Best Lentil Soup
This healthy lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with pantry ingredients. Simple spices, fresh greens and a squeeze of lemon make it the best! Vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 3, 2024
This soup recipe was a long time coming! Over the years, I made some lackluster lentil soups that never saw the light of day on this website. No vegetarian food blog would be complete without a proper lentil soup, though, so I perfected one of my own.
Here it is. My lentil soup is made with mostly pantry ingredients but includes hearty greens and a squeeze of lemon for bright, fresh flavor. It’s seasoned with a few of my favorite spices and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Honestly, it’s the best lentil soup I’ve ever had.
The original title of this recipe was “Spiced Vegan Lentil Soup,” which is accurate, but a mouthful. With over 500 five-star reviews, I think it’s safe to call this the Best Lentil Soup. Period.
Whether you’re looking to lighten up your meals or warm up with a steaming bowl of soup, this healthy lentil soup recipe is for you! It’s one of my all-time favorites and I hope it becomes a staple in your kitchen as well.
How to Make the Best Lentil Soup
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients, but tastes gourmet.
- This lentil soup has an amazing hearty texture that’s lightly creamy (yet there is no cream). The trick is to blend up a portion of the soup once the lentils are tender, and then pour it back into the pot. It’s like magic.
- This nutritious, well-balanced soup counts as a meal if you enjoy a generous portion. Lentils are rich in protein, fiber, iron and folate.
- Lentil soup packs well for lunch in a leak-proof container, and it tastes even better the next day.
- This soup freezes and defrosts well. Make soup now and enjoy it later!
Watch How to Make Lentil Soup
Please let me know how this lentil soup turns out for you in the comments. I’m always so eager to hear from you.
If you love this soup, check out my hearty vegetarian chili, favorite black bean soup and pinto posole. You can check out all my soup and stew recipes here.
Don’t miss my lentil minestrone recipe in my cookbook—if you’re a fan of this soup, you’re going to love it.
Best Lentil Soup
This simple vegan lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with mostly pantry ingredients. Be sure to have your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking! Recipe yields four large bowls of soup, or six more modest servings.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, lightly drained
- 1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice (½ to 1 medium lemon), to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. One-fourth cup olive oil may seem like a lot, but it adds a lovely richness and heartiness to this nutritious soup.
- Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.
- Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Securely fasten the lid, protect your hand from steam with a tea towel placed over the lid, and purée the soup until smooth. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. (Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.)
- Add the chopped greens and cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. For spicier soup, add another pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
- Serve while hot. Leftovers will keep well for about 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for several months (just defrost before serving).
Notes
Soup recipe roughly based on America’s Test Kitchen’s lentil soup in The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook, with reference to The First Mess’ favourite lentil soup.
Recommended equipment: I love my Vitamix blender and Le Creuset 5.5-quart Dutch oven (affiliate links).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This soup is really delicious, and hands-down the best lentil soup I have ever made. I love the combination of spices-which help make it so great. I used the French green lentils, and have made the soup with either kale or collard greens, and find either to be a wonderful addition. I am a big soup maker-in fact that is about all I do, cooking wise-and this soup qualifies for my own Hall of Fame. Several other of Kate’s recipes do as well, especially some from her fine cookbook.
It truly is the Best Lentil soup ever!
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
What a delicious, yet easy recipe. I found myself sneaking a few mouthfuls before the gym this morning – can’t get enough of it. Thank you for sharing!
I am new to using lentils and don’t know much about the differences among them. Will red lentils work in this recipe? That is what I already have on hand. Thank you
Hi Chloe! Yes, red lentils would work but they will require less time and less liquid. I would suggest following my How to Cook Lentils for some insight. I hope you enjoy it!
Chloe, I’ve only ever used red lentils in this recipe. I personally find the flavor to be better. They do disintegrate quicker than brown or green, therefore need less time to cook, in which case it makes them perfect for soups that call for pureeing.
P
Just made it and it was absolutely delicious. I followed recipe exactly – generous with peppers ….. It will go into regular circulation in my kitchen.
Just made this. It was exactly what I was hoping for, a satisfying filling vegetarian soup with character. I couldn’t get enough. I love that the lemon and red pepper flakes can be increased or decreased to add a more personal take of flavor. YUM Already doubled the recipe and have given it away and shared with family. The best gift!!! Thank you for sharing.
Wow- turned out amazing-thank you so much for this recipe! My husband and I couldn’t stop eating it!
Wonderful, Charlene! Thank you for your review.
This is really the BEST lentil soup ever and it’s so easy to make! My kids love it! I’ll definitely be making this over and over again and plan on doubling it when I do. Thanks for the great recipe!
