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 love this recipe. I am making it for a 3rd time and making two batches, one for a friend. However, the last batch the lentils did not cook all the way. we used brown, any suggestions. I left it cooking for an extra 20 minutes but no change.
Hi Kristi, I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe. Some lentils need more time than others; sounds like you were working with some older lentils. I think that cooking them even longer would have done the trick eventually. You might try soaking those lentils for an hour (or several) before draining and adding them to the soup to cook.
I go to this recipe every time. I think so far, like 25 times. Lol. Great reciepe. Thanks for this!
Woohoo! Thank you, Donna!
I made this lentil soup today. What a great recipe! My wife and I love it. It will be our lentil soup recipe from now on.
That’s great to hear! Thank you, Walter!
Love this recipe. Waited a long time for lentil soup with a taste like this.
I like to toast the seasonings on the bottom of the soup pot for a few minutes and not so much tomato
Thank you! I’m so glad you’re loving this soup.
I just made a huge crock pot of this and was worried i had made too much.Wrong…it’s the best soup ever! So full of flavour and very aromatic! It wont last long. I love that it Gluten free as we have a Celiac in our family.
Thank you, Christine! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This soup is really terrific. Initially, I wasn’t sure I would like the curry powder in it (since the soup was not otherwise an Indian style soup). But it’s really lovely — the curry adds a sweet, subtle background flavor. The minor departures I made from the recipe was that I used crushed rather than diced tomatoes, and baby spinach instead of kale. (The lentils I had were Umbrian lentils which are pretty small. They kept their shape well and have the perfect texture.) I bet it’ll taste even better tomorrow. Thanks!
Thank you, Audrey! I’m so glad you enjoyed this one.
I made this soup today as I have been feeling poorly and it is just what the doctor ordered. Totally wholesome and delicious!
I hope you feel better soon, Deborah!
Looooove!!!! Added sweet potatoes and spinach instead of kale. Tried to stay away from some sodium so I made my own broth and it turned out perfectly!
Thank you xoxo
Thanks, Christina! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Made this for dinner tonight. Only change I made was to puree about half the batch. Spices were great, it was so warm and comforting tonight as we enjoy our first snowfall of the season.
Thank you, Crystal! Stay warm! :)
This soup was absolutely fantastic. I added celery, finely diced red potatoes, and a Tsp of cayenne pepper (I like spicy). It is filling and just delicious!
Thanks, Chris! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Love this lentil soup! I first made it last fall and now that the cold weather is back I’m craving it again!! Now that I’ve went vegan I’ll probably be making it more often! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
This was excellent!! Very tasty and filling. The only thing I added was a small sweet potato and a little extra curry powder just because I love it. Thank you, I will make this again and again.
Thank you, Margaret! Delighted to hear it.
This is soooooo good ! Thanks a lot ! I added a chopped carrot and topped with olive oil. Delicious and easy
Yay! Thanks, Alessandra!
This soup has wonderful flavor, and I didn’t even add the oil. For me, I didn’t care too much for the texture… particularly with the kale that I had cut in ribbons. Maybe I would have liked the texture more if I had minced the kale in a food processor before adding to the soup. Something was off with the kale for me, tho, I love kale. Anyway, I ended up pureeing the entire batch and i added more water to thin it out… it was quite easy to fix for my preference. Nice recipe! Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed it in the end!
I don’t have fresh lentils . I have the canned ones can I make this with the canned ones?
Hi Tamara, yes, I think so, but you would probably want to skip the water in the recipe (since dry lentils absorb so much moisture as they cook), and your soup might be ready sooner.
I finally got around to making this (on a beautiful fall day in Austin!) and am OBSESSED! So. Delicious. I added a little more red pepper and used chicken stock and spinach since it’s what I had. Otherwise, I followed the recipe word for word. Thank you for creating this – it’s going to be my new go-to!
Hooray! Thanks, Lianne!
Hurricane Matthew passing by so why not cook! I made this in my crock pot and started by soaking the lentils in just water over night then I decided to just add all the other ingredients minus a broth and the soup is delicious without it. Originally was going to use an old recipe but this morning I checked your site, my favorite cooking site,and though I did not have any greens the soup is fantastic and we had some salad and naan bread with a side of home made applesauce. So hearty and cozy dinner as the house rocks in the high winds.
Hi Jodi, I hope you all are safe and sound! I’m so glad to hear you enjoy my recipes and that this soup hit the spot. :)
I’ve made this twice now and LOVE it! It’s healthy, and I love the curry and lemon combination. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Thank you, Robbie! I appreciate your comment.
I tried it, I am eating it right now. Thank you for the recipe!
It is so delicious and perfect for cold weathers :). Are there also other vegetables that goes good with this soup instead of carrots?
This is the best soup in the world Kate!!! Thank you. I make it all the time, especially now that it’s getting cold outside.
Hooray, thanks Justin!
This is the best lentil Soup i have ever tasted! I also used cayenne pepper and added, Mexican squash, broccoli, mushroom and didn’t pure the soup! So chunky and delicious!
Thank you so much, Nancy!
This is my FAVORITE lentil soup, and I’ve had many. I think the generous amount of olive oil and pureeing part of the soup really add to this dish. Flavors are delish!
Thank you, Jodi! Happy to hear it!
The best!!!!!!! I’m not a vegetarian but it make this soup all the time. It has such a rich depth of flavor and warms you to the core! Making it for company tonight :)
Hooray! Thanks, Kelly!
