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’m a college student and I am able to make this recipe on the CHEAP. Not only that but I tell everyone I know about it. It’s like the best thing I’ve ever made and makes me feel like I can cook a healthy meal. I always have 3 bags of this soup in my freezer just in case. Thank you for making healthy eating accessible!!!
I’m glad you are able to make this too! Thanks for sharing, Natalie!
I am not really fond of cumin. If I reduce the amount, do you think it would affect the taste very much?
If you don’t like it, then I don’t anticipate you missing it too much. Let me know what you think!
Would this recipe work well with red lentils?
Thanks
Red lentils get mushy fast and don’t retain their shape as well. I wouldn’t recommend it. Sorry!
I made it with red lentils and it turned out great. Just cooks quicker.
I actually use red lentils in the soup and think it tastes amazing!!
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I have a container of blended tomato in my freezer that I will use. I had some tomatoes that were too soft for salad so I blitzed them in the Vitamix and froze it. I will use it tonight as a base for this soup.
Also going to add some sad zucchini.
Thanks for the idea.
You’re welcome! Let me know what you think!
This is one of my favorite recipes ever. I think I could eat it every day. One time when I was eating it while curled up on the couch, I kept saying, “This is sooo good,” after every single bite. The curry powder and lemon juice MAKE IT. Thank you, Kate!
I love that! You’re welcome, Lauren! The best way to eat this soup, curled up on the couch. :)
Love lentils in anything but I cook for someone who cannot eat tomatoes. Is there a substitute that would work?
Tomatoes provide a great texture and flavor to this. You could omit and increase the carrots. Or maybe try adding some red bell pepper. Let me know what you think, Ann!
I agree wholeheartedly. This is definitely the best lentil soup ever! Just one piece of advice: If you make this soup a few hours before you’re going to serve it and you’re using spinach, it’s better to add the spinach only a few minutes before you serve it as otherwise it loses its bright green colour!
Thanks for sharing, Denise! I’m excited so many people love it and have tips!
I’ve been making this Lentil soup for awhile now. It is the BEST ever! Once you have the ingredients laid out it is a breeze. I tell everyone about it and even brought the recipe to work to share.
Thank you, Suanne!
Hi Kate, I’ve made your lentil soup a number of times and it really is delicious! Yesterday I received your cook book and it’s full of exciting recipes that I can’t wait to try. I started with the tomato soup today and it was so good. Thanks for sharing.
I can’t wait to hear what you think about the cookbook, Patricia! Thanks so much!
Hi Kate
I had some of your leftover marinara with lentils and doctored it up based on this recipe. OMG it’s great!
Thanks for sharing!
Hello Kate,
This lentil soup has become a regular in my repertoire. Never a huge fan of heavy sludgy lentil soups in the past with your version I was up for a second helping. Top marks, all star recipe. Cookie is adorable.
Barbara
Love that, Barbara! Thanks for sharing.
Haha, I love this soup so much when I saw it was reposted, I momentarily freaked out that you might have changed the recipe. This truly is the best lentil soup ever! It’s a regular in our house.
Haha, that’s too funny! No changes, aside from the photos. They needed to make the soup look just as amazing as it tasted. :)
This soup is really; and very filling
Thank you, Margaret!
By far the best lentil soup I’ve had. I love your recipes and get compliments every time I serve one of your dishes. You are my go to for planning meals. FYI the lentil soup adapts well with Instant Pot. Cheers!!!
Thank you for sharing, Gina!
Gina and or Kate,
How would/did you adapt for Instant Pot?
Thanks
I made a really similar lentil soup I just changed one ingredient and it tastes SO good.
Julia
I’m really happy to hear you liked it, Julia!
I made the Best Lentil Soup, Kate, and I love it! My wife is not a fan of kale, so I will substitute spinach next time–and there definitely will be a next time. Keep up the good work! I love your recipes!
Thank you! Spinach or another collard green would work well.
I’d love to try this lentil soup recipe but I can’t eat nightshades so now tomatoes. Do you have any ideas for a substitution? Thanks for thinking this through with me.
Hi Terry! I’m not sure as the tomatoes add such great flavor. Since you can’t do nightshades, maybe add more carrots?
Hi,
If I am cooking this recipe for people who do not like curry do you have another spice I can swap it with or should I just omit?