This recipe is sooo amazing. So flavorful. I personally found blending the lentils trade the soup super thick for my liking so next time I’ll skip that step
Thank you for this comment.I didn’t want to blend it and was wondering if I could do without.
Looking forward to try this recipe. I don’t have vegetable stock on hand. Will another kind of stock work? Thanks.
Hi Lena, others have used other stock and haven’t minded the results.
Chicken stock…….no problem plus left over honey ham as well…..no problem. Spiced beautifully. Usually “The Boss” has made our lentil soup and VERY BLAND but I never complained but I’m doing all the cooking now and it will be interesting to get her take. Five stars from me. Also played with the thickness(added lentils)..too thick then increased broth…just right. All while watching Sunday football on the kitchen TV
wow not my mothers lentil soup its delicious thanks
Is there a substitute for curry powder? Like a mix of spices?
Hi Elanie, My friend Dana at Minimalist baker has a curry seasoning recipe.
I didn’t have carrots, used frozen onions (because I wanted to clear out the freezer), used chard (because it was wilting and I wanted to use it up), undercooked the lentils AND IT WAS STILL DELICIOUS!
Thank you for this lovely soup – it hit the spot on a cold winter evening.
This is a delicious soup recipe. I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth (didn’t have any on hand) and baby spinach for the greens. Full of flavour and doesn’t take long to make.
Made this soup last night, and my carnivore husband loved it! Thank you for the great recipe.
Does this freeze well? Going to make for my daughter and SIL who will be visiting but would like to make ahead of time. Sounds wonderful
Hi Susan! Yes, I believe this one does seem to freeze well.
I made this recipe for the first time. We all loved it and will make it again.
This is the first time I have made this soup. My husband thinks it needs a little kick! Was wondering what it would be like to add fish sauce? Any thoughts?
Hi Cindy, I don’t do fish sauce as I’m a vegetarian so I can’t provide much input there. You could add some more curry or red pepper flakes.
Absolutely amazing recipe!
The whole family loves this soup.
Can this be done in a crock-pot? How would you suggest doing this route?
Hi Emily, I believe others have made this in a crock pot and didn’t mind the results. I personally love this stove top and recommend following the steps for cooking vegetables to get the best flavor.
Hi – I really want to make this soup but the nutrition facts are showing 1324.1mg (58%RDV) sodium PER SERVING? Is that hopefully a typo? That would seek to be more than double the sodium of many canned soups. Please be wrong :(
Hi Joyce, I do my best to provide the most accurate nutrition information. Please see my disclaimer. You can always adjust the inputs and omit salt to change the quantity.
Omg!!! I nailed it!! This is by far the best lentil soup I’ve ever had! I never leave comments on recipe post but I couldn’t leave without saying thank you!!! Thank you so much for sharing!! My family is very pleased!!
Why is the sodium so high? Is it from the canned tomato brand used?
Hi Kim, you can read more about my nutritional information in my nutritional disclaimer. I do my best to provide accurate information, but they are estimates. Yes, the canned ingredients do increase the sodium and you can always adjust your own and omit salt to have less.
It really is the best lentil soup recipe.
This was honestly delicious. Used bok Choy at the end because I didn’t have kale on hand. My kids and hubby loved it. Will make this again for sure.
I’m happy you were able to get creative and use what you had on hand! Thank you for your review, Angie.
This the very best lentil soup that I’ve ever made. It is really easy to pull together and so satisfying on a cold, dark night. One of the many things I really love about the Cookie and Kate recipes is the way they often include some little tips/explanations of technique that result in a more delicious meal….in this recipe it’s the tip to cook the canned tomato for a few minutes to enhance their flavor and to be generous with the olive oil.
WOW! I’ve been slowly making the switch to vegan. With receipes like this it’s an easy jump! I had no idea lentils could be so delicious and this was an easy to make, mid-week dinner that satisfied the enire family. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Linda! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Just curious why this soup’s salt content would be 1300+ mgs? Seems like quite a bit for just one bowl of soup…looks delicious.
Hi Molly! You can read more on my nutritional information. All the facts are estimatses and I do my best. You can always adjust by not adding salt, low sodium canned products.
Fab stuff. Wanted something with no meat, so tried this, absolutely hits the mark! I added 1 teaspoon of paprika and chopped green beans, but everything else the same. Really really nice. Thanks.
I made this recipe, but I used spinach instead of collard greens or kale. I also used red lentils. It was delicious!
We wanted to make this a slightly bit meatier so I added some spicy beyond sausage ( which it totally doesn’t need) and holy wow was it good!
