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.
This make the 2nd time i’ve made the lentil soup sooooooo delicious ,all the herbal seasoning,the greens,the entire receipe is wonderful.thank you so much.I didn’t change anything
Awesome, Portia! I’m so glad you love the flavors.
One of the best soups I’ve ever had! Love all the flavor!
Thank you, Loralei!
Hi Kate — I;m also from Kansas City, but I have lived in Jerusalem now for the last 48 years. I graduated from Paseo High School in 1953.
Marvin from Jerusalem
Wow! Thanks for reading, Marvin. Hello from KC!
I would love to make this But can I make it with chicken broth
I’d think so, Connie! I’m vegetarian, so that’s why I used vegetable broth, but I think chicken will work just fine.
Made this last night, true to the recipe and it turned out wonderfully! My roommate is a soup addict and she told me how wonderful it was at least three or four times, once each time she went back for more!
Perfect! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it so much, Lara.
Hi! Looks great! Do you think this could be cooked in a crock pot?
Other readers certainly have! The feedback I’ve gotten is that it works on high for 3-4 hours, as long as you saute the onions first. But, I haven’t tried it myself, so there will be a bit of experimentation on your end!
The perfect lentil soup. I love it. And my husband loves it, always a plus. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Are there chickpeas in the soup as well?
No, just lentils!
The picture looks like chickpeas but it’s probably a lentil. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Oh my goodness. This soup doesn’t seem much but the number of reviews and ratings and the pictures of it made me try it. It was absolutely delicious. I could seriously eat this everyday and I will honestly make this very often because it’s that good. I added a small amount of potatoes and it was perfect. It probably would’ve been fine without it cuz it thickens up nicely in the end but the potatoes were definitely a nice addition still. I also diced 1-1/2 fresh tomatoes in it instead of canned and it was fine. I just wanted to say, though, that half a lemon was a bit too much for my personal taste and next time I’ll probably do a quarter of a lemon. My fiance said it was perfect but he adds quite a bit of lemon to everything lol such a wonderful recipe that I will definitely make at least once a week or two. Yummy! Thank you for this lovely recipe
You’re welcome, Ana! This is a great recipe to make in a big batch and eat for a couple days. I’m so glad you love it.
I’ve made this twice, the first time for vegan friends and again tonight for non-vegan family that came to town. Both times this soup was fabulous! with leftovers heat with additional kale and enjoy it for several more meals. At present this is my favorite soup and non-vegan family members enjoyed it just as much as my vegan friends.
Perfect. Thanks, Valene. :)
I have made this recipe at least twenty times! To change it up I add different Moroccan spice blends from specialty stores and often use red lentils and add cilantro. Don’t forget the kale and the fresh lemon juice at the end which are the secret ingredients. This is a keeper! This is perfect to pack for a hearty weekday lunch at work.
That sounds delicious, Marya, especially those Moroccan spices. I just got back from a trip to Morocco a couple weeks ago, and I’m missing the food so much!
Thank you for an amazing tasting lentil soup. My search is over.
Great!
Delicious! Thank you for sharing…you made it…it is perfect.
I improvise. I did not have kale and curry powder.
I thought I put spinach and realize it was arugula….Tasted great.
Next time I will make exactly as it is in your recipe.
Thank you,
Adriana
Your version sounds great, Adriana! Thanks.
Thank you for sharing your talent with the rest of us! Always love your recipes, without fail. This lentil soup recipe was no exception! Absolutely perfect :)
I’m so glad, Anne!
I followed the recipe exactly. It is amazing. May be the best soup I have ever made and I make a lot of soup! The flavors are outstanding with a little bit of heat and the acidity of the lemon juice in the background. The kale is a wonderful, healthy, and colorful addition. Love, love this recipe.
Thank you so much for the compliments, Mary! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup.
This looks amazing. I’m about to make it. Do you have the nutrition information?
Hi, Lauren– Unfortunately, I don’t have nutritional info available for my recipes just yet. I’m looking for a solution, and will update about it once I find one. Thanks!
Just made a big pot of this and, omg, you weren’t lying about how good it is! I left out the oil and it’s still delicious. Thank you!
Perfect! Thanks, Kristen.
