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.
The best lentil soup! I used red lentils and mostly water instead of broth (I had only 2 cups broth). It came out wonderfully and my husband enjoyed it too! I will make it again. Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe!
So glad you enjoyed this Lauren! Thanks for letting me know π N x
Beautiful lentil soup! Have made two of your recipes now, this one and sticky salmon salad, both turned out delicious, and I am a terrible cook! Thank you for your great recipes. I made this with red lentils as I didnβt have any other kind and it was delicious
You clearly are NOT a terrible cook if youβve made both of them and enjoyed them! π N xx
Made this soup today, was good, but. Elieve Iβll try another recipe next time.
I stumbled upon your recipes this morning and just finished making this lentil soup. I used smoked paprika and O-M-G!βitβs delicious! Iβm looking to trying some of your other recipes, too. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed this Donna! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Using this as part of a heart healthy diet β trying to lower cholesterol. What a delicious way to do it. Thanks Nagi!
So glad you liked this Anna! π N x
This recipe was delicious! Will make it again!
Thatβs great Lisa! So pleased to hear that! N x
I just cooked this and itβs delicious! Thank you.
Thatβs great Maria! So pleased to hear that! N x
Oh my!! This is amazing! My husband liked it also. We are first time lentil eaters and we are hooked. I didnβt use the lemon juice or zest and I added spinach. Love it!!
Oh. Also I put it in the crock pot overnight.
So glad you enjoyed this Stefanie! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Absolutely delicious, huge hit in my house. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Iβm so glad you enjoyed this Trish! Thanks for letting me know β N x
This was better than expected! I used 8 cups of vegetable broth, and canned diced tomatoes instead of crushed. No blending. Consistency was perfect and it was really flavorful. I also served cornbread with it. This was a hit!
So glad you enjoyed it Kay! N x
Hello β getting ready to make this today! However, is it sweet paprika or smoked paprika? Thanks for clarifying!
Hi Bette! I usually use sweet but smoked is also so good!
Thank you! Just made my first batch and left out the paprika entirely b/c I didnβt have any. I doubled all the rest of the spices, though. Here in the states, our lentils come in 1-lb bags, so I used 454 grams, and a little extra water. Absolutely delicious! And youβre right, the lemon makes it!
Thatβs wonderful to hear Bette! Thanks for letting me know! N x β€οΈ
Has anyone does this in an instant pot?
Yes just made this in my instant pot , used the soup button .
It was really delicious !
Yummy!
ππ»
I love your recipe, I just cooked it and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Thatβs so great to hear Brenda! Thanks for sharing your feedback β N x
Can i use fresh tomatoes
I actually used fresh cherry tomatoes.
Sure thing! Iβd use about 600g / 1.2 lb π
would one need to skin the fresh tomatoes before using? then what is the best way to βcrushβ them for this recipe?
Sounds so good and I need to try this recipe!β
With the cook time for this recipe I think using tomatoes without peeling should be fine! I would blitz whole tomatoes in a food processor or blender π
Well attempting to make this recipe! Sounds delicious! However, do you soak the beans prior to cooking? The recipe does not saying about soaking the beans overnight.
Hi Alexa! Nope, no need to soak β lentils are small π They cook quickly!
Sounds great! How would you convert to instant pot?
Hi Geri! Do the saute part in the IP on the saute setting, then add the other ingredients and switch to the pressure cooker function, pressure cook on high for 15 minutes π
Thanks so much! Will make it!π
Thank you so much. The recipe looks amazing! Iβm dying to make it!
I followed your recipe and the taste was scrumptious. We had red lentils and they pretty much disolved but the taste was fantastic. Next time weβre going to use the larger dry lentils. And Dozer? Wouldnβt life be boring without him?? Give him a pat on the head for me, please. Happy weekend. π€
YES YES YES!!! OK thatβs pretty much the most incredible validation ever, to hear from you! N xx PS Hug passed on, pat was insufficient π€£
Delicious! I added chopped mushrooms, an extra carrot, and 1 cup of millet (with 2 cups extra veg stock). Hearty! Had plenty for two more dinners even after my husband ate at least 4 servings!
Iβve made this soup twice now and I love it. I must admit that I did something different the first time and it was better. Canβt think of what it was though. Nevertheless, I look forward to eating it for several days in a row.
One question I have is about the nutrition information. Iβm trying to put it it my fitness pal and canβt figure out serving size. Can you tell me in cups how much 341 grams is? Thank you!!
Thank you for this recipie! It is wonderful I have made it two times now
Thatβs terrific to hear Charlotte! Thanks for taking the time to let me know β N x