Thanks for the recipe!
Followed the recipe exactly but it was too tomatoey for me.
I’m sorry to hear that! Thank you for your feedback, Marsha.
I didn’t have the tomatoes, so I used 5 or 6 frozen whole Romas I had. Also threw in 2 chopped stalks of celery Delicious!
Could you please tell me how to reduce the sodium in your recipe without impacting it greatly. The high (58%) level is a bit of a deterrent if someone is trying to lower their intake. Many thanks for all your wonderful recipes; your website is my “go to” site.
Hi Anne! Choose low-sodium broth (or substitute water, which works surprisingly well in flavorful soups like this) and no-salt-added tomatoes. Scale down the salt and add only as much as you need at the end. Those would be my general suggestions for all of my soups. Hope that helps, and happy holidays.
This is absolutely the best lentil soup recipe I’ve ever made. The addition of the olive oil in the beginning and the tomatoes added a real depth of flavor. I also added chicken thighs I had cook in my Instapot. It was amazing. Thank you so much. Tina
Hello! I’m craving soup and this sounds delicious! I don’t have Kale or collard greens on hand… I know it has a different texture, but could I sub spinach or should i just omit that part of the recipe?
Hi Megan, you can use spinach. That can work as a good substitute as well!
This is a quick and easy recipe to follow and to mention delicious.
I made this today and it was delicious. I’m watching my salt intake so I used no-salt added broth and added only 1/2 tsp. of salt but I think I can do without additional salt at all. The other spices make it just perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Hearty and delicious – just made this today and served with some toasted garlic rye bread. Thanks for this awesome recipe!! Will certainly be making again!
This is truly The Best Lentil Soup ever! I used Rainbow Chard for the greens (that’s what was in the ‘fridge) and canned tomatoes from our garden, so no concern for salt content.
Sounds delicious, Noelle! Thank you for your review.
I make a lot of soups in the wintertime, and I was bored with my usual lentil soup recipe so I tried yours. YUM! It was really delicious. I added some broccoli to it, which only enhanced the whole thing. I love the mix of spices. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Delicious, especially for my first time making lentil anything. Will be making again!
Made this for dinner tonight… simple ingredients but very tasty! I did need to use beef stock instead just because that’s what I already had. Otherwise made it as written. Will definitely make it again!
This is not only the best lentil soup ever, it may be the best soup of any kind ever! Making a decent lentil soup is not difficult. Throw some veggies and lentils in a pot and you’ve got a tasty meal but this recipe is truly unique and creative and the flavors that come out of it are magical. Thank you so much for sharing your creation!
Absolutely loved it!
Even though I messed up and accidentally made it too salty (I was making half the batch, but when I put in salt I totally forgot about having to halve the ingredients and put almost a whole teaspoon of salt! Oops haha)
Still very very yummy!
But I ended up having to cook a bit longer as the lentils were not cooked after 30 minutes.
I was looking for something to make for my son’s new girlfriend who is a gluten free vegan and coming for dinner next week. Luckily I found this recipe. Thought I’d give it a whirl today to practice. It was so easy to make! I made sure to prep everything ahead of time which made it a breeze once it was time to make the soup. I gave a cup to my husband and he came back for another! Said it was the best soup he’s ever had! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Always perfection and just gets better and better each time. The absolute best soup recipe
Hi. I want to make this but want to be sure that the lentils used are dry lentils that have not been soaked or cooked. Is that correct? If not, how are they first prepared?
Hi Yes, dry lentils. I hope you love it, Mary.
This is probably one of my favorite recipes for soup. I like to add a diced sweet potato to the pot when I make this.
LOVED this. I skipped blending for simplicity sake and added extra carrots, celery, potato and vegan sausage
I’ve made this a bunch, but I always add meat, because I’m not an idiot. Great recipe, thanks for sharing this! 5 stars.
Hi Kate, This soup is truly one of my all-time favorites. I’m going to make it for a soup exchange. How many cups do you think are in a serving (as you indicated above)? I need to figure out how many batches to make. Thanks for your help!! Jennifer
Hi Jennifer! I’m glad it’s a favorite. A serving is roughly 1.5-2 cups.
I made this last night for dinner and just had leftovers for lunch. It was so delicious and hit the spot on a cold night. It’s going into our regular recipe rotation!
This is the BEST lentil soup! I honestly have become a little obsessed I make it every Sunday so I can have it for lunch for the next 4 days! It is so tasty and filling! The flavors are amazing and it is so creamy. Every Sunday I get excited that its lentil soup time!