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 have never made lentil soup before. This is so easy and so delicious. I forgot to get curry powder so I subbed ground coriander, allspice, and black pepper. I used fresh spinach for the greens. I have to agree that the lemon makes it bright and fresh. Will definitely make this again and a bigger batch! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kassie! I appreciate your review.
Just wanted to pop in and say that this is a great recipe!! I sometimes have issues with soups not being super flavorable or calling for enough seasoning, but this was delicious with the ingredient list called for! My boyfriend suggested adding some potatoes next time, so I’ll probably try that, but he also thought it was great! I also skipped the blending part (out of pure laziness) and it still turned out amazing. Thanks for creating this!
There are some great recipes here, but this one was not my favorite. I prefer broth-y soups, but for me the two extra cups of water were too much and unnecessary. For me the the thyme did not mesh well with the coriander, cumin, and curry powder combo. Next time I’ll simply omit it and increase the coriander, cumin, and curry powder. I also added two dried bay leaves.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one. I appreciate your feedback, Joel.
This lentil soup is the best ever ! Thank you… will make it a go-to
Restaurant quality. I have been making this frequently. Every time I serve it friends like it so much they make it themselves, then get asked for the recipe. Lentils are super healthy and inexpensive. I am vegan and Cookie and Kate, although not strictly vegan, is one of my go to’s for tasty food. Plus, I am also a big dog lover. What’s not to love about dogs.
This soup was awesome. I have made it twice and everyone wants the recipe
That’d great to hear, Judy! Thank you for sharing.
I love this soup! I doubled most of the ingredients and I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced. I omitted the greens and the blending of a portion of the soup and I added celery. Very delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Gary!
Love this recipe. Its really good if you cut a baguette into slivers and toast with garlic and Parmesan and place on top of bowled soup with a sprinkle of parsley or cilantro. Makes it more fancy for guests.
I have always wanted to make lentil soup. Glad I tried this recipe first. This is definitely a repeat recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Best soup I’ve ever made. Easy to substitute things too. I use shredded carrots & chop them up to get about a cup. Also substitute Turmeric for cumin because it is good for inflammatory problems. I also use spinach if I don’t have collard greens. I usually stick really
Close to a recipe but I’ve made this so many times I know what i can substitute so I don’t have to run to store. I would give this recipe 10 stars if I could.
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Charlotte! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate,
I second the title of this blog. This is best lentil soup ever. The flavours are just beautiful and it is filling as well. Thanks so much,
Wanted something healthy and light after several days of holiday eating, needed something that didn’t require a trip to the grocery store – found this recipe and made it exactly as written (except for the frozen chopped spinach for collard greens substitution). I was BLOWN AWAY by this soup.
Rich, warm, filling, healthy- my kids and husband all happily finished their bowls. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Carrie!
While spending the past week in NYC, I found it difficult to find quick and convenient healthy (gluten free, dairy free) dining options. Fortunately, I stumbled onto the lentil soup at the Carnegie Diner and went back a couple more times.
Today is soup weather where I live and I woke up this morning wanting lentil soup. I’m so glad that I found this recipe. It really hit the spot, and I know I’ll be making it again!
As the other comments/reviews have illustrated, this recipe is really resilient to substitutions! Here’s what I did:
– used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth
– omitted red pepper flakes
– added paprika
– tore up a bit of deli turkey (didn’t impact flavor much at all) to add some more protein at serving time
– didn’t realize we needed a *large* can of diced tomatoes, so added one medium can (14.7 oz) of fire roasted tomatoes and one fresh tomato
I’m sure I had other alterations as well! It still turned out delicious. I personally prefer a creamier soup, so I blended it a fair amount with my new immersion blender (Thanks, Santa!). For those of you who don’t like kale taste, I wouldn’t worry about it in this recipe — I used it and didn’t even notice it.
Do the lentils need to be prepared beforehand (i.e. soaked and boiled)? New to cooking with lentils lol. Thanks!
Hi! No need to pre cook them. Rinse and pick debris and follow the instructions as listed. I hope you love it!
