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.
Wow, this is truly the best lentil soup I’ve ever made — and I’ve been making lentil soup about once a week for two years! I followed the recipe almost exactly, though I had to cobble together a curry powder after realizing I was out of my pre-made stuff. The flavors are strong but balanced and the kale is a wonderful touch of texture and flavor.
Fantastic, Anne! Thank you for your review.
I’ve made this soup a couple of times now. One of the recipes I’m using as I convert from heavily carnivorous eating habits to more plant-based ones.
Really like this soup. Spicy and tasty. Some recipes you just keep coming back to. This will be one of mine.
Simon
Canberra, Australia
I’m glad you like it and you will keep coming back to it, Simon! Thanks for your review.
The title is right–this truly is the best lentil recipe I have ever had. Passing this along to all of my friends! Thanks for the delicious recipe, Kate!
I’m excited you are sharing it with friends, Savannah! Thanks for your review.
THANK YOU for the ‘Jump to the Recipe’ feature. Sometimes a reader just needs to get to the point.
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks so much, Kathryn.
Wonderful recipe. I think what pushes it up from lunch table to linen tablecloth is the addition of the lemon juice. I’ll definitely make this again.
Great! Thanks or trying it and for your review.
So yummy, perfect lentil soup,thank you!
You’re welcome, Heather! Thank you for the review.
Phenomenal! Thank you for another amazing recipe Kate!
Thanks for letting me know you loved it!
nutrition info would be useful…a rough guesstimate would be good.
i use low sodium pacific veggie broth.
Hi Jerry! The nutrition information is below the notes of the recipe. You need to click to expand and make sure you allow cookies on your browser.
Might be a dumb question, but is there a reason we can’t use the liquid from the drained tomatoes and add enough water to make two cups? Acidic juice or something? Definitely making this soup this weekend for lunches this week.
I wondered about that, too Mike. An earlier comment said that acid prevented the lentils from absorbing the water, so I bet you’re right.
Well, that’s what I did. I let the lentils cook until they decided they were done (rather than the timer), and then threw in a ton of kale (because I love kale). I loved this soup every day this week! Will definitely make it again and again.
Hey Mike, you can do that! Not sure you’ll be able to taste the difference in the end product, but that would put the liquid to use.
I had lentil soup once before and enjoyed it so thought I’d try to make it. This recipe was very easy to make. I really loved this soup!
Thank you, Connie!
Sorry…not a fan! :( This was my first attempt at Lentil Soup, and I thought I would try the “best”… because, well, why not? If this is the “best” Lentil Soup, then I guess Lentil Soup is just not for me and my family of 6. :( It was WAY too Tomato-y…and I LOVE Tomatoes! And I was so excited about this recipe because it has Curry…I LOVE Curry! The flavors just didn’t seem to compliment each other, in my opinion. So sad! I had really high hopes for this soup to go into my meal rotation, but unfortunately not one of us liked it. I might try your Curry Red Lentil Soup, though. We’ll see… I have to give my family some time after making this recipe last night until I’ll try to feed them a Lentil Soup again. ;) Thanks for sharing your recipes, though, nothing personal, It just wasn’t for us! ;)
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, but appreciate your feedback.
This really is the best lentil soup! As a non-vegetarian, I used to only like lentil soup if it involved bacon. But the spices in this soup lend such a great flavor that I don’t miss it at all.
That’s great, Claire! Thank you for trying it. :)
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I substituted Kale with Spinach and it worked well!
Great to hear, Nanami!
Love this soup so much and thought I had lost the recipe! So happy I tracked it down again and will be putting it in my favorites binder.
I’m so happy you tracked it down again, too! Know you can always search by ingredient or course, etc in the menu :)
I can’t eat chunks of tomatoes. Do you think crushed tomatoes would work? Or if I omitted them completely, would I just add more liquid?
Tomatoes add flavor for sure, but I’m not sure about crushed in this soup. Maybe leave out and increase the other vegetable you like.
Wow!!!!! Soooooo yummy !!!!! Thank You <3
You’re welcome, Kae!
I’m making this RIGHT now. It’s literally simmering on my stove. I’m renaming it Super Fantastic Soup though, so that there will be some chance my kids will eat it. it smells fantabulous.
What did you think, Faith?!
Just made this last night and it’s SO good!! I don’t think I can ever go back to canned lentil soup after this ^_^
The only thing I didn’t do was blend some of it and used baby kale but it’s still great :)
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Paloma! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Hello. I’m a little confused. If 2 cups is put into the blender what happens to the remaining lentils???
The two cups of the soup help give it a creamy consistency. The rest of the soup remains that same. Does that help? The process pictures tend to help!
This soup is incredible! It is just what I needed for today! Yes, best lentil soup ever! Thanks for the recipe!
Star
You’re welcome, Shar!
I have made this soup so many times now…it is absolutely delicious.
I’m glad you love it, Donna!
I first made this soup a couple of months ago and we eat it at least every other week. I love how it uses ingredients I always have on hand. Plus it is so delicious and quick! Every friend I have served it to has requested the recipe!
I do love that about this dish as well, Mary!
First, I would like to say, I have never written a comment on any blog site but I had to submit one today(that’s how excellent this dish was). Second, Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I cannot believe how good this was. I made this last night for dinner and my husband cannot stop raving about it. I even woke up this morning and had another bowl for breakfast (great way to begin the day)! I forgot to pick up thyme, but had the other ingredients so I just went with it and hoped for the best. These flavors were perfect together- the curry and lemon added such a great flavor. I definitely will make this recipe again. Thank you!
