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 for my mom and grandma. I thought it was amazing — the flavor reminded me of Tom Yum soup broth, so much so that I’m considering throwing in some mushrooms next time. The feedback I got from the ladies was “Terrific” and “less tomato”. Maybe my tomatos were too acidic? Or maybe it should be tomato-ly powerful? Regardless I certainly enjoyed and will be making and experimenting with it further.
Thanks, Juan! Glad it turned out well. I’ve recently realized just how much the flavor of canned tomatoes can vary by brand. I definitely recommend Muir Glen brand if you can find it!
I can’t believe I have to share this soup with my friend, I already ate half of the batch…I’ll have to double it next time I make it :)
SO flavoursome and the lemon at the end is such a good addition.
Thanks Kate!
Thank you, Marie-Laure!
I cannot wait to try this! I love lentil soup. Have you had Aladdin Cafe’s lentil soup? It is my favorite! Best I have found in KC.
I have, and it’s really good! This one is heartier.
This is an awesome recipe! Can’t wait to try your others! My husband loved it too – total hit!
Yay, thank you, Katie! Hope you enjoy the others just as much!
This soup was SO good! I’m shocked at how easy it was and how amazing it tasted. I’ll definitely be making this a lot this fall, thank you for the great recipe!
Hooray, thanks Adrienne!
This was HANDS DOWN the best lentil soup I’ve ever had. I used a tablespoon of earth balance to give it richness and I added a 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes, corn, and spinach! I didn’t have cumin or curry powder so I used all purpose seasoning and it was just as good. My whole family devoured it and asked for seconds. This is my 3rd week on a vegetarian diet and your recipe just made it a whole lot easier! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. :)
Thank you, Grace! Delighted to hear it. :)
This recipe is DELICIOUS and the best part is, it just gets better and better as it sits for leftovers.
p.s. Adding a diced sweet potato in with the carrots and onions is yummy!
Thanks Kate and Cookie your blog is wonderful
Thank you, Ray! Love your sweet potato idea!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Kate! This is the tastiest lentil soup ever. I know I’ll be enjoying this many more times.
Yay! Thanks, Jen!
Just made this and it is divine! My husband and I are HUGE fans of all your recipes :)
Hooray! Thank you, Madeline!!!
This soup is delicious! Added more kale to mine because I like the green taste, and used a jalepeno pepper to spice it up. Instructions were straightforward and accurate. Thank you so much. Loved it.
Thank you, Danielle! :)
Just stumbled on this recipe looking for a different lentil soup. This was the most delicious I have ever made and likely will be my go-to recipe. Thank you! I also added roasted acorn squash to it, yummy.
Thanks, Michele! Delighted to hear it.
Thanks for the great recipe. It was delicious! The lemon at the end brightened up all the flavors wonderfully and it tasted great garnished with some sharp cheddar cheese. Maybe best of all, it was quick and easy to make.
Thank you, Elizabeth! :)
Hi kate! I just wanted to let you know that you are by far my favorite veg food blogger!!! I’ve loved every recipe you’ve made (and my husband has as well). This is my favorite soup. It’s sitting on the stove as I type and I’m debating sneaking a bowl before we sit down for dinner :)
Have you tried this recipe with fresh tomatoes? At the end of the week I always have a bunch of tomatoes I need something to do with.. If I made it next time with fresh tomatoes about how many do you think I’d need?
Thanks!
Hi Laura! Thank you so much! So glad you enjoy my recipes. I haven’t tried making this with fresh tomatoes, but I bet they would be great. I’m not sure how many you’ll need to replace diced. I bet you could eyeball it, since this soup is flexible anyway.
You made me look like a pro using curry and simply adding cumin powder… usually I tend to make my own curry powder.. and is not the same.
Great easy to make recipe. Thank you!
I’d say you are a pro! Thanks, Barbara!
Actually, most “curry powder” blends have cumin already in them, it’s just only a percentage of the total mixture. By adding so much more cumin to the dish compared to the total combined spices of the yellow curry powder, you’re going to get a lot more cumin flavour compared to the flavours from turmeric/hot red pepper/anise/coriander, which have to be very carefully balanced for the dish to turn out well. 1 teaspoon of curry powder wouldn’t really be that many red chilis, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, etc. flavour. Usually recipes that call for “curry powder” do so for at least 1 tablespoon, and possibly many tablespoons to ensure you get many teaspoons of the individual spices (like cumin).
Great recipe, Kate! I had a bag of black beluga lentils and substituted them for the green or brown. Turned out great! Thanks for posting such delicious, easy-to-follow recipes. Keep up the good work!
Hugs from Seattle,
Jill
Thank you, Jill! So glad you’re enjoying my recipes. :)
I googled “lentil soup recipe” and looked at the results.
allrecipes…. boring
foodnetwork.. blah!
martha stewart… um, no.
cookieandkate, now that’s a proper blog. yes, please!
Thanks for a great recipe that’s easily made by even the most inexperienced bachelor chef.