I made this for my husband who does not like anything too nutritious! I made it to the recipe except for substituting frozen chopped spinach for the Kale, and I added some smoked paprika and some elbow macaroni so my husband might eat it. He loved it!! Shocking! I didn’t add lemon because I forgot too. He said he would eat this once a week if I wanted! Thank you so much. I’m still in shock. I personally loved it.
My husband and I made this recipe (minus the garlic – I hate it) last night
It’s the best soup I’ve tasted since I purchased an organic $6 can. (didn’t think I’d ever say that)
I think this recipe would work amazing with black beans too.
It’s so fresh tasting, the flavours are awesome together and it’s pretty much everything I had on hand.
Thanks, I love it.
Happy New Year
Very hearty, tasty soup. I semi-pureed it which brought out the flavors more. I think that dolop of sour cream would have finished it off perfectly. When I use the leftovers, i’ll add the sour cream and some sliced avocado.
Kate,Thank you for sharing this with us. She actually enjoyed it as did I. She said it warmed her heart .Thank you.Dr. Dan
I made this on a cold rainy Southern California night and it was perfect with the homemade bread my hub made. I did add a little 1/2 and 1/2 and a bit of Trader Joe’s Quattro Formaggi cheese. Thanks for never disappointing my vegetarian family with delicious recipes.❤️
I’m famous in my circle of chefs for my soups, among a few other courses, so THANK YOU! for such a great recipe. Easy, as fast as possible, and super dee-licious! I was very careful with the curry–it can easily overpower–but added a tad more cumin because it’s such a sneaky-good spice (but can also overpower), and used fresh baby spinach because I didn’t have any kale or greens, and it was raining (hey, the spinach worked!), and doubled the fresh squeezed lemon, and then tried a little fresh, minced basil on the soup bowl serving, which also worked well. I added a dollop of plain yogurt to the second helping: awesome! The test of how good this recipe is was when Clea, our 99.9% wolf dog got us to put a dipper of your soup in her bowl, and she licked it clean. Now, that’s some damn good soup!
I cooked it without tomatoes added honey squash and lots of fresh parsley, delish!
What is the caloric/carb count please?
Hi! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. I hope you love it!
This soup is AMAZING. I have made it a handful of times and it is loved by everyone in the family. Even my kids (9&4) love this soup and they can be picky at times. Quick question, does this soup freeze well? I want to make it for a friend that is need of some freezer meals for the next little while
Hi Linda! I believe this recipe freezes well. I’m happy it’s a hit with your family!
This soup was so delish! I love the the potato in it, adds a nice texture and meatiness. I didn’t have curry or leafy greens but it turned out wonderful non the less.
This was the best soup I ever tasted! Thank you for sharing it. I will be making it again soon. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes in 2022.
This recipe is perfect!! So easy and healthy and my whole family loves it! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Amber!
Happy New year 2022
Will the soup hold up in the freezer?
HI Currer! I believe this one freezes well.
Perfect but just be careful with lemon juice at the end I prefer to squeeze my lemon in my bowl. Thank you it was delicious!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Dan!
Really good. Only change I made was to use frozen spinach instead of kale/collard greens, as it’s what I had on hand. Thank you for this great recipe1
Made this soup a minute ago and 5 times in the past 2 weeks. We love it. Just left out the kale because one family member can’t have that. But it was delish. Added fresh cut up mushrooms tho.
I love to hear that, Candy! Thank you for taking the time to review.
This soup is well-named! I have made a LOT of lentil soup in my life and this has become my #1. I love the combination of herbs and spices and especially the way the lemon brightens it up. I make a pot and freeze it in individual portions to bring to work every day. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the world :)
I often make this soup on Sundays and eat it all week for lunch. Thanks for the filling and delicious meal to help me power through the day!
You’re welcome, Casey! I’m happy to hear you enjoy it.
Oh wow what a super delish soup !
Thank you !
