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.
I made this, even my wife liked it. Add another recipe to our no meat list. I will attempt with less oil (next time) however I believe KT when she talks about the richness the oil adds.
I make this soup all the time. Love it!!!
I’m happy to hear that, Marie!
Wow, there are no words to describe how good this lentil soup turned out. I had no vegie broth but used saltless chicken broth. This is definitely the best lentil soup I have ever tasted. I am anxious to try your other bean recipes because I have buckets of beans, lentils, peas etc. which was purchased for survival food but it is time to use them.
Wow this was so tasty! I made this recipe for dinner tonight and I went back for a second helping. Very nutritious and delicious!
Thank you for sharing, Victoria!
Lots of flavor!
I’m glad you loved it, Jimi!
OMG, the best lentil soup ever! I followed directions except didn’t have collards so I used kale and Swiss chard from the garden. I always have some frozen for my husband he loves it so much. Thank you Cookie and Kate!
Can’t wait to try this soup. The recipe sounds delicious. Always looking for recipes without meat.
A truly wonderful dish. As i have taught my daughters, simple always tastes good. Having said that, this dish rates as good as my simple chicken soup. Warm, filling, and make you feel good.
Thank you for sharing!
Absolute delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome, Mary!
I mashed the soup down a bit with a potato masher instead of blending. I also added some spinach to use it up. Fantastic soup, especially with some fresh bread. Will definitely be adding this recipe to the repertoire.
Thank you! I am on a health plan that only allows certain clean foods for a month to help you find food sensitivities. This has lots of flavor and is really good for my lunch days. I can eat this for lunch then beef for dinner and lose weight! My husband adds more pepper to make his spicy and loves it also. The only thing I have to leave out is the carrot!
This IS the best lentil soup! It is easy to make and so satisfying and delicious to eat. I have also received many compliments on it and I keep making it over and over again. I use homemade vegetable stock for the broth (Rebecca Katz’s Magic Mineral Broth) which gives the soup a depth of flavor that is especially good. I have not tried it with commercial boxed or canned stock.
I’m glad you keep making it, Elizabeth! I appreciate your review.
This has to be my new favorite soup. It’s just chock full of flavor. Definitely a keeper!
Thank you, Sue! I’m glad you think so.
Making this now. My girlfriend came into the kitchen and got very excited when she saw the kale about to be mixed in. And is adamant about me following the recipe verbatim. I used fire roasted diced tomatoes because that’s all the store had, but please keep that a secret ok??!? Haha. Thanks for the recipe Katherine!
This soup is wonderful! I had just made a giant double batch of it when the January 6 insurrection meant that my roommates and I had to evacuate our home in the immediate Capitol area. It was all we ate for two days, and we now affectionately call it Evacuation Stew. It’s a staple in our rotation.
I’ve made this soup 4x now, and finally perfected it for my family: double the curry and the thyme, 3tsp cumin, add sweet potato, celery, peas, and corn! I also like to add a 1/2c more lentils. I absolutely LOVE this soup and make it every month for my family – even Dad, who hates cooked onions, loves it.
Hi Kate ,
I made the lentil soup and it was soo good! I didn’t have kale in the house but I did have cabbage. I took out the hard ribs of the cabbage and chopped the leave to us in the soup. It turned out well. My husband which is not a veggie eater had seconds!
Thank you
You’re welcome, Cecilia! I am glad you enjoyed it.
This was delicious! The flavors were perfectly balanced. I used one T of lemon juice plus a tad more and just a tiny bit more salt. I will definitely make this again.
So delicious, made it exactly as written and I’m only sad I waited until this far into “soup season” to try it!
In your Lentil Soup Receipe, I am on the 21 day Daniel Diet, i can’t have the broth what can I subitute it with. Can’t want to make the soup.
Good soup
I cannot tell you how much I love this recipe! I have made it many times and always enjoy it. It’s so tasty and healthy. 1 bowl is never enough
Thank you.
Just made this as part of my weekly meal prep and it is incredible! Thanks so much.
This is truly my go-to lentil soup recipe! I have made it many, many times. Sometimes I follow the recipe exactly, sometimes I don’t do the puree step, and sometimes I add sliced polish sausage. It always turns out great. And it is an affordable meal! I have tried to skim off some time by throwing everything into an Instant Pot but I do not recommend it. You don’t get the richness of flavor by the saute step and the lentil texture is just off. You could saute your onions, carrots and spices in the Instant Pot just as the recipe calls for but then you really do not reduce your overall time by much. The original cooking method is certainly superior.
This is a great go-to recipe, Anna! Thank you for sharing your experience and review.
This soup is absolutely amazing. I make it with chicken stock and extra kale but the flavors are just so perfect and I can make a batch and eat it for lunch for the week. I love how colorful and flavorful it is!
Wow! I made this soup yesterday for lunch and ate the remainder today with my son. It was even better today! So sad it is all gone now though. Thanks for all your great recipes Kate!
It’s the most loveliest soup ever,love adding lots of kale ect to mine,
Thankyou
Bridget
PS what blender do you use I need to buy a new one,
Lovely recipe, I added some chicken fillets chopped for more protein, enjoyed it throughly. Thank you for the recipe it’s power packed will definitely make it again.
It is the best lentil soup!
