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 allergic to carrot. Any suggestions for a substitute?
Thanks! :)
You could use parsnip as it is similar to the carrot just a different colour and a bit sweeter.
Oh no! I have been hearing more about that. You could possibly add parsnip, although I haven’t tried it. I know they can be used as a substitute. Or for the same heartiness, you could use sweet potato. The flavors for both would be different.
This is one case where the title most accurately describes the result!
We used spinach for the greens and added a little fresh ginger, but otherwise hewed to the recipe. BLSE!
Thank you, Peter!
An easy and hearty soup to make in the cold winter months. The lemon juice really rounds out the flavor nicely. I added some leftover roasted green beans at the end, otherwise I made the recipe exactly as written. I would also serve it over short grain brown rice to give it a more “stew” feel.
I love all of that, Jen! Thanks for sharing how you change it up.
Agreed that this is one of the best lentil soup recipes EVER! I didn’t have Kale on hand so I threw in a handful of arugula. I also added a couple stalks of chopped celery. Going to make this again and again. Shared recipe with everyone I know.
I don’t typically put arugula in soup. I will have to try it!
This soup was so delicious!!! My husband who is so picky even went back for seconds!!! It is now on my make again list thank you. I am making the West African one today.
Win for you, Karen! I’m really glad you both could enjoy this soup. What did you think of the West African soup?
I made this Monday night and my husband’s first comment was “holy flavor!” :) Suffice it to say we both loved it and I can see this becoming one of our winter staples.
Wonderful, Jennifer!
I first made this but instead of kale or collard greens, I used what I had endive and spinach. In addition, I messed up and used ginger instead of curry by mistake. It was to die for. I am currently making it with the curry since I messed up the first time but I cannot imagine it being anything but awesome. Has anyone figured out the calories etc yet before I start to work on it?
I’m glad you still liked it, Penny! Thanks for sharing. The nutrition information is below the notes of the recipe. You just need to click to expand! I hope this helps.
Hey there I don’t have a blender l
will it matter much if I skip the blending part in this recipe?
It really helps with the texture and for the flavors to really sign. But, I know others haven’t and still loved it!
Sooooooooo good!!!
I just finished my first pot at lunch today – going home from work to make it again.
I have eaten plenty of lentils in my life – and the title of this recipe has my vote!
Thank you for the vote and review, Joy!
I made this recipe and it turned out beautifully!! Healthy, hearty and absolutely delicious!! Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Elizabeth!
Blending isn’t necessary. I didn’t when I made the soup and it turned out great!! Enjoy!!
Same as my favorite soup but instead of a can of tomatoes I add a can of coconut milk and use both whole and split red lentils (I prefer for colour and quick cooking and no blending necessary). Delicious and as you say freezes well. Just have to make sure it only simmers and not boils when reheating if using coconut milk. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing your variation, Irene.
Hi Kate, just want to say this is the best lentil soup i’ve ever had (esp with a can of tomatoes, which i’m usually not fond of in soups) Thank you for another two-thumbs-up recipe! I’m so happy this recipe worked out and i have lunch to take to work for this week!
Two thumbs up, I love it! Thank you for your comment, Liza.
Hi Kate.
Simply put…this IS the Best Lentil Soup.
Being a long time collector of recipes, it takes a special one to make it into my “Keeper Collection”. This is a keeper!
The flavors, textures and ease of preparation make this worthy of entry into my recipe box.
I do think you may have cut yourself short with naming it Best Lentil Soup. It should be renamed (again) Best Lentil Soup EVER!
Thank you for sharing!
Happy Cooking
Love to hear you agree, Steve! I’m excited this one is a keeper for you. Thanks for your review!
I didn’t have any lemons or lemon juice on hand, but this soup was still delicious without it! It didn’t turn out as creamy as I expected, so maybe next time I’ll blend a little bit more. I really loved how spicy it tasted, and it was the perfect warm dish for a cold January night.
I’m glad you still loved it! The lemon makes a huge difference, so let me know what you think next time!
This Lentil Soup was the best lentil soup I have ever tasted and now made. I often go through recipes online and print them out to try them. If they are good, I keep the print out in a binder on my kitchen counter to make again at a later day. This recipe is a keeper!
Great to hear this one is a keeper for you!
Normally I cook red lentil soup, today I tried this recipe and it turned out absolutely great, really one of the best soups I have ever eaten!!! Great taste, great recipe!!! My favourite from now!!! Thanks!!!
