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.
At last a soup recipe for keeps! Easy to follow instructions and ingredients you probably have on hand in the pantry. I did not have cumin so added a little paprika. And I agree with the amount of olive oil. This soup is substantial and wholesome.
This is absolutely the best!! I’ve made it frequently for years! I love to add sweet potato or butternut squash. If I don’t have the large can of tomatoes, I use a small can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato sauce or a bit of tomato paste. I skip blending due to laziness and it’s still delightful. Even my fiancé who doesn’t typically enjoy vegetables and curry loved it! Must try! All of Kate’s recipes are delicious, so thankful for them!
Made the Lentil Soup for a friend who is vegan and she loved it and so did everyone there. Very tasty I will make again and so is my friend. Thanks. Jill
Absolutely love this recipe. Have made this at least a dozen times. Sometimes I add a pinch of cayenne pepper, fresh chopped parsley, chopped celery with leaves, tomato paste, and a couple of bay leaves. I either add fresh spinach or kale. Thank you so much. We eat this soup all year. It’s also delicious to serve the soup over brown rice.
Wonderful, Eleni! Thank you for your review.
AMAZING! I added more various spices and vegetables, but the original is still very good. There is so much flavor and I like how cheap it is to make. This is the recipe to use if you want to try lentils!
Wow! This soup is AMAZING!!! I added zucchini and skipped the blending for a chunkier soup. Couldn’t be more pleased, will definitely bookmark and make this again.
Wonderful to hear, Katy! Thank you for your review.
This was GOOD. A keeper. Had collards in my garden, too!
Love that lentils cook quickly, yet still prouder the benefits of beans…. As I’m trying to do the Bean Protocol by Karen Hurd, PHD.
The insoluble fiber is so needed by us all in order for our body to not recirculate toxins!
I didn’t realize I was almost out of cumin and I only had red lentils in the pantry but otherwise made the recipe as written (used less water). The results were wonderful and I am looking forward to making the recipe with the proper ingedients. Thanks for the recipe.
Next time I will put some ground beef in it. It’s good!
Oh my word this soup was so satisfying! Easy to come together and do quickly! It definitely needs that little bit of lemon at the end! Will definitely be making again!
Great to hear, Kari!
This soup is marvelous! An easy family pleaser for sure. Thanks Kate for another wonderful recipe :D
That’s great to hear, Angela! Thank you for your review.
The best lentil soup recipe yet! Loved it!
I added some celery, ginger and cardoman. Spooned the soup over fresh spinach, which welts just perfectly when served. The lemon juice was a perfect touch. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Annette! I’m glad you love it.
I LOVE this recipe! It really is absolutely wonderful, that’s all I can say. Making it again tonight! Easy to make and flavorful. Has a permanent spot in the ‘rotation’!❤
Great to hear, Em!
Can I substitute another veggie for the kale?
Thank you.
Sure, if you prefer.
This reminded me of a beef stew I would eat years ago before dropping meat from my diet.
As good as any lentil soup I’ve ever had and better than most.
Love this recipe! I often add 1/2-1cup more lentils, skip the thyme, and use less tomatoes. I also like it chunky so often don’t blend. Sometimes I add greens sometimes not. A very forgiving recipe! Thank you ❤️
You’re welcome, Starfly! Thank you for your review.
Lovely soup. As most people here, I made some small changes. I added parsnip and brussel sprouts for extra fibre and vegetable and mixed some balsamic vinegar through. Delicious.
Why lightly drain the tomatoes? Put all that goodness in there! A couple extra tablespoons of the tomato liquid does not ruin the recipe one bit and simply adds more flavour. Pour the whole can in and enjoy!!
This soup, or like a lentil chili, really. Is absolutely delicious. Easy to make and super healthy and nutritious. 5 stars
Yummy! Tastes just as I would expect a lentil dish to taste. It’s a little spicy, so it’s good with sour cream. I used twice as much lentils and more of all the vegetables than it calls for, and pureed more than 2 cups of it in my food processer- more like 8 cups, maybe about half. My husband likes it even though he doesn’t like kale. He ate it with chips. I’m making it for the second time, only with more carrots and kale!