Woop! Thanks, Nick! :)
I swapped the regular diced tomatoes for fire-roasted and added corn and diced green beans. Delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds like great subs to me! Thanks, Kyra!
Thank you Kate for this great recipe! I used 3 ribs of celery instead of carrots, and used a smaller can of stewed tomatoes instead of the diced, and cooked it in a slow cooker after frying the onions and spices. It turned out amazing and was a huge hit! Thanks again!
Thanks, Lisa! Happy to hear it!
How long did you put it in the slow cooker? I’m really looking forward to coming home to this after work :)
Best lentil soup is no lie!!!! I’m food cleansing (as I do a few times a year) and always resolve to not enjoy my dinner options when I do. This soup has completely changed my approach to cooking while cleansing. THANK YOU!!!
Wow, thanks Artesia!!!
As a food enthusiast, I cannot wait to try this recipe…Im so glad I found your blog <3
Just made this soup again for the second time. One of the best lentil soups I’ve ever had. My husband loves it. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you, Lori! Happy to hear that!
I just tried your soup recipe this week and it was delicious! It is a beautiful dish for a chilly Fall night. I chose to serve it over basmati rice for some extra heartiness :)
Thanks for the great meal and check out my blog post here!
http://thetravelingbean.com/2015/10/spiced-lentil-soup-over-basmati-rice/
Thanks, Alicia. Glad you enjoyed it!
i love your recipes!!! I’m wondering if this soup would still be delicious if I made a day ahead?
Yep- I’ve had it for left overs all week and it was just as tasty :)
Oh yes, it’s even better the next day!
As a frequent lentil soup maker, I figured eh, this will just taste like all the other batches I’ve made (which have been good!). Well… this recipe blew all other batches out of the water! WOW! Sososogood.
Woohoo! Thanks, Jenna!
This is my new go-to soup! So hearty and delicious, and I love that it’s completely vegan. I was out of curry powder, so I substituted chili powder and it turned out great – very rich! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Thanks, Emily!
I loved the recipe! I thought it was missing something so i added nutritional yeast, Yum!
Thanks, Elizabeth!
I made it over the weekend and it was hands down the best soup I’ve made to date. The second night, I added a small amount of corn, peas and a cut up potato, and my husband thought I had made beef stew (minus the beef, of course)! This recipe is so versatile, it will be made over and over again!
Thank you very much, Brenda!
Just made this soup as I was searching web for recipe to use up the lentils in my pantry. I had everything in the kitchen to make, except the lentils I wanted to use up were red so gave it a shot. This soup came out amazing!! The best lentil soup I have ever tried!! I am on my second bowl!! So so good!!
Thanks, Marianne! So glad you loved the soup!
Can I use spinach instead of kale, etc. Thanks.
Yes! Definitely. I just prefer kale and collard greens in soups because they retain some of their texture instead of getting soggy/stringy.
Just made this lentil soup and it is truly amazing! Wonderful flavors. (Used chicken broth bc that’s all I had…and added celery with the carrots). Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jessica! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ha I see I’m not the first Margot to love this recipe ;) I made a pledge to be as vegan as possible this holiday season and stumbled on this recipe. New to lentils, but motivated by being plant-based, I found you because I wanted something with great spices and flavor. Home run! SO GOOD! I’d post a pic, but it looks just like yours and I’m not on Instagram. New fan!
Thank you, Margot! So glad you enjoyed this one! :)
Just finished leftover serving number 3! It finally cooled down here in San Diego and this soup really hits the spot. Browsing your recipes for something to make this weekend, got my eye on that red Thai curry ;)
Thank you, Margot!
I’ve already made this soup twice in three weeks – it is SO tasty and nutritious :) I found that Swanson veggie broth makes the best tasting broth.
Thanks, Elyse! I’m partial to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods’ store brands of broth.
We have so much root vegetables from our farm share and needed new ideas for sweet potatoes.i made this adding a sweet potato, a turnip, and green beans. I didn’t have spinach so I omitted that and the lemon. It came out so good! Definitely a recipe to save and make again! :)
Thanks, Marisa! I bet your soup was especially tasty with all those fresh ingredients!
Hey Kate (and Cookie)
Yep hands down fabulous soup. You and all the comments were right. The only change I made was I used my sticker/immersion blender and pureed the entire soup right in the pot. It is way easier then moving to the blender and it coaxed the picky eaters in the family to at least give it a try. They couldn’t even complain about it. :) It reminded my Italian husband and I of a italian dish we use to refer to as “Johnny Marzeti” To make it even a heartier dish try it over quinoa or brown rice!! This dish will now be a staple in our rotation.
Thanks, Loraine! I’m so glad it was a hit in your house.
Making this soup for the second time. It’s definitely a keeper.
Thank you, Denise! So glad you’re enjoying it!
I am always looking for new vegetarian recipes and very happy I found this one. We love it!
