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.
Just made this recipe using half olive oil and half coconut oil (because I ran out of olive oil) and it is DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing it!
This is really the best Lentil Soup recipe I have made. Thank you!
Made this soup last night for a working bee on my property. Some yoghurt and mint and maybe some crispy bacon bits on top for the carnivores. Big slices of sourdough toast.
I think this one’s a winner.
This looks fantastic! Healthy and whole eating has become important to me and I am so excited I found your website! It’s beautiful!
This is a fantastic recipe! I’ve made it several times and my whole family loves it! Wanted to let you know that I make it without the olive oil. I use a little veggie broth for sauteeing . Even without the oil, this soup is SO delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
I made this soup over the weekend. This will definitely be in my regular routine for these cold winter months. Very tasty! My son just asked for a copy (he is a wellness coach). Thank you!
This is the first time in my 55 years I have written a comment on a recipe, but this soup was so delicious I just felt I had to! I made it as written with the exception of substituting some homemade chicken stock for the vegetable stock, only because that was what I had. It was easy to make, and just the right amount of curry (not a huge fan). I had forgotten to put the lemon juice in, and as I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, I glanced at the recipe again, saw my omission, added a drop to of lemon to the pan scrapings and decided I’d better add it to the leftovers because it took it to the next level of deliciousness! I will definitely make this again; thank you!
This soup is delicious! I’m a big fan of lentil soups and I was a little worried this one wouldn’t stand out, but the flavor is bright and delicious. I’m really glad to have another great lentil soup to make. I doubled the kale because I love greens in my soup :)
Man, this recipe is amazing! Took me a little less than an hour, and the result is outstanding. I added some celery and some red chili powder for some heat. i did not blend it because i do not have a blender, but it is delicious!
Hi, Kate, I was looking for a lentil soup recipe with just these ingredients – especially the kale. I absolutely love it. And I’m usually disappointed with lentil soup recipes.
I will say that I changed a couple ingredients based on need and whim: I used safflower oil because I was out of olive oil. I added a parsnip and reduced the carrots to 1-1/2. I added two stalks of celery, chopped. The latter changes simply because I was in the mood for them.
Anyway, it was easy to make and delicious. Thank you so much.
hello from Poland. I’ve just made this soup, and : It’s AMAZING! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
OMG, best soup recipe ever!!! I love love love this soup!!! Cooking tonight for the third time this month. My husband loves it too! Thank you for sharing!
I do not have diced tomatoes…can i use crushe instead?
Thanks.
Ouafa
Yes, I think those will work fine!
It’s cold.and snowy out side so time for a hearty soup. Just made this nutritious and flavourful soup. I reduced the olive oil and cumin- personal preference, but otherwise stuck closely to the recipe and it’s wonderful. Added it to myfitnesspal which tells me it’s 12g of protein per serving and high in fibre. Now that’s a bonus! Will definitely make again, thanks Pinteresters who shared this lovely soup.
Delicious and easy to make! Switched out the kale with some cubed ham; very hearty with a little kick. Thanks for sharing!*****
This is the most incredible lentil soup I’ve ever made. It’s so hearty, filling and healthy. Whenever I feel bloated or under the weather – especially during the cold Canadian winter months – I pull out this recipe. This is one that warms you from the inside out & is loved by everyone in the family. Thank you so much for creating this magical soup!
This lentil soup is delicious and will be our go-to lentil soup going forward. I did not change a thing except to double the recipe; thank goodness because it is going fast!
Lentil soup recipe is fantastic! The first time I prepared as directed. The second time I added a bay leaf, celery, chopped mushrooms and omitted the lemon juice. Both different but great flavors!
Kate,
I was eating this soup during a meeting with my boss, and it smelled she good she asked for the recipe. She just sent me an email saying she made it for a loved one going through a hard time. This lentil soup has helped someone in a time of need!
This gives me an excuse to tell you – I cook almost solely from your website and have been for over a year now. Your recipes have led me to healthier eating habits and more confidence as a result. Friends and family are always impressed and I ALWAYS tell them – “Yes! You should go to cookieandkate.com!”
Needless to say, I’m one of your biggest fans and I cannot WAIT for your cookbook!
Best. Soup. EVER!
Delicious soup. The lemon makes it! I added the juice of a whole lemon and loved the result. It’s a cold, wet December day here in Vancouver BC and I’m enjoying a big bowl of this soup for lunch at work. Perfect!
Best. Lentil. Soup. Evah! Great with garlic bread (not vegan) and a sometimes addition of grilled veggie sausage (add it at the end). I’ve shared your link several times and gotten rave reviews.
Thank you so much!!! I’ve being looking for a flavor lentil soup recipe for a while and this one is AWESOME! I was scare at the begining because I usually dont cook with so many spices but this has the perfect combination to give it a great taste. Because I had more than cup of lentils I had to double the quantities and it turned out great. Thank you Kate! Regards!
Just made this for dinner and lunch throughout the week…it’s so good! The flavors are definitely all there. I wouldn’t think to combine some of these spices but it really comes together nicely…and the lemon brightens it all up. I chose to use collard greens and they add a really nice touch, and added a dash of cayenne at the end. Definitely will keep this recipe!