I love this recipe. I have a very big, hungry family. Some of them are vegan and some aren’t, so it’s hard to find meals on that I don’t have to split in two and adjust accordingly. This is something that we always have the ingredients for. It’s very affordable, and EVERYONE enjoyed it.
When I reheat this, I add a little more lemon juice to freshen it up / thin it out.
Soooo good thank you for the amazing recipe.
That’s great to hear, Mia! Thank you for your review.
I made this soup for 25 people and froze it for a camping trip. It was a big hit! Making it for myself again a week later.
Wonderful to hear, Bri! Thank you for you sharing.
Okay, I now understand why all the 5 star ratings exist! I just made this for the first time and already ate 2 small bowls. I added some celery, a yellow zucchini from my garden, a little chopped red bell pepper and a small anaheim chili from the garden too. The nuance of flavor was incredible. Recipes like this make it easy to add tons of healthy vegetables to my day without any guilt (read tons of unhealthy dip or too much butter). I’ll definitely be making this again and again!
I’m so glad you tried it, Meg! Thank you for your review.
Has anyone tried to making this in the instant pot? Any tips?
I’d like to know also.
Cuz I made a different lentil soup recipe in the instant pot n it was gooey but it was still so so good. I thought I ruined it.
In the instant pot… I used a lot of chilli powder n thyme n salt n pepper n 1 heaping TB organic chicken liquid bouillon with 14C water 2 C lentils n 2 C rice n 1 C Tomato Sauce.
We added Celtic salt to the dish after it was done n tasted almost like bean n bacon soup.
We made it again cuz it was so good.
Yes, I always make it in my IP. 15 mins on Pressure. Comes out perfect, and after another 15 mins or so, I add spinach/greens.
This recipe is absolutely incredible. Top 3 soups of my life.I adder celery, doubled the garlic (duh lol), replaced the curry powder with coriander because that’s what I had, eliminated the canned tomatos and subbed them with tomato paste and chopped sundried tomatos, then added kale and fresh chopped parsley. I will make this soup forever. Wow!
Hi, can this be made with red lentils?
Hi Marta, I recommend it as written. But I know others have and didn’t mind the results. You will need less cooking time and liquid. I would recommend referencing my How to Cook Lentils as a guide.
I make this recipe about every 2 weeks. I add chopped potatoes. I don’t add any kale or collard greens. I keep soup as is and not blend. Wonderful taste! This is perfect because we have been trying to eat less meat. The left overs taste great also!
I love to hear that, KC! Thank you for sharing.
Thus soup is absolutely delicious. Thank you;
This IS the best lentil soup EVER! Followed your recipe but cooked in a crockpot for four hours! Delicious!
How can I sweeten this soup a bit? Love it, otherwise.
Michaele, add another carrot or two, the soup gets its sweetness mainly from the carrots. Chop the carrots a little more finely as well, they will release their sugars into the soup.
You can also use extra onion and sautee them longer to caramelize. And/or add some cook time between adding the tomatoes and adding the lentils. The longer you cook tomatoes the sweeter they get, same as onions.
How many calories per serving?
Hi Him, The nutritional information is below the notes of the recipe.
Love this recipe. I recently made it for a group of 10 (had to scale it up). It was well received.
Some modifications I’ve tried and liked:
– stir in 1 tbsp of tomato paste with the tomatos
– sautee the carrots for a couple of minutes before adding the onions and garlic
– a lot more thyme, like, 4 or more times as much as what the recipe asks for
– safflower oil instead of olive oil
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Jay. I appreciate your review.
This really is the best lentil soup! I made it today & the only substitution that I made was to use smoked paprika in place of the curry powder, which I did not have. I had everything else on hand, so it was really easy to make & the flavors are amazing! Thanks for another fantastic recipe. (I make your vegetarian chili about 8 times a year; it’s my absolute favorite veggie chili recipe!)
