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 love this recipe as originally written but also that it stands up if you have to substitute some ingredients. I didn’t have carrots or stock on hand, so I substituted celery and an orange pepper, and then just used water and increased the spices a little. Thanks for this recipe!
This soup is awesome!It is so flavorful and filling. I eat it for breakfast three days a week so I make it monthly and freeze it. I use chicken broth rather than vegetable, I think it adds more flavor. I also do not put any greens and I don’t puree any of it. I prefer the lentils whole. I am wondering g what the serving size should be in order to figure out the nutritional values?
I didn’t have any lemon juice, so I used just a little bit of apple cider vinegar and threw in some hot sauce. It was delicious!
Just made this for dinner and it is absolutely delicious. On my second bowl. Great flavors, comes together quickly, the little squeeze of lemon really makes it.
Do you think anyone ever really found a pebble in their lentils? I mean I guess someone did or they wouldn’t have the warning in the package. LOL
Thanks for the great soup, I’ll be making this all Fall/Winter.
That’s great, Michael! Thank you for your review.
I have found small pebbles in my uncooked lentils! Found 6 rocks in 1 pound of lentils this morning.
Friend of mine brought lentil soup in for lunch and I got a small stone ( size of 4 lentils). So from now on we all check our lentils. Just lucky not to crack a tooth!
Dee
I have found pebbles in my beans! But only twice that I can remember, and I’ve been using dried beans at least once per week for 20 years. Haha. I still check just in case.
Delicious, this was a hit.
That’s great to hear, Sharon! I appreciate your review.
ABSOLUTELY DEELISH !! I forgot the kale but will make it again with the kale. My family loved it!
This was absolutely delicious. Added swiss chard instead of other greens because that what was in the garden. Added cilantro at the end with the lemon juice. Family loved it and made me promise to write down the recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Delicious! Husband loved it. I used 1.5 cups of lentils and added the 2tsp smoky paprika as recommended.
I’m glad it was a hit!
The substitutions and changes I had to make: didn’t drain the tomatoes and added less water to compensate. Only had 1 carrot so added a parsnip. Only had 1 tsp cumin left so used shawarma seasoning too. Used an inversion blender directly in the pot for several pulses. Used baby kale.
This nutritious soup will feed me and my frail mother-in-law.
This was delicious! My two year old grandson loved it as well and he is a somewhat picky eater. I did substitute cumin with 1t of smoked paprika and 1tsp of turmeric. I also used frozen spinach and thawed and drained liquid before putting it in the pot. And I used red lentils in place of green.
Even with all of these substitutions, it was incredible.
Thank you.
You’re welcome Carrie! I’m glad it was such a hit.
This is my absolute favorite vegetarian website. I am eating the lentil soup right now which I have made many times. Please keep them coming!
That’s great to hear! I’m glad C+K is a trusted go-to for your recipes. Thank you for your review, Elizabeth!
I don’t normally review recipes, but this really, really is the Best Lentil Soup ever! Delicious.
I’m glad you loved it, Lucinda! I appreciate your review.
Love this soup, I did add celery to it and will say it added a little crunch as well as flavor. It is the best lentil soup!
Very tasty! I reduced the cumin by half and added a stalk of celery that I had laying around. Will definitely be making this again.
I swapped out the kale for mustard greens and added the mustard green stalks in with the carrot and onion as a celery substitute. It’s a perfect recipe for Meatless Mondays!
Can I use red lentils?
Sure, but they don’t tend to retain shape as well. You will likely need less liquid and cooking time for them. More on How to Cook Lentils.
Made this for dinner and to have on the road as I travel to a memorial this weekend. It’s savory and fills the void. It’s so good. I didn’t blend it as I like it just how it turned out. Delishness. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Heather!
I have been making this recipe for years and finally had to comment on it and let you know how much I love it!! I love the flavors compliment the kale as I’m not a huge fan of kale sometimes. And a plus that it’s sooo easy to make.
That’s great, Kristen! I appreciate your comment.
Your recipes never disappoint Kate. I added some celery cause I love it so much and I can’t imagine a soup without a classic mire poix also I had a yellow bell pepper that needed to get used. But that’s one of my favorite things about your recipes, you can always up the veggies!!
Thanks again.
I’m glad you love my recipes, Joanna! I appreciate your review.
You weren’t kidding, this is the best lentil soup ever. I don’t usually follow recipes exactly, but this time I did, except for the greens. I had in my fridge a Bok Choy which I substituted and I think it complimented your marvelous soup Thanks!
I’m glad you loved it, Louis!
Best Lentil soup Ive ever had. I eat vegan food on weekdays and this is one of my to go soup meal. thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome, Veronica! I appreciate your review.
This is a fantastic recipe! So delicious – but today I made it and accidentally added split peas! I hope I’ve not completely screwed it up.
I made the lentil soup tonight, and it was great. I was a tad skeptical because it’s so aromatic with the various spices, but they all come together so nicely, and it’s not overpowering at all. Delicious!
Thank you for your review, Todd!
It was fabulous ! Very easy good recipe to follow
Thank you for your review, Caroline!
Excellent soup! I did the recipe exactly less the greens, I used spinach. Very tasty and I will be making it again. Thanks for posting!
Best lentil soup recipe I’ve tried so far. I used chicken broth and didn’t bother blending any of it. Otherwise, I followed it to the letter, with excellent results. I had honestly given up on cooking with lentils until now.