Thanks,
Julia
I like the flavor of the soup and intend to make it again. I used the steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s (not dry lentils as probably intended) and I didn’t find it to be as hearty and thick as I think was intended.
The curry really makes this soup, bummer! You could omit and increase the other spices some.
Looks delicious! Will definitely try it. On the Nutritional Breakdown you don’t say how much per serving, so it’s not helpful at all. Would you add that? Thanks! Ruth
The soup makes 4 servings, so per serving would be 1/4 of recipe!
Hi Ruth! I’m sorry you didn’t find it helpful. I would say roughly 1.5 cups is a serving.
Excellent. Blending really upped the game compared with other recipes. Rich, smooth, spicy, and delicious!
Right! Blending is the game changer. Thanks for your review, Christy!
Made this tonight! Delicious!
I’m happy you think so! Thanks for your review, Catherine.
Delish! I also modified by adding sweet potato, coconut milk and peanuts. So good…
Great that you loved it!
This was my first time making lentils soup and I was somewhat timid of the taste…. I loved it tasty and delicious!
Thank you, Allison!
Hi Kate
Just made your lentil soup this lunchtime and …..Gosh it was amazing! Mine turned out more like a tarka dal, as in less liquid, but it was fairly accurate I would say. The only adjustment I made was to add 2 garlic cloves and not 4. Also in the UK our tin sizes are generally smaller, and so I added 2x 400g.
Keep cooking. I love to read your blogs when I can.
Helen W
Thank you for sharing!
Just made this soup, in an effort to be organized and ahead for the coming week. It is aptly named…and may not make it past the weekend. YUM!
Thank you for sharing, Judy!
This will be lunch today. Snowed in and just looking outside makes you shiver. Your recipe looks just right for today and (yeah) I have everything on hand to make it!
Thank you, Sue! I’m glad you had everything and didn’t have to venture outside.
This is me and my coworker/friends favorite lentil soup. Thank you. My son will eat it too and he is picky.
That’s all great to hear! Thanks for the review, Maureen!
I am eating it right now along with some toasted rustic bread with garlic rubbed on it and butter! I am a lover of lentil soup and this one is great! I love the blending of a small amount to make a hearty meal! I will be up for seconds!
That sounds amazing, Carol! Thanks for you review.
One of our favorite soups of all time! So delicious. Spices are a perfect blend and the hint of lemon brightens the flavors perfectly.
Love it, Kim!
I made the recipe today. Love it. Just made a few tweaks based on my personal preferences. I put less tomatoes and used baby spinach. Also used turmeric instead of curry. By the way this was my first time making lentil soup. Thanks so much. I really love it. Will definitely make it again.
Great ideas! I love hearing how people make this suit their tastes more. I appreciate the review, Sue.
Hi Kate. I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Janet!
Made this for the first time today. I doubled this recipe exactly and it was truly amazing. Going to serve it at a large gathering next weekend. I browned pancetta in the pot first and then took it out, using some of its oil, and then used the pancetta as a garnish at the end. I know that is not vegetarian (!) but it was wonderful.
If it works for you, then I say do it! Thank you, Allie!
OMG!! This really is the best lentil soup! I usually don’t leave comments but I have to on this one. I made it just as written and there’s no need to tweak anything. The seasonings and spices blend so well together. There isn’t anything that’s over powering in this recipe. I would suggest making it just as written and then tweak it if you want but I think it’s perfect as is. I think this has become my new favorite soup!
I’m so glad you did! New favorite, that’s great. Thank you, Debbie!
The minute I received this recipe in my inbox,I knew I had to make it.
I already had most of the ingredients on hand. I ended up doubling the recipe and substituting spinach (added to the bowl at the end) as well as tossing a small amount jasmine rice in the bottom of the bowl first. It’s absolutely delicious and the perfect soup for a cold and blustery day here in the Pacific Northwest.
I love that you just had to make it right away! Thanks for sharing, Michele!
This recipe was delicious! I made as is written without the chili peppers.
I was wondering if anyone has tried it in a crockpot yet? I’d like to double it for a party but won’t have time to make it after work.
I know some have tried it! Go ahead and search in the comments to see what worked well.
This is the best lentil soup I have ever had, and one of the best soups ever. I added a green pepper since I had one in the fridge that needed to be used. I used 6 cups of vegetable broth, instead of adding 2 cups of water. I used the Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes.
