Don’t settle for bland Lentil Soup! Make it right and you’ll have everyone begging for seconds….and thirds… This lentil recipe is one of the best nourishing, simple dishes you can make with dried lentils that’s 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. It’s an easy recipe that delivers terrific results, a 5 star reader favourite with hundreds of feedback from readers!
Want to add 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 I’m all about big flavours. Spicy, herby, curries – kapow, kapow, kapow!
But you know what? A well made Lentil Soup recipe is can’t-stop-eating-it good. You’ll go back for seconds and thirds, then you’ll be taking big tubs of it to work for lunch and happily have it for dinner again.
And – I’m going to say it (*head swell*) – plenty of readers have said this is the best lentil soup they’ve ever had!
A well made Lentil Soup recipe is can’t-stop-eating-it good.
Is lentil soup good for you?
If you’re wondering if lentil soup is good for you, the answer is yes! Lentils are nutritious, rich in minerals, protein, low in fat, high in fibre (digestive health). They are a terrific vegetarian source of protein with 25% of the calories in lentils attributable to protein.
Lentils are a carbohydrate, but it’s slow burning which means it keeps you fuller for longer. Studies also suggest that lentils are good for heart health.
The added benefit is that 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. There’s an undertone of natural sweetness from the soffrito flavour base of onion, carrot and celery. My favourite part is the texture! It’s thick and comforting, and just made for dunking in hot crusty bread!
What goes in Lentil Soup
Here’s 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 – The “secret” ingredient. 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 minutes in the soup, and there’s 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 – brown, green, red or yellow, though it will affect the colour of the soup. I’ve used green lentils, pictured below.
The only type of lentil I do not recommend is Puy Lentils (little black French lentils) because they hold their shape and don’t soften like other lentils.
Can you used canned cooked lentils?
Yes you sure can, and directions are provided in the recipe notes. But it’s better made with dried lentils because of the texture in the soup, there’s only 10 minutes difference in cook time and it’s more economical!
How to make Lentil Soup from scratch
Sauté your onion, garlic, carrots and celery over over low heat for almost 10 minutes. Take your time here – 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!
You’ll 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 a 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 – 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 – even longer!
Every time I make this, I always wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s healthy, filling, super economical, freezes perfectly, versatile and it’s seriously good.
Serving this with some sort of warm crusty bread for dunking is not optional. It’s an essential part of the Lentil Soup experience.
But it is optional whether you slather said bread with butter, or grill it with cheese! Here are a few options – including making your own ultra easy homemade bread with NO YEAST:
– 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 – 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don’t rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.
- 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 – 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 – it’s been a firm reader favourite from day 1, so I wouldn’t dare touch it!
More totally delicious lentil recipes:
Sexy Lentil Salad – try it, then you’ll get the name….
Dal – Indian lentil curry. The highest and best use of lentils, full stop!
Coconut Lentil Curry – outrageously addictive, and easy (I make this for a curry fix when I don’t have time for dal)
Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil Rice) – 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 contributes negative. Dropping fur everywhere, shaking vigorously so it flies everywhere along with an inordinate amount of sand, constantly sprawling out in my path so I’m forced to step over him (remember, I’m vertically challenged = giant steps).
Giant 💩 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, don’t we? 🙂)
PS Another example of his uselessness – he spends 22 hours a day doing this. The other 2 hours are spent a) eating b) hoping to eat c) playing.
Made this for Christmas Day on a cold winters day the UK. Delicious! Everyone loved it. I made it exactly following the recipe. It’s very easy to make and could be versatile to suits one’s tastes (e.g. make thinner for soup, thicker for stew or put into a pie with mash). It will be a winter regular in our house. Thanks Nagi!
This is delicious! I was a bit skeptical on the flavour until I added the lemon zest and juice. Very delicious and filling!
This was great! My hubby ruined the health benefits of the soup by adding Fritos and cheese to it, but according to him, it was definitely worth it. (laughs)
Love this soup! I added the lemon zest and juice early in the recipe (I was in a hurry). It turned out perfect. So tasty!!!
I just made this for the first time and I’m eating it right now! This is my first time making lentil soup and this was easy to make and is delicious!! I had to stop typing to get another spoonful! I highly recommend this recipe, it will be the only lentil soup recipe you need! Thanks for this recipe!
I made this in my instant pot. Wonderful recipe. Thank you.
Hello Cathy, how did you do it in your instant pot? Thank you 🙂
I love this recipe, super easy and absolutely delicious!! Even my kids love it.
Yum! I used red lentils. I had some kidney beans in the fridge and added them at the end. Served with a little feta cheese. I like the protein content of this recipe. Will be making it again! Thank you!
I always thought lentils soup is boring. But this one O’ My!! Yummy! Thank you! Love your lentils-based recipe.
I’ve been craving lentil soup for so long, not sure why, because I can’t remember the last time I’ve had it. Searched an easy recipe for lentil soup and this recipe was at the top of the list. I made it as directed and made sure I added the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice just before serving and, OMG! the flavor of the soup was so delicious!! My husband and sister had seconds. I would strongly recommend this recipe and be sure to add the lemon zest and lemon juice and I also sliced and toasted some Italian bread in the oven as an added crunch with this delicious soup. Highly recommend!!
Made this for dinner on this cold rainy day. It was fantastic!!! No changes made. This was a hearty and balanced stew with wonderful flavor. Look forward to trying more of your recipes as we are trying to move toward more plant based meals. Thanks!
OMG – how good is this soup? I love lentils and use them all the time but was a bit dubious about the lemon tbh. It was so absoutely delicious – would write more but I need to go and get a second bowlful.
I thought I had brown lentils but it turns out I had French lentils. I made it anyway. I was able to puree enough to thicken the soup and it was delicious, and was even better the next day. Next time I will make with a different lentil
I appreciate your enthusiasm—but considering that most people probably come here looking for a lentil soup recipe and don’t really need a thesis on the subject, you may want to consider that “less is more”. 😉
can pardina lentils (small brown Spanish lentils) be used in this recipe?
Excellent
10/10 can recommend. Subbed bacon fat for olive oil but otherwise didn’t make any changes and oh good heck, this recipe is a big winner.
If you think lentil soup is bland and boring, think again. This is flavoursome and comforting. I lovely non-meat meal to warm the cockles of your heart.
advent 1 – yummy yummy yummy
Being totally honest, this recipe is a start. Just add 2-3x the amount of cumin and coriander called for. That will help a lot. I even sprinkled in a little chipotle powder and then it was perfect.
I love lentils. These lentils really do taste amazing and so full of flavour. My kids eat it too.
Love so many of your recipes Nagi, but was sceptical about this one. How good could a lentil soup could be? Given your stamp of approval Nagi, I had to give it a go. OMG, this is such a winner, hearty, healthy and super tasty which is what I always get with your recipes. It’s made it into the recipe folder with 200+ of your other recipes!