Thank you!
Oh my wow. My boyfriend made this and it’s absolutely incredible. It’s kind of like a soup meets chili, in a way that’s way better than either alone. After two bites, it went into my recipes folder. Thanks for creating and sharing! :)
You’re welcome, Kathryn! Thanks for your review.
Hi Kate,
This recipe is the first I have tried and it is so scrumptious. Kate you really got it!!!! I made it exactly as written except I used frozen spinach instead of Kale. My family doesn’t care for it too much. There wasn’t a drop left over and I was asked to make it again soon. My compliments for all of your efforts. Keep up the great work!!!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Grace!
This really Is the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. I added in some Field Roast Apple Sage ground up sausage, potatoes, touch of Dijon mustard, paprika and Agave syrup! I used Oh She Glows broth as a base. Thank you for this hearty flavourful soup that eats like a meal!
Thank you, Rose! I’m happy to hear it.
This soup certainly tastes wonderful, but I was extremely disappointed in the consistency. Way too thin for my liking. I like a thick lentil soup that I can also put over rice for a bigger meal. Even as a soup it’s too thin for me. Any tips on thickening it up Kate?
I’m sorry to hear that! You can always decrease the amount of liquid or increase some of the lentils.
I’ve been wild about your recipes ever since I discovered your sight through the lovely minestrone soup recipe! Tonight, I made this lentil soup and the beer biscuit recipe as well. This combination was very hearty and I’m looking forward to the melded flavours tomorrow. My one small tweak would be to cut back on the tomatoes a tiny bit.
I’m glad you are loving my soup recipes, Anna! I appreciate the comments and review.
I love this Lentil soup! I used Spinach instead of Kale, added a jalapeño, and doubled the lemon juice, plus the zest. This will definitely be a soup I will make over and over! Thank you!
I’m glad you are able to change it up to make it fit your tastes, Maureen!
Would it be okay to cook it in a slow cooker and use cabbage instead of the kale?
I haven’t tried either! But let me know what you think. I think spinach would be a good kale substitute.
Hi, Love tour blog and book!! we have a problem translating «curry powder» to norwegian because it can be two differents spices. Do you have any picture or description of it? It is like curry paste just in powder?
There are different variations of curry powder, it just depends on your favorite. I use this one a lot: https://www.frontiercoop.com/frontier-organic-curry-powder-1-90-oz/. I hope that helps!
The Best Lentil Soup. Made 100 times. Thanks for recipe.
You’re welcome, Lidiya! I’m happy you love it.
I can see why this soup is highly rated. The flavor is amazing. For the curry I used an Indian “blend” with turmeric, coriander and lemon. Adding the fresh lemon juice brightens up the soup. I really enjoyed it and will be making some to freeze.
Thanks for sharing!
I loved this soup! I made it last week and I’m going to make it again this weekend and I’ll be doubling the recipe so it lasts longer! Everyone in my house gobbled it up! I didn’t have dried lentils so I used canned ( just rinsed them really well to get as much sodium off as possible). I used frozen kale in place of collard greens because that was what was on hand). I’m going to try using less oil as that was the only thing I’d like to change. So yummy! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Lisa. I really appreciate it!
I am a 71 year old grandmother who loves loves to try new recipes. I came across this recipe for lentil soup and absolutely- it is the best lentil soup I have ever tasted. Thank you so much for such a delicious and healthy recipe. I have tried 3 more of your recipes which I plan to rate.
You’re welcome, Linda! Thanks for sharing you loved it.
Yes, this is the best lentil soup I’ve ever made. I substituted a large peeled and chopped sweet potato for the carrots (I had the sweet potato on hand) and added leftover spaghetti sauce for half of the canned tomatoes (didn’t have enough tomatoes on hand). This makes a huge pot so it’s great for food prepping for the week. It’s going into my regular rotation of easy meals.
Great to hear, Dallas! Thanks for your review.
Made my first lentil soup with your recipe. It was awesome! My husband loved the soup even though he told me initially that he was not a fan of lentils. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will make it again and again.
I’m glad you liked it, Susan! Thanks so much.
You nailed it Kate and thank you! I made this without cumin and added 1/2 jalapeño pepper and it was absolutely delicious. And not expensive to make! This will be my “go to” winter soup!
Fantastic, Cindy! Thanks so much for letting me know you loved it.