Great recipe! My blender is tiny (it’s like a dip one), so I just blended the kale separately and left the rest as is. Mixed in some red lentils too.
Would be nice to see the measurements in a non US-centric scale (cups) too, because to us brits it’s like saying “pour in a handbag of lentils, add a dog’s year of tomatoes, four large inhalations of carrots” etc etc :P
I have the same lost-in-translation moment with many recipes (I’m out here in Australia ;-) ) but since most of the recipes I follow are American, I’ve just gone ahead and bought a set of cup cup measures, and have some handy conversion charts on my fridge for temperatures. My digital scale measures in imperial and metric, so that helps too.
So I realise the American cup are a tiny bit different to the metric ones… which is one of the stupidest things ever as they are only SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT… so I just ignore it and go ahead with my standard 250ml cups lol.
Just made this soup this morning and ate my first bowl. Really good! The lemon juice really adds a fresh flavour to it. I used almost a full head of kale (3 or 4 cups instead of 1).
I’m a beginner in the cooking realm and was looking for something nourishing and comforting and I’m so glad I found this recipe!! A great hot bowl of soup can turn any bad day a little better. Thanks for the great recipe!
Happy to hear it, Alyssa! I hope you find some other recipes to enjoy here!
I have searched for years (no kidding) for a good lentil soup recipe. This soup is fantastic. I’m so glad I found it. Thank you!!!!
Hooray! Thank you, Linda!
I am a vegetarian who has been in search of some good high protein recipes. I need a little extra protein these days, because I’m pregnant.
I made this soup last night (used fresh tomatoes instead of diced, and added some celery and cauliflower just because we had some we wanted to use). I told my husband it’s one of the best dishes I’ve ever made and he agreed. He wanted to make sure I saved the recipe.
I actually doubled the recipe so we’d have some leftovers for lunch this week. Thanks for this! I’m excited to look through other recipes here and see what other favorites we can find.
Thanks for commenting, Kate! I’m glad you found my site and enjoyed this soup! I have tons of well-balanced recipes for you. Hope you enjoy the others just as much!
I just made this. I’m absolutely in love, the spices blend perfectly together and the lemon juice is a genius touch to an already delicious meal. I think I just found my new favourite recipe and my new favourite blog. Keep up the good work!
Hip hip hooray! Thank you, Valentina. I’m glad you found my blog!
Late to the game here, but this soup is incredible and easy. Blending the two cups makes it thick and a little creamy without adding any additional junk. This is a new go-to soup in my rotation.
Thanks, Michelle!
This is so good, and it’s pretty quick and easy which is also a bonus! My 18 month old daughter and her little friend just loved it too, and it’s always nice to find something healthy the little ones will eat.
Thank you, Gillian! I’m glad your little ones enjoyed the soup, too!
Great recipe. I’ve made it several times and it’s a go to now.
Thank you, Buck! Glad to hear it.
This soup is amazing! What are the calories per serving? I could not find that information. Thanks!
Thanks, Jan! I’m sorry, I don’t offer nutritional breakdowns for my recipes because I offer so many substitutions, etc. Feel free to run this one through a nutritional calculator like myfitnesspal.com.
I’m pretty much a carnivore, but was cooking for a couple of friends who are vegetarian. I loved this soup. I improvised a little by adding garbanzo beans, colorful potatoes ( I just needed to use them) and a splash of coconut milk per bowl served. I turned out so tasty. The collard greens and kale (I added both) made the texture wonderful. I added the juice of one lime instead of a lemon ( that’s what I had on me) and it was still tasty as all get-out. I ended up with a royal heck-ton of soup which was great because all my friends live off of dorm food and so they were able to keep a significant amount of leftovers. I also opted out from blending any amount in a food processor as my buddy’s dorm kitchenette didn’t have one. It is getting mighty nippy here in Portland with pounding rain and sloppy leaves to boot. This soup warms the body and feed so he mind. Yum yum. Lecker lecker! Sehr köstlich.
Thank you, SarahMac! Your version sounds fantastic to me. Glad your friends enjoyed it, too!
Hi Rob from Adelaide Australia:
I just have to say a huge thank you to Gillian and the staff of this site for this recipe. Tried this recipe 2 weeks ago and WOW!, absolutely wonderfully delicious. I even spilled too much Thyme into the mix but it did not matter. This recipe is spicy and wholeheartedly yummy beyond belief. It holds pride and place on my weekly recipes list now and forever will be my number 1 Lentil Soup. Bookmarked and loving it.
Thank you very much and keep up the great work.
Thank you, Robert! Glad it turned out well. :)
Huge apology Kate, for some reason i wrote Gillian.
Please forgive my mistake.
Wonderful!! This is the second recipe I’ve tried from this site and it is just as fantastic as the first. I’m usually hesitant to try blog recipes, but your recipes all make sense to me, are healthy, flavorful, and utilize ingredients I already have in my pantry. Good job and best of luck with your blogging and cooking career.
Thank you very much, Danica! I’m so glad to hear it. :)