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.

This humble lentil soup is one of my favourite Nagi meals π₯° Its comforting and I feel good after eating it, happily eat in 2-3 days in a row even. And I always look forward to it if its in the freezer. My last one i added real home made chicken stock instead of store bought and it definitely lifted the yummy factor. I also add whatever veggies I have that look like they should have been used up already in the sauteeing stage. This time after carot and celery, I also added some green beans, some red capsicum and some eggplant and it was so good. I do saute longer for the flavour and I cook it much longer as like it quite soft. π
Im generally a full time meat eater but wanted to try a few recipes that are a bit healthier, budget friendly and delicious and I think this recipe does all three! Highly recommend π I served it with a dolop of sour cream and some garlic bread and it hit the spot.
Absolutely beautiful! Made this last night because I wanted a comforting hearty meal. So much flavour. The lemon really tops it off. Serve with warm crusty bread, you wonβt be sorry
This is the best lentil soup recipe by far. I tried to branch out with a different recipe last time and regretted it. This one is my go-to.
Yum! Yum! Yummer!
Thank You for the recipe.
Just made this soup and am enjoying a cup of it. Absolutely correct in not skipping the lemon β it adds a nice zip. Great recipe Nagi! Your recipes have been a regular go to in this household!
Looks yummy! Are tomatoes necessary for this soup?
Yes, in my opinion. I wouldnβt skip the can of crushed tomatoes (and I recommend organic!). What makes this soup great is the depth of flavor from the veggies and spices.
For my taste, I added a third garlic clove, more lemon zest and juice, a teaspoon of cane sugar, and more fresh ground pepper. Super yummy!
I just made this, and indeed it IS the most delicious lentil soup. Thanks for a great recipe!!
In response to Michelle, (I got an email from your site asking for a response), yes, add the lemon before serving. It will brighten the dish.
I make this soup all the time, whenever I donβt know what to eat I choose this. Its tasty nutritious and cheap as and freezes well!
I almost never have celery at home and it still works well.
I find if I cook it in pressure cooker the 6 cups of water is great, but if I do it on the stove in a normal large pot it evaporates quickly so more water or less lentils might be the way to go, especially if you also prefer to cook it slightly longer till they are very soft. Soon I hope to try your beef mince and lentils version of this soup.
Ps. just waiting on my soup currently to cool down to start eating it π
I make this soup all the time, whenever I donβt know what to eat I choose this. Its tasty nutritious and cheap as and freezes well!
I almost never have celery at home and it still works well.
I find it i cook it in pressure cooker the cups of water is great, but if I do it on the stove in a normal large pot it evaporates quickly so more water or less lentils might be the way to go if you also prefer to cook it slightly longer till they are very soft. Soon I hope to try your beef mince and lentils version of this soup.
Super delicious recipe and very easy to make. The only adjustment I made was to use smoked paprika.
Super delicious recipe and very easy to make.
Yummy I altered recipe a bit based on what I had available but it was so tasty π..thanks for sharing recipe
This turned out DELICIOUS!! Will definitely make again!
I loved how easy it was. I did think the seasoning was a little light but plan on trying it again and maybe tweaking the cumin/coriander a little but I want to try it after it has set overnight to see if the flavors blend a little more. Definitely a do-over. I am looking forward to having it for lunch this week! π
What a lovely meal. Iβm just starting to experiment with pulses and this lentil soup has been a great start. I didnβt have celery so used broccoli stems and had to substitute chives instead of coriander but this recipe is very forgiving and we both loved it. But wow! It certainly is filling. Great stuff thank you
What a delightful lentil soup recipe! Bright and flavorful! I wanted to beef up the protein a bit, so I swapped out the chicken broth for bone broth. Other than that, I stayed true to the recipe. Another hit Nagi! Thanks so much for sharing!
My 4 year old daughter and I loved it. Next time, we will probably double the cumin and coriander and maybe add some other things to give it a bit more flavor. But it is great as written, too.
Very yummy lentil soup. The lemon zest and juice really makes it. My lentil hating husband loved it. Some lovely sourdough on the side. Delicious π€€
I loved the lentil soup! I added smoked paprika and i didnβt have a lemon so i used limes.. awesome!! Thank you