First time making lentil soup, used baby spinach, had no kale/collard greens.
Very simple and flavorful.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Rhonda! I appreciate your review.
First time making lentil soup, used baby spinach, had no kale/collard greens.
Very simple and flavorful, will definitely make it again.
This soup is delicious. Super easy to make, healthy, cheap and perfect for winter. I will definitely make again and have recommended to friends and family. Brilliant flavoursome recipe. Can really add any vegetables to It that you please.
Delish! I added a piece of bacon for more flavor (I know it’s not veggie but works for me!) the lemon brightens it up!
I tried lentil soup once at a restaurant and really enjoyed it. Came across this recipe because it had the best reviews and boy they weren’t wrong. This recipe confirmed my love for this soup. I’m not vegan and prefer meats in most of my soups so I just added a shredded baked chicken breast and used half vegetable broth and have chicken broth and this soup was amazing.
Can I substitute chard for kale.
Hi Denise, that should work just fine. Let me know what you think!
This recipe is simply divine! I’ve tried so many recipes over the years trying to replicate the Curried Rice and Lentil soup from Au Bon Pain and this is the closest! (Minus the rice of course) It’s a pleasure to make too – so aromatic. I always have the ingredients to on hand. Now if only I could get my kids to eat it too! Oh well – more for me ;) I’ve made it dozens of times and have shared the recipe with all my friends and family. Huge fan here!
I can eat this daily…WOW!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Laura! Thank you for your review.
Oh my goodness!!! This is so good ! I had to stop myself before I eat the whole pot ! Thank you this really is the best!
You’re welcome, Sherry! Thank you for your review.
Damn, this is good soup! The first time I made it, it was really tasty the first day and then the following days it was overpoweringly tomato-ey and I’d wondered where all the rich flavour had gone. This time I made a couple of changes, I doubled the garlic (duh, because I’m not a monster!), drained the diced tomatoes A LOT, and doubled the curry powder. Just a couple of small tweaks and it totally amped this soup up. It’s rich, has depth, hearty, and the lemon gives it a spritely freshness. Love!
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Ash! I’m glad you are excited about this soup.
My 2nd time in 2 weeks making and eating this delicious soup! My dad loves it, too. It’s hearty! I am working my way toward a plant based and low fat lifestyle!
Holy cow! This soup is delicious and so quick to make. Made mine with chicken broth vice veggie broth as that’s what I had. I was also heavy handed with the red curry and red pepper flakes so used some Greek yogurt to cook it down and made it even more creamy. Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ll be making more this fall!
You’re welcome, Kim! I appreciate your review.
Easy recipe and delicious!
Great to hear, Sheila!
As a chef in a restaurant, i made this today, love the color. Taste very nice. Next time I might add some smoked paprika.
Excellent. I didn’t have vegetable stock, so substituted a homemade chicken both broth (so no longer vegetarian). Added an extra carrot (mine were sweet and flavorful) and more onions and garlic than was called for. I rubbed the kale with the lemon and some additional olive oil to tenderize it a bit before adding it to the pot. My lentils must have been a bit older, as the soup took more time to cook. Forgot to blend. It was really delicious and enjoyed by all (even the kale haters). Thanks once again for a wonderful recipe.
The Lentil Soup recipe is the best! It is the first vegan recipe I have tried and everyone in the family loved it! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Karen! I appreciate you taking the time to review.
Huge ThankYou :)
An amazing recipe:)
I’m glad you loved it, Maria! I appreciate your review.
This is a fantastic recipe! I’ve been a stay at home dad for about 6 months and realized I don’t try new recipes enough. After searching, I stumbled upon this recipe and glad I did! It’s renewed my excitement for cooking now foods I’ve never cooked before! Wife, 2 and 5 year old loved it! Will be trying the Margarita pizza next!
Thank you for your review, Kevin! I’m glad it was a hit with the entire family.