It is outstanding!
Thank you for sharing, Tim!
The lentil soup is delicious, thanks for sharing, just the right amount of spice, the family all enjoyed it.
You’re welcome, Renee!
Yay…I made this soup for my lunch today… it’s delicious. Used my electric pressure cooker instead of stove top. Sautéed everything like the recipe instructed but instead of simmering it I cooked it on high pressure for 12 mins.
Thanks for sharing, Perla! I know this will be helpful to other readers.
Kate,
Best lentil soup ever! Next time I’m making a double batch!
Great to hear, David!
Kate, just tried your “Best Lentil Soup” recipe. Very, very good, very satisfying. Even my non-vegetarian husband liked it. This is the 5th recipe of yours I have tried and loved. Just purchased your book, can’t wait till it arrives. Your recipes are soooo good.
Thank you for getting my book! I’m excited for you. I hope you love it! Thanks for trying this soup.
Delicious, my whole family loved this. It smelled really good during the cooking, too.
It does really make the house smell delicious!
I made this on Saturday. Honestly, I haven’t found a lentil soup recipe that I truly liked until this one. It was my “fine, I’ll try ONE MORE lentil soup recipe and if I don’t like it, I’m done” recipe. My whole family liked it – the vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, and me. Plenty for everyone too. I used no-chicken broth instead of vegetable broth because that’s what I had. Otherwise, I stuck to the recipe. It’s really really good tasting and beautiful. Don’t skip the lemon.
I’m so glad you decided to try one more, and this was it! Thanks so much for your review, Jill!
This soup is delicious. We tried it both blended and plain…I also did not add the water.
We were wondering if you have the nutritional values of this soup.
I will definitely make it again!!
Great to hear! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. You just need to click the header to expand.
Yes! the best lentil soup recipe EVER! I eat lentils often and I’m thrilled I found a lentil soup recipe I can use in the future again and again. thank you!
Wonderful you agree too! I love how everyone gets so excited about this one. Thanks for your comment!
I’m really excited to try this recipe, except that I’m not a big fan of curry. Do you have any recommendations/substitutions for making this without curry?
My first Cookie and Kate recipe:
Easy
Hearty
Healthy
Delicious!
And my first recipe review.
That pretty much covers it.
Thank You
Thank you, David! All great descriptions of this soup. I appreciate the review.
Hi Kristen! I think the curry really makes this soup. Maybe try increasing the other spices some based on your liking. Or I know one reader used turmeric instead. Let me know what you try and how it turns out!
Couldn’t not make this because it was so popular. This is by far the “best” lentil soup I’ve tried. I think it was the curry. Not sure I’ve made a lentil soup with it before. Lemon juice made it good too. I went with brown lentils and a smaller amount of red lentils I had leftover so it wasn’t mushy. I added a few cherry tomatoes that I had and fresh lemon juice. I used my immersion blender. This will be my go-to recipe for lentil soup from now on. Not sure I’ll ever make any other kind any more. Truly outstanding! Thank you Kate.
I’m glad you made it and agree its the best! Thanks for sharing, Heather.
I found this recipe a few months ago, and it has become a favorite. I usually double the recipe so we have enough for two meals. I omit the salt since we’re watching sodium intake, and skip the blender step -it’s absolutely delicious and filling! Thank you!!
Mary Beth
Thank you for sharing, Mary Beth!
Excellent. One of the best lentil soups I’ve tried. I used red lentils, because that’s what I had, and kale leaves. This is going into my permanent collection.
Next time I will use homemade vegetable broth, even though it’s fine using the store-bought kind.
Thank you for sharing, Henry!
I make soup and chili often. Everyone in my family agreed that, by far, this is the best tasting soup/chili I have ever made. (I doubled the recipe and omitted the water because I ran out of room in the pot!). Thank you!
You’re welcome, Lauren! I’m happy it still turned out even with leaving out the water. I assume it was a pretty thick stew-like consistency then? I appreciate your review!
Yep, this soup is really the Best Lentil Soup! So hearty, tasty and the last minute squirt of lemon juice makes it. Thank you for putting this winner recipe together, so appreciative!
You’re welcome Annie! Thanks for making it and reporting back what you thought.