I used Pomi chopped tomatoes(0mg sodium) low sodium vegetable broth and 1/4 t. salt. Everything else was exactly to the recipe. This soup was so delicious. That can be tricky when eating plant based low sodium. I will definitely make this again and am looking forward to trying more recipes.
This is the best lentil soup recipe! We just love the flavor combinations.
Kate,
I’ve been using this recipe for about 6 years and I never took the time to comment. I made it again tonight and felt compelled to write to you to thank you for years and years of some of my most favorite and repeated recipes.
I have shared this recipe with countless friends because whenever I make it people HAVE to know where I found it!
Thank you for years of tasty and healthy food on my breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables!
-Lisa
You’re so kind! Thank you, Lisa.
I tried this today, but doubled the recipe. Used chicken broth and added no kale. Very disappointed. Overpowering cumin and tomato taste. 4 teaspoons of cumin? Will try it again sometime with half the tomatoes and cumin.
Hi Doug, I’m sorry you didn’t love it. I appreciate your feedback.
Can you adapt to be made in a soup maker?
I don’t have instructions for that, sorry!
This deceptively simple recipe made with humble ingredients yields truly delicious results. So good!
Hi: I’m confused. Your ingredient list says 1/2 cup of olive oil but instructions calls for 1/4 cup of olive oil…which is it? Am I the only one who reads?
Hi Cindy, I’m not sure where you see that. Did you by chance click the 2x scale to double the recipe?
This is a lovely soup, reminiscent of Masoor Dal, a traditional dish in India. In fact, Masoor Dal means red lentil. So I decided to make this dish with red lentils which, when cooked, almost melt and this avoids the need to puree, although a quick whisk with an immersion blender makes for a creamier soup. I prefer fewer dishes to wash!
Also, the amount of salt per serving here is quite high at 1324 mg, over one half tsp per person. This can easily be reduced drastically by (1) using no-salt-added tomatoes, (2) using low sodium broth (or making your own without additional salt) and (3) not adding any additional salt. I keep my total daily salt intake to under 1500mg. Fortunately, almost every product can now be purchased in a no salt or low/reduced salt variety.
Made this. It was good.
I was trying to replicate a lentil soup that I found at a small sandwich shop on Divisadero in San Francisco. Somehow, I knew you’d have the winning recipe. Followed almost exactly (the spice combination was brilliant). I just used fire roasted tomatoes, which you have often celebrated and I blended the whole thing with a soup blender. It was creamy and delicious and I finished it with a drizzle of Manni olive oil. You took something simple and brought it to the next level. Thanks so much.
Super good recipe! I was looking for something gentle on the tummy and this hit the spot. Absolutely delicious, making it a second time this week already. Thank you for sharing!
That’s great to hear, M! I appreciate you sharing.
My wife mentioned she misses good lentel soup. Not being much of a cook myself, she was impressed at my effort and loved this receipe. I served with bagel thins spread with Italian garlic spread and toasted, and a side of fresh fruit and herb goat cheese. The only ingredient I did not have was curry. Look forward to adding it next time. However, for my first try it was delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ken! Thank you for your review.
Amazed at how easy this was to put together. Warmth filled our home with the goodness of this recipe.
Great to hear, Nancy! I appreciate your review.
Very, very good. My only addition: I boiled up some ditalini pasta separately, and added a small handful per bowl of soup. I love the cumin/curry/thyme flavor combo. And generous pinches of red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper kept things spicy hot. Thank you, Kate.
We loved it. A great spice blend. Froze half to take on our motor home trip later this month. I added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste as well.
Great to hear, Deb! Thank you for your review.
I have made this soup so many times! Shared it with everyone too, since it’s the absolute best.. I love adding small tweaks here and there like experiments with spices and different vegetables. Added more tomatoes without draining and skipped the water, added potatoes, more garlic. The possibilities are endless. I have it currently on the stove and the aroma filling the house is fantastic!
I love to hear that, Elena! Thank you for taking time to review and share how you make this recipe.
Great recipe! If you’re a bit lazy – I have made without blending and it’s still great. But an immersion blender is also an easy way to avoid some extra washing up
I’ve made this soup a few times, great on cool rainy days! I add whatever I have in the pantry cauliflower, celery. It’s a great recipe, thanks.
I’m glad you loved it, Maggie! I appreciate your review.
Hmm. Very good. I have never made lentil soup, but I happened to have some lentils, and I have a sick friend who loves lentil soup, so am taking some to him tomorrow. I left out the red pepper flakes since I didn’t want to make is spicy for my friend. I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow after resting in the fridge overnight.
Absolutely The Best Lentil Soup recipe!
Not too spicy, but not bland like many vegetarian dishes.
I added diced cauliflower with the Lentils and after blending, you wouldn’t know it was there. I only had 1 14oz can of tomatoes and it was still great.
My family loved it!
Thank you for sharing
I’m glad it still turned out, Keri! I appreciate your review.
I hope it doesn’t bother you when your recipe gets adjusted- I omitted the lemon juice because I didn’t have it on hand, and the curry because I was adding andouille Cajun sausage & wasn’t sure how the flavor would mix, used Italian tomatoes & I also used chicken stock instead of vegetable. I sautéed the vegetables, meet and spices, then added the liquids,tomatoes, and rinsed lentils to instant pot and set to manual for 15- turned out great and my family gobbled it up