This TRULY is the best lentil soup! I’ve made it countless times—summer-winter, it is a delicious meal for any season. I generally don’t bother leaving comments, but this has been such a “go-to” for me these years I felt it only right. I’ve made it for my partner, friends, family-in-law—even to the picky eaters delight! Thank you, thank you!
You’re welcome, Gretchen!
Delicious. I didn’t have kale or collards in my pantry–but I had spinach. Thought it would cook into nothing, so I just stirred it in with the lemon juice. Worked great!
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Jane.
This is now a staple in our house, requested on a weekly basis. So healthy and delicious. I’ve used red lentils as well and you don’t need to blend the soup as the red lentils are so fine and turn out creamy.
I love that you have it on a weekly basis! Thank you for sharing, Kate.
This has become a cold weather staple at our house. The only changes I made was adding rotel spicy tomatoes (didn’t have any regular) and I added a LOT more kale. I like the kick of the spicy tomatoes and continue to quadruple the amount of kale. Love it!
Thank you for sharing, Summer!
I made this soup and really loved it, although I substituted baby spinach for the kale (can’t say that I’ll ever be a kale fan). It was very hearty and flavorful, and flavors became more robust on the second and third day. I do wonder though about the nutrition information. It says this makes 4 servings, but I had a huge pot and have had way more than 4 servings. Calories seem very high for a vegetarian soup with truly only vegetables in it. Overall, tasty and nutritious, and quickly put together.
Yes, this soup is great leftover!
This soup is absolutely delicious! I will make it again and again. I added a sweet potato to add some more vitamins YUM!
Hi there, I wanted to say I really found this to be the best soup I’ve ever eaten. I ended up making it a couple of different times. I have added spicy Italian sausage and bacon strips and found that it added to the soup quite well. Thanks for the recipe.
My favorite soup! Passed along the recipe to friends and family.
I’m glad you loved it!
Thought we has cumin. Turned out we didn’t. I still found it delicious! My 7yo ate 3 bowlfulls and I can’t tell you how happy that makes my mom heart :). I subbed home grown spinach for the kale. Will make again with cumin but I might do less to start as my daughter isn’t very familiar yet with that spice. Thank you!
Made this soup for the first time today. Fantastic recipe. Really tasty and satisfying. Added a little extra chilli flakes as like a good kick. Will definitely make again
That’s great to hear, Julia! Thank you for sharing.
I made this last night and it was delicious. My kids loved it too and they are usually very picky. I made a few changes. I added extra garlic and curry and used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. It turned out amazing. I served it with salad, some homemade hummus and naan bread. I’ll definitely make this again!
This is the BEST lentil soup I have ever tried! My entire family loved it and I have a very picky eater! I used spinach because that’s all I had on hand but it still worked great. Next time, I will try it with kale. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I will be making this soup on a weekly basis.
Thank you, Deanna! I’m glad you hear you love it.
This IS hands-down the BEST lentil soup. I used Central Market pre-prepped Barley and Lentils and added fresh french green beans in addition to the kale (I use lacinato kale) and then sprinkle parmesan cheese before eating. Yummy :)
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Kate, I purchased the bean and lentil raw soup mix from Sprouts. Would this work for this soup if I left them soaking over night?
I’m not sure Demi as I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
One of the best lentil soups ever! Thanks
Can you substitute in Red lentils?
I have two bags in my Pantry that my bf bought, but I’ve never cooked with lentils before & thought soup would be a good place to start :)
Hi JC, you can try it. You will need to adjust the cook time and liquid. How to Cook Lentils will be helpful as you try it!
I googled “ best lentil soup” and stumbled across this recipe. I only adjusted it by using chicken stock instead of veggie and seriously- this is delicious.
Thanks!
I just discovered your wonderful website, and am excited to make this lentil soup! May I use red lentils in this recipe instead of brown? I have a lot of them on hand.
Hi Chris, I haven’t tried it. You will need to adjust the cooking time and liquid. How to Cook Lentils is a great guide.
Delicious! Easy to put together and easily adapted to items on hand (honey nut squash, fire roasted tomatoes, a wedge of Parmesan cheese). Loved the addition of red pepper flakes!
I will definitely be making this a lot this winter! Thank you!
Excited to try this recipe out! By chance do you know what size one serving would be?
Hi Sierra, it’s roughly 1.5-2 cups.
Hi Kate,
I have come back to this recipe over and over. I make it for my elderly mom & dad, when a baby arrives, post-hospital stays. It’s perfect and very easy. I know it by heart now. Thank you.
Marianne
I’m happy to hear that, Marinanne! Thank you for sharing.
It really is the best lentil soup! Maybe even better if hadn’t cheated and thrown in a bag of frozen kale at the end, but still great!
Yes, This recipe was delicious. I’m not a big curry fan, but the spices just went into something really good and nothing stood alone. It is also easy with no special ingredients and very adaptable. OK, so I added some smoked sausages(SORRY. NOT SORRY) And while I was at it substituted chix broth for vegetable broth. I also added some chopped sweet potato. Didn’t do the blender step. Might do it next time because I will definitely do this soup again.
I made this last night for the first time and it was delicious. I only had one carrot so I added a couple of small potatoes and a small red bell pepper. This will become a winter staple for me. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Linda!
My vegetarian daughter in law told me this is the BEST lentil soup she’s ever had! It was so flavourful! Will definitely make it again. Thank you