Don’t settle for bland Lentil Soup! Make it right and you’ll have everyone begging for seconds….and thirds… This lentil recipe is one of the best nourishing, simple dishes you can make with dried lentils that’s 100% delicious. Use green lentils, red lentils, brown lentils or a lentil soup mix.
All it takes is a hint of spice flavourings, bay leaves and finishing it off with a touch of lemon to elevate this soup. It’s an easy recipe that delivers terrific results, a 5 star reader favourite with hundreds of feedback from readers!
Want to add some protein? Try this Beef & Lentil Soup!
Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is quite possibly the least sexy sounding soup on the planet.
At least, in my world. Regular readers know that I’m all about big flavours. Spicy, herby, curries – kapow, kapow, kapow!
But you know what? A well made Lentil Soup recipe is can’t-stop-eating-it good. You’ll go back for seconds and thirds, then you’ll be taking big tubs of it to work for lunch and happily have it for dinner again.
And – I’m going to say it (*head swell*) – plenty of readers have said this is the best lentil soup they’ve ever had!
A well made Lentil Soup recipe is can’t-stop-eating-it good.
Is lentil soup good for you?
If you’re wondering if lentil soup is good for you, the answer is yes! Lentils are nutritious, rich in minerals, protein, low in fat, high in fibre (digestive health). They are a terrific vegetarian source of protein with 25% of the calories in lentils attributable to protein.
Lentils are a carbohydrate, but it’s slow burning which means it keeps you fuller for longer. Studies also suggest that lentils are good for heart health.
The added benefit is that they are low in calories with 116 calories in 1 cup of cooked lentils (which is roughly the amount per serving of this lentil soup).
What does lentil soup taste like?
It tastes savoury and has a flavour boost from a hint of spices. There’s an undertone of natural sweetness from the soffrito flavour base of onion, carrot and celery. My favourite part is the texture! It’s thick and comforting, and just made for dunking in hot crusty bread!
What goes in Lentil Soup
Here’s what goes in my lentil soup. Nothing fancy, just everyday ingredients.
So what makes this Lentil Soup so good?
A touch of spices.
Cooking the onion, carrot and celery slowly so they sweeten and make a beautiful flavour base.
Lemon – The “secret” ingredient. Yes really. Little tip I picked up from Ina Garten. Just a bit of zest and squeeze of fresh lemon makes all the difference which takes it from really good to great!
Do you cook lentils before adding to soup?
Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there’s no need to soak them either!
What type of lentils are best for lentil soup?
Dried lentils are best for lentil soup. You can use most types of lentils for this recipe – brown, green, red or yellow, though it will affect the colour of the soup. I’ve used green lentils, pictured below.
The only type of lentil I do not recommend is Puy Lentils (little black French lentils) because they hold their shape and don’t soften like other lentils.
Can you used canned cooked lentils?
Yes you sure can, and directions are provided in the recipe notes. But it’s better made with dried lentils because of the texture in the soup, there’s only 10 minutes difference in cook time and it’s more economical!
How to make Lentil Soup from scratch
Sauté your onion, garlic, carrots and celery over over low heat for almost 10 minutes. Take your time here – the lower the heat, the longer you take, the more these will transform to create an incredible flavour base for the soup!
Add everything else other than the lemon;
Simmer 35 minutes until lentils are soft; and
Finish with a dusting of zest and spritz of lemon.
A hint of lemon earthiness from the zest and touch of freshness from the juice just jazzes up the soup and takes it to that next level!
You’ll find that the lentils mostly breakdown and naturally thicken the soup. But what I like to do to get a really luscious creamy texture is to give the soup a quick whizz with a blender stick (or transfer a couple of cups to the blender) to puree SOME but not all the lentils.
That way you get the benefit of both worlds – creamy soup with soft bits of lentils. YES!
