
How much lemon. It is not clear. The whole lemon β juice and zest? Making now.
I made this a few nights ago. It was easy to make and quite tasty. It was my first time making a Lentil Soup. It came out great!! I ate the leftover for my lunch with some Naan.
Sounds perfect Lasheda!!
The dried brown lentils I was going to use says I should soak them overnight first. Did you do this before adding yours?
Hi Emma, No I donβt soak them β just rinse them well π
Hi all I have is passatta sauce instead of tomato . Will this work ? Please get back to me as I want to make now ! Thanks so much
Making this again tonight! So delicious. Even my very picky boyfriend likes it!
This was delicious.
Wahoo, thanks so much for letting me know Haze!
The spices in this recipe mimic part a Baharat spice blend, which I use. Can I substitute Baharat in place of the spices listed, or will the sweet spice in the Baharat ruin soup?
I havenβt tried to be honest Bonnie β would love to know it if works though! β N x
My Two year old kept saying, βyummy Mommy! More!β Needless to say this recipe is great! Thank you!
Woah thatβs amazing Veronica!!
I have a friend who is a vegetarian staying with so I made this soup last night for dinner. It was a hit and we all really enjoyed it. Thankyou so much
Perfect Michelle, I feel this is a great soup for carnivores too
This was delicious!!! thank you!
Youβre so welcome Susie!
I am absolutely in love with you dog! Had one just like yours. Your lentil soup recipe was good too!
Heβs definitely a loveable dog! π