So much flavor packed into such an easy recipe! I made this recipe EXACTLY as written the first time and I gave it 5 stars. I have since made this recipe about a dozen times in the last 12 months, with my variations which are: adding 2 TBSP of sugar to enhance the tomato flavor, omitting the curry powder completely and reducing the cumin to one tsp. I am not a big fan of Indian curry (though Thai curry is my fave!) and I think that cumin is so much better when there’s just a “hint” of it. Incidentally, I’m half Mexican and cumin is not a spice that is heavily used in our culture, though Taco Bell thinks it is! So, I’m not a fan of heavy cumin flavor. It’s surprising, though, how just a “hint” of cumin REALLY works well in this Mediterranean recipe. It’s an absolutely DELICOUS lentil soup like no other!!!!! I give my variation recipe five stars too. Thank you so much for providing us with such a wonderful recipe, I am truly grateful.
Your lentil soup is VERY interesting! Full of flavor. I feel like I’m eating healthy with this soup. Hoping my husband likes it as much as I do.
Wow! Love this soup!So simple.Just made a pot and snuck some spoonfuls – deeeelish! Thank you. Will freeze single portions & add them to my soup selection in my freezer. Great way for me to “behave” myself when trying to eat healthier. So far since July 1, 2021 down 32 lbs. A long way to go but great healthy recipes like this are such a help.Thank you!
Hello! I’m here to make your day! Your website is my go to place for healthy, delicious meals! My husband has to eat gluten free, I like to eat healthy, my son’s girlfriend is vegan, so in my early searches your site came up and I tried a few of your recipes. Since the first few, I have been hooked! Whenever I feel like I want to try something new, or return to one of my favorites from you, I come to visit you! I have NEVER been disappointed. On the contrary, I continue to be impressed! I tell people about you all the time! I get lots of compliments and I always tell people, “It’s Cookie and Kate!” Some people have teased me and said, “Oh, you know there really isn’t a girl and her dog, don’t you?” I just shake my head. I’m your number one fan! My favorite recipe (so far), are the black bean enchiladas. Your homemade sauce is so amazing! This lentil soup is wonderful! I totally agree…the olive oil does give it such a rich, wonderful flavor. I have learned so much from you also, regarding the timing of adding various components, etc. Best of luck to you in your future and I look forward to trying new recipes from you.
Thank you, Lynne! I’m glad you all love my recipes. I appreciate you sharing.
This was the yummiest lentil soup I have had. The flavors! I couldn’t get kale, so put in baby spinach. I also added a sweet potato for a little more heft for my hubby.
Amazing recipe! Definitely keeping this recipe!
Can you use frozen spinach or kale? Would you toss it in frozen or defrost it first?
Hi, You can try it. Be sure to thaw and squeeze out any excess water. Let me know how it goes for you!
This is truly the best lentil soup! I have made this multiple times, I don’t make any changes to the recipe, and I am happy that it freezes well. I always double the batch, and freeze in portions. I like seeing the containers in the freezer and am really glad to pull some soup out on a night when I don’t want to cook or when there is a craving for soup, knowing that the tastebuds and bellies in my household will be satisfied. Thanks, Kate!
I just made this soup tonight for the first time and honestly…..it was DELICIOUS. I cannot wait to make it again!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Ashley!
Absolutely yummy. I switched out a Tb of lemon juice for a Tb of Acid League’s, Meyer Lemon Honey Living Vinegar. Delish!
I’ve made your soup many times exactly as written. It’s perfect. I’m snowed in and have all ingredients except vegetable broth. Should I substitute chicken stock or more water?
Hi! I know others have used chicken broth and didn’t mind the results or water. I hope it turned out!
Really good! I am not a cumin lover, so I halved that amount. Nice and warm
and filling on a cold day.
Good fiber too!
I have enjoyed this recipe countless times! It has become one of my ‘comfort’ meals that I look forward to. Simple, yet incredibly delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Can canned lentils be used for the above recipe?
Hi Julie, I haven’t tried it. You can try it, but I would reduce the liquid since the lentils don’t need to be cooked.
Thank you!
Made the soup and enjoyed it!
I try many of your recipes!
Great job!
Love this soup! Just finished cooking and it is yum! Now I will try the black bean soup….have not yet found a recipe I love….hoping this is it!
Thank you!!!!!!
Delicious recipe! I added about a teaspoon of minced ginger root as well! Thanks!