I like my lentils softer, more like canned so I simmered the soup longer, maybe about an hour! SO I adjusted the cumin and curry powders to taste, and everyone loved the soup, thank you!
Great! Thanks, Rosemary.
This was good – I added tumeric & coriander. I also soaked the lentils in water – if you are using brown lentils this helps reduce the amount of gas you will def have later. I also added celery.
Ooh, thanks for the soaking tip, Sarah! Good to know. ;)
My go to lentil soup! I’ve got a pot simmering right now!
I really loved this for some protein on a meatless day! Surprisingly, my husband likes it too, so that says something. Followed it closely except omitted the extra water and didn’t drain the tomatoes, used split chickpeas since that’s what I had (added 15min to the cooking time) and drizzled some tahini in it once it was done! So good with grilled cheese.
Yum! I’ll have to whip up some grilled cheese with this next time. Thanks, Meg!
I love this recipe, I’ve made at least 20 times now. A few things I’ve tweaked to my taste: I temper the curry and cumin prior to adding the onions and carrots. I started adding red and yellow bell pepper and add them with the onions and carrots as well. Other then that I follow the recipe.
Great! Thanks for the comment, Andrew.
I know this was posted a few years ago but I thought I’d let you know that this is the best lentil soup ever! I’ve made it 2 weekends in a row and plan on making it again this weekend. This is the first soup I actually really enjoy eating rather than just eating it because it’s good for me. Thank you!!!!
Thank you so much, Vaness!
I made this soup today and it is amazingly tasty!! Loved the flavor! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Anna!
Made this for a dinner party, and one of our guests was a New Zealand-famous chef who looks down his nose at the word vegan but this won him over and had him begging for seconds. This is the sixth recipe I’ve made from your site, Kate, and every single one of them has been outstanding. From this Kiwi fan, thank you!
Wow! What a compliment! Thank you, Sue. This is such a kind comment. :)
PS I served it with cornbread (with some New Mexico green chile in it) and it was the PERFECT pairing. And nobody at that table was a Vegan, how cheeky of me!
Yum! Thank you for posting this delicious soup! It’s snowing out and I have a cold so this tasty soup is exactly what the doctor called for. I used red lentils, added chickpeas, and doubled the amount of kale and it still worked out well. I love the tip to blend the 2 cups and put them back. I’ve skipped that tip times before but it really does make a difference in the texture.
Oh no! Snow?! You poor thing. I’m glad you have this soup for some warmth and comfort! I hope you stay cozy.
Can you use canned lentils or so they have to be dry?
Others have used canned lentils, but you’ll want to keep an eye on the cook time: it’ll be much shorter, to prevent the lentils from going mushy.
I tried this one yesterday and the result was shocking. After few years of marriage, my husband said it was the best soup I ever made.
Can’t express how happy I’m. Thanks, Kate. you made my day.
I will bookmark this website for the future tune.
Great! So glad you both enjoyed it, Jessica.
OMG Delish! Promised to share before I started cooking and now Im sorry I did! Wonderful recipe
Oh no! Double batch for next time, then. ;)
This is simmering on my stove right now! After reading the recipes, I’m wondering if I should have doubled the recipe to feed me through the week! Excited to taste it :) !!
Hehe! Not a bad problem to have. I hope you loved it!
Wow I made it and everyone loved it great
Great!
Made this last night for dinner and I must say it was absolutely delicious! My boyfriend is an EXTREMELY picky eater and does not like trying new things at all, but he loved this dish! He even went as far as to say it was my best dish yet! The only thing different I did was add 1 potatoe and served it with basmati rice. Was awesome! Thank you!
This sounds absolutely delicious spooned over some basmati rice, Rhonshanda. I’m taking that for next time I whip this up! I’m so glad it was such a hit, especially with that picky dude of yours. :)
Just tried this tonight.
I modified the recipe by not draining the tomatoes and adding only 1/2 cup of water.
I also added an extra clove of garlic and a dash of ground turmeric.
I would’ve never thought that using dried thyme would go with curry and cumin but it works well.
It’s magically delicious.
Thanks so much, Christopher! Your version sounds great–I’m glad you were pleasantly surprised by the thyme! Thanks for reading.
Found your site last week and made this soup tonight, with some (mostly minor) modifications.