I’m so happy you tried it and commented you loved it, Brittany! Thank you for your review!
Does this soup get better the next day? During cooking I found it to be very blah. It tastes watered down. I added more curry and cumin but it still feels like it’s missing something. I followed the recipe but added a couple of potatoes and white wine (I was short a half cup of veggie stock). It’s spucy because of the curry powder I use but it’s just blah. Any suggestions to give it more depth?
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it. I do think it’s better the next day. It could be the add-ins didn’t help the overall depth. It’s hard to say as I haven’t tried it with those add-ins.
I did find it better the next day, once all the flavours sat together. But I’ve got a good base to start with and tweak it with a few things the next time I make it.
This was amazing I loved it. Super easy to make . Thanks for sharing, all the way from my kitchen in Dubai
Hello! I’m so glad you loved it, Sam.
It is for real the best lentil soup I have ever made! Thank you so much for this incredible recipe, I’ll put it in my favorite!
Love that it is now a favorite! Thank you for your review, Veronique.
Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review, Rima.
This soup is fantastic! I heated it up at work and someone asked for the recipe based on the lingering aroma alone! Now lots of people are making it.
Love to hear that, Susan!
I must have made this soup 20+ times by now! It’s perfect for when I’m out of ideas / ingredients. And is delicious every time! I don’t eat onion so I leave that out but follow the rest of the recipe as written.
That’s a lot of soup! I love it. Thanks, Aimee.
Hi cookie andKste
On my list of favorites for sure.
Make it once every couple of weeks and everyone raves an out it.
Cheers from Montreal, cansda
I’m glad this is a regular for you, Lelly!
This really is the best lentil soup! I don’t really even like lentils that much, but this is really good.
Thanks, Jessica!
Can’t wait to cook this up this weekend. All the way from Australia!!!!!!
Sounds easy and delicious
This is my second recipe I tried on your site (Red thai curry) and they both were great! I am trying some healthier dishes for my family but they have to taste great and yours do. Looking forward to trying more.Thank you
I’ve made a lot of vegan soup and this is definitely one of my favorites. I used avocado oil instead of olive which was delicious and all I had. Also, I did not blend any of the soup and love the look of all the whole ingredients- yum! This recipe will be a staple for my family. Thank you so much!
Made this tonight – turned out well though I had to make some substitutions due to pantry supplies.- I like the spice blend you have for this soup. I had only one carrot (it does need two as you say!) and had to use chicken broth because didn’t have vegetable broth on hand. I diced fresh tomatoes in place of having canned tomatoes (drained though as you said to). The blending a portion of the soup is a great tip. Served it with warm naan – super yum! Thanks!
Hello! I have never been a fan of lentil soup. I found your recipe because a friend of mine loves it. I made it for her and she insisted that I try it. It was delicious! So much so that I made a batch for myself. Thank you for this excellent recipe. It is perfect just as you published it.
I’m so glad your friend insisted and that you loved it! Thanks for sharing, Stacey.
I made this for my vegan friends, who displayed vehement approval. I personally liked it so much I made it again the very next day. Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful to hear, Annegret!
I am making this recipe right now, and im wondering if beef broth would be okay to use instead of vegetable broth because i dont have any?
I am a vegetarian, so haven’t tried it. But it should work, but the taste will be different.
Delicious.
Thank you, Pat!
Both spicy and hot – great depth of flavor – seasonings are excellent – this is recipe i will use for lentil soup from mow on – thank you !
You’re welcome, Willa!
My bestfriend introduced me to your recipe years ago! I wish I haven’t waited so long to make it. I just finished a bowl. It’s sooo good! I’m now sharing your ingredients with others! Thank you
I’m glad you finally tried to make it, Kierra! Thanks for your review.
My family loved it!! Great weeknight dinner, and leftovers for lunch!
It does make great leftovers!
Honestly, BEST lentil soup I’ve ever had! I will definitely make this again and again. Only change I made was using spinach as I didn’t have kale on hand, but, I’m sure they both interchange well.
I’m so glad you love it, Gail!
This is the BEST Lentil Soup. Thanks.!
You’re welcome, Vivian!
Absolutely delicious! You’re right, the lemon at the end makes it spectacular!
Great to hear, Raquel.
I made this tonight and it made a giant pot of soup that filled the house with delicious smells. I figured I would have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch and maybe Monday’s lunchbox. But my family LOVED this soup and they devoured it. Thank you so much!! –Anne
You’re welcome, Anne! Thanks for your review.
Thankyou so much for sharing this recipe! It has become a staple dish for me. However this time i forgot to rinse my lentils before cooking with them OOPS! I decided to go ahead does this matter if forgotten to much? Many thanks
You should be ok, Abby! It’s just a good habit and make sure everything is great before you start cooking. Thanks for sharing!
I love lentils and I can eat them every day. I love your recipe and sure will try it out… kisses Katie…
Let me know what you think!
Absolutely delicious! I omitted the salt and used salt free broth due to diet restrictions and still incredibly flavourful!
Great to hear, Elsa!
Fantastic!! Followed recipe exactly (as I do with all of your recipes) and I can’t get enough. My hubby is also a fan of everything I make of yours. Thank you for your time, your testing and your sharing!
Thanks for letting me know you loved it, Katie!