I made this for dinner tonight. Followed recipe except skipped the lemon (it seemed acidic enough already, may depend on your tomatoes) and used frozen spinach as I had it on hand. Great flavor, definitely a keeper. It took quite a bit longer to cook than 30 minutes, though.
I’m sorry it took longer! Did you use green lentils?
Hi can you use tinned brown lentils instead?
Hi Ash, Others seem to have luck with using canned lentils. I would reduce the amount of liquid and maybe not add the water.
I made this soup today and it was delicious! A great vegan lunch or dinner option which was perfect for the very cold weather bearing down on the East Coast. I made a few changes: did not drain the tomatoes, added more kale since I bought a huge bag, did not add water – I tend to prefer a thicker soup. Seasoning was spot on for me. Served with naan bread and spicy chipotle hummus. Definitely recommend.
A perfect cold weather soup, Jane! Thank you for sharing your variation.
WOW~ This soup is like a dessert it is so good. I am trying to eat healthy and slowly lose 20 more pounds. I have taken off 50. Maintaining the weight loss is the hardest part. I think with Kate and Cookie I can do it. My hubby loved it and he always says no vegetarian but he gobbled it up. Thanks for the recipe I will try more! Plus my dog Cindy Sue a 15 year old Shih Tzu loved the bowl!!!!
Way to go! That’s wonderful Nancy. I’m so happy to hear C+K has been a positive part of your journey. You can do it!
So good!! Knocked my socks off!
Husband and kids (two toddlers) loved it too!
Love it’s a family hit! Thanks for your review, Veronica.
I made this recipe today and my family loved it. I used fresh kale as my green choice. Again, your recipes have been a hit! I did add a sprinkle of grated cheese on top of my soup, but you certainly don’t need to.
Wonderful to hear, Gail!
Made this tonight and it is so good! Seriously an explosion of taste in your mouth! The longer it sat covered after it was done, the better it tasted. I will be making this all the time this winter.
Love it! Thanks, Donna.
I can definitely see why this is the “Best Lentil Soup” recipe – YUM! My family loved it!
Wonderful, Sharon! Thank you!
This soup is FANTASTIC!! I have never made Lentil Soup before, my kids have never eaten lentils. We all LOVED it! I added some leftover roasted sweet potato, which added a delicious sweet to contrast the curry & heat from red pepper flakes. This will be a go-to recipe for sure. Thank you for sharing!!
You’re welcome, Ann! I love your kids enjoyed it so much.
Is there anything to thicken it up now that I’ve made it?
You could serve it with rice, possibly. Or cook up some additional lentils and/or veggies and add them in.
This soup is wonderful. I didn’t get around to putting the kale in at the end but the soup base by itself is awesome. Also since I don’t love the texture of lentils, I blended the entire batch of soup.
I love it… will definitely be a go to recipe for me!
Thank you for sharing, Debbie!
Trying to switch over to a much more vegetarian diet as my new years resolution and so I tried this recipe last night. My whole family loved it, including my 10 year old son, and so it will definitely become one of my regulars. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Good luck on your transition. Let me know what you think of other recipes as you try them, Viviana!
What a tasty and easy to make soup! OOOPS! I forgot the cumin; however, it is still extraordinarily delightful. I will definitely make it again…put on my glasses and follow the recipe!
Thanks for sharing! I’m glad you liked it even without the cumin.
This is the best lentil soup ever! I am addicted! The combination of tomatoes, curry, kale and lemon give it a brightness spicy warmth. It has delicious flavor! It is perfect for cold New England winter nights. It will be my new go-to lentil soup recipe. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sarina!
I am not a fan of curry so I omit it but the lentil soup was DELICIOUS! The recipe is definitely a keeper.
Great to hear, Victoria.
So easy and tasty! I forgot to rinse the tomatoes once, and it turned out fine- just more tomatoey. I make this soup all the time with extra kale. Great for leftovers too!
Thank you for sharing, Mai!
Looks delicious but I am startled by the amount of sodium!!! Any clue why that is?
Hi Susan! The nutritional information is just estimates. Since some of the ingredients are canned, you will have a higher amount. Salt isn’t a bad thing, unless you are to avoid it per health reasons. It provides a lot of flavor and nutritional benefits. If you are looking to reduce the sodium, use low sodium broth, tomatoes and/or add less salt overall. I hope this helps!
Just made this for lunch today – totally agree with you – definitely best lentil soup ever. Thanks.
I’m happy you agree, Bods!