I just started to eat a whole foods plant based diet. I am accustomed to high sugar, high salt, processed junk. However, this soup was wonderful! So much flavor. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
This was so good that I HAD to leave a review! The only things I do differently are add the can of tomatoes without draining it, adding the entire 1 lb bag of lentils, 2 stalks of celery and adding 2 lemons at the end. We also do not blend any of the soup. We eat this soup for a few nights almost every week now. It also freezes really well. Thank you for this recipe!
This soup was the best lentil soup I’ve ever had! Really delicious1
Hi – I want to make this soup but have a question. I have already cooked lentils. Can you tell me how much I would reduce the liquid if I use the cooked lentils? Thank you!
I made this soup yesterday and it was my first time eating Lentils. It was so good. I didn’t have any greens but will be sure I have them the next time I make this. I love soups and enjoy making them.
This was some of the most delicious soup I’ve ever had! Being a man who always likes to ham-fist a little extra into every soup I make, I doubled the lentils and threw in some celery. It was spectacular! I’ve honestly never used kale before, but now I’m definitely going to try it out! it added just the right texture to the soup. Thanks you so much! definitely will be using this recipe again!
I made this yesterday with limited/no modifications and cannot say how much I’ve enjoyed this hearty soup — It is absolutely delicious and just good for the soul — LOVING!!
I was searching online for a great lentil recipe and found it here! I made it exactly as written and it was delicious, to say the least! And, even better, it was so easy to make. Looking forward to finding more gems on your site. Thank you!
I am making this for the 4th time. Wonderful recipe, thanks so much for sharing! Will take pic & post on IG this time. Have a fantastic day!!
I have a pot of this on the stove right now and I can’t wait to try. I don’t have any greens so I added a can of chic peas and also some extra curry. Hopefully it is still nice and tasty.
I was looking for a lentil soup recipe to start my new year with healthy options and I stumbled across this one. What a gem! It is hearty and packed with flavor. I used chicken broth and forgot to add the 2 cups of water, but my modifications did not alter the flavor any. I will definitely add this to my archives.
Delicious soup!! I topped it with a few avocado slices, and it added a nice creaminess. I used fresh thyme, and slightly more than it called for, which I thought added such great flavor without overpowering the soup or other flavors. I omitted salt, used low sodium veggie broth, and it was still extremely tasty and satisfying! So often I find soups to be too salty, usually to hide the blandness, but this soup is so flavorful that I couldn’t tell there was not any added salt. I can’t wait to make this again! Thanks for all your great recipes! :)
Excellent soup- so tasty!
Love this recipe. The smell and flavor of this soup are delicious. I’m going to try the Black bean soup next week. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Kate! I was looking to make this soup for about 12-14 people. Do you think I should just double or triple the recipe? And if I do I double or triple all the ingredients including the spices and broth/water, and tomatoes? Thank you!
I made this for the fa last night. They all loved it and asked me to make it again. So, it’s a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
We tried this last night and it was so wonderful! You’re exactly right about the olive oil – it made the soup so rich and velvety smooth. I added a half bag of frozen black eyed peas that I needed to use up and put them in pre-puree, so pureeing half of that made the texture so smooth and filling. It would be so easy to add almost any diced vegetable to this soup and still have it come out great. I love that it’s vegan too…thank you so much for an awesome recipe. We’ll make this again for sure!
This soup is so easy to make and it’s delicious. My husband loved it. Thank you Kate for sharing!
You’re welcome, Velia!
Best lentil soup!
:) Happy you enjoyed it, Rosemary!
Thanks for your recipe, really nice soup. The 1st time i made it i had no canned tomatoes so used 2x fresh chopped tomatoes instead. Also, i substituted thyme for a couple of bay leaves. Tastiest lentil soup i ever made! The 2nd time i used the 28oz can per your recipe, plus thyme. I found that the large quantity of tomato sort of overwhelmed the spices and other flavours, so if you prefer a slightly spicier dish i recommend either a small can or, as i did, a couple of fresh ripe tomatoes.
Happy your variation worked out, Paul!
Sorry if this has already been asked but do you think this would also work well in a crockpot?
I’ve heard that it turns out well in the slow cooker if you sauté the onions first. I haven’t tried it myself, so I’m afraid I can’t offer any specifics beyond that.
This soup is honestly one of the best I’ve ever made. Filling and so, so delicious. I will definitely make it it again!
Aw this makes me so happy to hear! Thanks so much, Erin.
Do you need to puree the soup? I don’t have a blender.
You can skip that step. I like the creamy texture that results from partially puréed soup, but I think you’ll still really enjoy it without.
This was delicious!! I didn’t have the curry powder or greens handy, but it came out with a great flavor and consistency made otherwise according to recipe. Thanks!
Thanks! I’m glad it worked regardless.
This soup is the bomb.com. I followed the recipe exactly and it is just so delicious and full of flavor. Will definitely be making this again.
“Bomb.com” might be the highest honor ever bestowed on a lentil :) I’m so glad you liked it!
I made this soup for dinner tonight…i was short a couple of herbs but substituted and this soup was off da chain!!! My Mom has gout & kidney disease, I recently had bariatric surgery & this meal met our diet needs & exceeded our flavor expectations! Thank you for this recipe!
Aw, this makes me really happy that it fit both your needs! Thanks for the comment, it made me smile.