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.
Hi Nagi,
Another great recipe from your blog. I doubled the cumin, coriander and garlic (I’m a garlic freak). I also added a chopped zucchini, because I had it to use up. Lovely hearty soup for our weird hot/cold weather.
Thank you so much
I’ve made this soup several times and it’s always outstanding. Last time I substituted small white beans for the lentils (dont put the tomato in until after the beans are cooked through) and it was again amazing. A great base for veggie/legume soups.
Great version of lentil soup. I loved the bright accent of the lemon zest .
Love this soup! I had a 17.6 oz. box of Trader Joe’s cooked lentils in the refrigerator and was looking for a recipe to use them. I followed the recipe directions for using canned lentils and the soup was delicious! I did not blend any soup because I liked the finished consistency. I was so anxious to try the soup that I also forgot the lemon. I used veg broth to make it vegan. My husband, who doesn’t like lentils or anything vegan, also loved it! Will definitely make again and try to remember the lemon! Thanks for the recipe!
Ooooh, you have got to try it with the lemon. I actually use two lemons in mine, it takes it to a whole new level! <3
Another perfect recipe Nagi! Now whenever I need any kind of recipe, I always check RecipeTinEats first. I’m never disappointed.
That’s great to hear Fiona!!! N x
Well Nagi, this is my first ever recipe review. I used to cook professionally, who cares, right? But that meant I never really looked for different takes on recipe’s I thought I had perfected. I always thought my Lentil Soup was the best. That was until I wanted to try someone else’s recipe and now your Lentil Soup is the best I’ve ever made. The lemon juice brightener was over the top good! I can’t wait to try a few of your other recipes!
I made a couple of substitutions and additions, but I didn’t have to:
Used 14oz can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes bc the hubs brought home that instead of regular.
Added 2 very mild long Hatch Chiles because they’re plentiful in our area this time of year and I needed to use them up.
Used 3 cups chicken broth and 3 cups mushroom broth.
After I emulsion blended for a few seconds, I felt it was thicker than we like, so I kept it on a low flame and slowly added 2 more cups of mushroom broth.
Thanks Nagi for such a delicious recipe!
Lisa, I am wondering where you get the mushroom broth? Or do you make it? Sounds absolutely fantastic!!!
Looks good!
Delicious soup Nagi. The spices and the lemon make it extra special. Great recipe!
If i have soaked my lentils overnight, would you recommend following the directions for the canned lentils (Simmer liquid for 20 minutes before adding the lentils then cook with lentils for another 15 minutes) or a different cook time?
Hi M, yes I would use the directions for canned, although they may take slightly longer to cook. Just keep an eye on them and simmer slightly longer if necessary. N x
Hey Nagi. Could you make this an instant pot? Any advice on how? Cheers, Jade
I love this recipe. Have made it several times and now I just double the recipe as it doesn’t last long in my house!
This was my first attempt at lentil soup, and what a fantastic experience!!
I have recently discovered I have high blood pressure so I’m looking for natural remedies. I crushed my own tomatoes because the canned ones have a ton of sodium, & found a chicken broth with only 35mg of sodium. Even the kids loved it ❤
My oldest son said he’s already excited for the next batch 🥰
Thank you!
I have made the lentil soup many times and each time, I like it better!
Delicious and healthy. Thank you!
Great recipes! Add me to your email list, Thanks.
Have done Sallye – look out for my email coming to you shortly!! N x
Hiya Nagi! I made your lentil soup today (delicious!), and your bread recipe I made in my muffin pan–also delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Nagi, love your work so much as does my family. One request – when you list paprika in recipes can you specify which type as there are so many and I never know which one to use – hot, sweet, smoked or combinations? Thanks a million!
Hi Nadine, this recipe will work with any type to be honest! N x
This is a dish that pleases both the vegetarian and carnivores I cook for!
(I just add bacon at the end as a garnish – bacon makes everything better).
Only sad thing is, it never lasts 5 days – it’s devoured well before then
YES! Love this Kelly!! N x
Can I use passata instead of chopped tomatoes?
Made this tonight and it is just divine. Thanks Nagi.
Thanks so much Kat, I’m so glad you loved it! N x