I know your a vegetarian but I had some prosciutto, so I added at the same time as I cooked the onions and carrots. It added a ton of flavor and all the saltiness you’d need. The I added spices and garlic, sweated for a bit, and then added the lentils and sweated for a bit. Then added crushed fire roasted tomato, water and broth. Did two lemons at the end, which made it a little tangy-er.
This stuff is awesome, and was enough to sell me on picking up your new cookbook. :-)
Sounds excellent, Amy! The prosciutto is so creative. I hope you love the book!
Great recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Holly!
The easiest and best tasting lentil soup I’ve ever had/made. This recipe is a keeper. Full of flavor! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you, Cecilia!
Loved the recipe! Followed it exactly. Next time i’ll try and add less on the seasonings. I can really taste the cumin and curry powder. Great stuff, but it makes me need bread to balance out the flavors. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Linda! Of course, you should temper the spices to your liking. I hope it comes out just right next time!
Fantastic, quick easy recipe. Freezes well. So hearty and nutritious. Nice balance of veggies, spices. The lemon juice is the perfect finishing touch.
Yes, this one is super easy to freeze and thaw. I’m so glad you liked that touch of lemon, Ann!
Recipes like this make giving up meat a whole lot easier.
:) My evil plan!
I love this soup, so tasty. Making it again. Also, it uses ingredients I always have in my fridge!
That’s one of my favorite things about this recipe!
Thank you for the awesome soup recipe. I have made it 6 times as written before making minor tweaks. First, I water fry the veggies since I’m trying not to add any extra oil. Second, I added 1 tsp of Tumeric because it’s super healthy.
This has been a hit with my family and they told me before I made this they hated lentil soup. Thanks again!
Hooray! I’m so happy everyone liked it, and are lentil soup converts now. Thanks, Ken!
Very tasty. I was using what I had on hand, so I used red lentils. I added half a parsnip, a stick of celery, half a sweet potato, black cabbage, and threw in some chopped celery leaves at the end. Eaten with some crusty bread. Great comfort food.
Perfect! This is definitely a whatever-you-have-on-hand type of recipe.
This recipe is very good. I’ll be making it again.
Flavorful!
Great!
My family LOVES this recipe! We make it at least twice a month and I always have to double it so we can have leftovers. I use canned (or fresh) tomatoes with the juice they are packed in. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Allison! So glad this is on regular rotation at your house.
Goodness gracious! Made this beautiful creation after a shocker of a day. Thank you so much! I added chilli, potato and used all the juice from the tomatoes, worked perfectly and my belly is feeling the lentil love. Cheers and love. X
Oh, I hope this offered you some comfort, Caitilin! It’s one of my favorites.
I used this recipe tonight with some modifications to oil, and to spicing due to reduced oil. (I try to go as fat free as possible). I used 1 tsp olive oil and some salt to cook the onions. After I assembled as far as the tomatoes mixed into the onions etc., I realized the lentils would be going into an acid mixture, something that can make other legumes fail to soften. Maybe it’d turn out fine but as I don’t know this blog well, I then cooked the lentils briefly in the stock in a pressure cooker for a minute or two , and released pressure fast. I then put the part cooked lentils with the tomatoes. Because the oil was heavily reduced, I increased the curry by 1/2 tsp, the thyme by 1/4 tsp, and the cumin by 1/2 tsp. And added another couple teaspoons of oil to take the edge off the spices. I had no kale so used spinach instead in the bottom of the bowl and let the hot soup cook it when I poured it over. A very nice recipe — we agree it is a keeper!
I’m glad your substitutions worked out so well, Christine! Your version sounds delicious.
I followed the recipe and i must say it turned out super delicious! great flavors and taste. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you loved it, Sonja!
I followed the recipe to the letter and I have honestly never had a better tasting soup. I feel like I am getting a shot of vitamins in every bowl. The soup was delicious and satisfying. Thank you for this great recipe. I will definitely follow you on Facebook.
Hooray! Thanks, Brenda! I have an instagram, too, if you’re on there: cookieandkate. :)
Absolutely DELICIOUS! Bursting with flavour, just the right amount of spice, and super nutritious. Excellent!
Perfect! That’s what I was going for. Thanks, Heather.
I made this for dinner and my husband and 3 kids loved it!
Amazing recipe, thanks!!
You’re welcome, Toya!