This soup is perfect exactly as the recipe is written. It tasted exactly like I’d hoped it would when I saw the picture. Thanks!
Hooray! Thanks, Mary Lynne!
Turned out nicely. I added in fresh grated ginger, extra curry powder for more spice, and only 2 cups of broth to make it thicker. I also did not blend half because I like the soup chunky. The lemon adds a great touch!
I don’t normally leave comments, but I had to in this case. Seriously the BEST lentil soup I have ever tasted! A delicious blend of spice and flavor. This recipe is now a staple in my home. Thank you!
whoops, forgot to rate! :)
This soup was AMAZING!!! I added some Coriander and Tumeric and sprinkled a little feta cheese on top! Thank you for the great recipe!
Awesome! Thanks, Tara!
Really delicious! It’s a keeper.
Thank you, Roberta!
I have fallen in love with this soup! About 9 months ago i became plant based and have really loved trying new flavors and things i previously was not a fan of. Recipes yummy make dinner so exciting. Thank you, Kate!
Thank you, Ashley! Congrats on expanding your taste buds. I found the same thing when I became a vegetarian. Glad you’re enjoying this soup!
just making it now and so far it’s absolutely lovely – about to add the lemon juice. Many thanks.
Awesome, hope you loved the final result! Thank you for your comment, Simone.
I make this recipe all the time, it is delicious. I passed it onto my sister and she makes this a couple of times a week. thanks a lot.
Thank you for sharing the recipe, Jill! So glad you’re going enjoying the soup.
Amazing!! The kids loved this soup!
Awesome!! Thanks, Tanja!
I absolutely adore this soup. The flavor is so rich and the soup is filling and not at a cost of a lot of fat or salt. I made some slight modifications based on what I had in the fridge, and a boyfriend who doesn’t like onions. I reduced the onions, increased the carrot, and added a diced celery stalk. I also added some coriander to the seasoning mix because I love how the flavor cuts through the heaviness of the other seasonings.
Also, the soup tastes better the next day! Huge win if you like having leftovers for lunch or dinner.
Thanks, Beth! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you think escarole would work instead of kale? Excited to try this recipe!
Hi Lia, I think it would, although it might make the soup taste more bitter.
It came out great! Will try the kale next time but had escarole I needed to use. I don’t think it altered the taste too much. Either way it’s delicious!!
I’m glad! Thanks for letting me know!
Love cooking with curry. It makes my house smell amazing. Looking forward to it tonight. I sautéed the veggies as the recipe said. Then I dumped it all into the slow cooker to torment me all day as it slowly becomes dinner. Thank you for the lovely recipe.
Great idea!
Just made this recipe for dinner tonight (thank you by the way, I was trying to figure out what to do with the lentils in my pantry!) and it was a HUGE hit. The critics are just my husband and I :), but we absolutely loved it. My husband said it’s the best soup he’s ever had..beating out the vegetarian chili we always make! Definitely remembering this one.
This is my go-to weeknight quick soup! Love it! so great!!
Best soup ever! I hadn’t made it in a while and I couldn’t find your recipe …. mild heart attack until I found the website again.
Seriously? I’ve loved progreso lentil soup since I was a little kid, I’m 47 now and still love it, my wife makes a variation on it where she adds ground beef and rice and everybody loves it… so, today I tried your recipe but started with a 1/4 lb or so of Italian sausage and a couple really thick slices of bacon, also added some shrooms and green beans that needed to be used… one word – awesome! Thank you!
Ps: I also used chix stock and added a bit of white wine and mixed red and green lentils…
Served with a dash of sour cream and a bit of parsley, simply amazing bowl of pure joy!
I moved to a different state and had no idea what to cook! My kitchen was all packed but this recipe saved me. I went on a scavenger hunt to find the ingredients and we had them all! Now we can eat a healthy and hearty meal in our new home!
I am about to try this recipe! One quick question….I’m assuming we add dry lentils??? Not canned ones???
Yes, rinse & pick over!
Absolutely DELISH!!! So glad I tried it! Perfect for this cold & rainy fall day! Thank you Kate! Ps. I used diced fire roasted tomatoes & added a few stalks of diced celery
Sooo delicious! I didn’t have any kale, so I added celery with the carrot and onion instead. I also omitted the red pepper flakes as I’m not a huge fan of spicy foods. This soup was so filling, satisfying and savory. Will definitely be making this again!
I’ve made this 5 times in the past two weeks! Best soup I’ve ever had
I’ve made this soup a few times already and it’s very tasty! I served it to my family who are food critics and they thought it was very good…. Thanks for all your recipes! I love looking at your website and the pics! Looking forward to trying many!
I’ve made quite a few lentil soups and they all turn out somewhat boring and taste “healthy”.. this one blew me away! It was incredibly flavorful and hearty. One bowl wasn’t enough! Next time I’ll make a double batch. :) Thanks so much for sharing!!
This is my favorite lentil soup recipe! I thought the 1/4 cup of olive oil was going to be too much but it wasn’t, it made the soup so comforting and delicious. The spices were perfect.This is a great soup for winter time.
Had to leave out the pepper flakes, tomatoe, and used chicken broth and spinach, and only a pinch of thyme instead. (It’s what I had on hand ) Came out wonderful! Will definitely make again. The kids did not eat it but the grown ups loved it. Next time will add a few diced potatoes.
Love this soup, 2nd time making it. Love the spices and zing of the lemon juice at the end.