How to store lentil soup
Lentil Soup will easily keep for 5 days in the fridge, making it ideal for cooking on the weekend and serving throughout the week. And it also freezes 100% perfectly for 3 months – even longer!
Every time I make this, I always wonder why I don’t make it more often. It’s healthy, filling, super economical, freezes perfectly, versatile and it’s seriously good.
Serving this with some sort of warm crusty bread for dunking is not optional. It’s an essential part of the Lentil Soup experience.
But it is optional whether you slather said bread with butter, or grill it with cheese! Here are a few options – including making your own ultra easy homemade bread with NO YEAST:
– Nagi xx
Watch How To Make It
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Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped (white, brown, yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large carrot , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 celery ribs , chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 cups / 400g dried lentils , green or brown, rinsed (Note 1)
- 400g / 14 oz crushed tomato
- 1.5 litres / 1.5 quarts (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock / broth, low sodium
- 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander powder
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 lemon (zest + juice)
- 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, each
To Serve
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Warm bread, to serve
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don’t rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.
- Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 – 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Thicken Soup: Using a stick blender, do 2 or 3 quick whizzes to thicken the soup (see video below). Or transfer 2 cups to a blender, let it cool slightly, then hold lid with tea towel and blend then transfer back into pot.
- Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty bread slathered liberally with butter!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Recipe originally published March 2017, spruced up with new pics, new video and fresh new writing. Absolutely no change to recipe – it’s been a firm reader favourite from day 1, so I wouldn’t dare touch it!
More totally delicious lentil recipes:
Sexy Lentil Salad – try it, then you’ll get the name….
Dal – Indian lentil curry. The highest and best use of lentils, full stop!
Coconut Lentil Curry – outrageously addictive, and easy (I make this for a curry fix when I don’t have time for dal)
Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil Rice) – so good you can eat it plain, seriously!
Browse all Beans and Lentil recipes
Life of Dozer
He contributes less than nothing to this household, he actually contributes negative. Dropping fur everywhere, shaking vigorously so it flies everywhere along with an inordinate amount of sand, constantly sprawling out in my path so I’m forced to step over him (remember, I’m vertically challenged = giant steps).
Giant 💩 all over the backyard. Barks furiously at tree branches swaying in the breeze but I swear, he would happily show a robber where my jewellery box is in exchange for a pat.
Useless!!! (And yet we love them so much, don’t we? 🙂)
PS Another example of his uselessness – he spends 22 hours a day doing this. The other 2 hours are spent a) eating b) hoping to eat c) playing.
Perfect Recipe! im kinda sad my soup isnt as soupy. i probably didnt add enough water but still very good with sourdough bread!
Excellent recipe!
I just tried this recipe for the 1st time, specially today that is cold in our area. It’s easy and delicious. What I love to, it’s easy and quick to made.
Thank you!
I’ve just made this soup. I did tweak it a bit, using only one cup of red lentils and adding half a butternut squash. I used one teaspoon of both cumin and coriander and kept the paprika the same. I forgot the bay leaves and used lime juice as I didn’t have any lemons. It was delicious on a cold winter’s evening. I will definitely make this again and may try adding a little bit of chilli next time.
I loved this recipe!! Delicious! I ground whole cumin and coriander since I didn’t have the powder, which worked great. Only other difference was that I used apple cider vinegar instead of lemon and I threw in a half of dried tabasco pepper. (It could have used a whole). So good, thank you!!
Oh man! All the reasons I can’t wait to have a dog again 🙂 Think I’ll try the recipe too, lol!
So easy, nutritious and delicious. I added sweet potato. Love your recipes Nagi. I was a fan before you even published
I made this soup today exactly as the recipe ingredients stated. Totally delicious. My husband and I are trying to cut red meat from our diet and eat more vegetables legumes etc. this will be my go to soup. Quick and easy. Thank you
This recipe was easy to make and absolutely delicious. I added a bit of Worcestershire, because I always do, but I am sure it wasn’t needed. The soup is everything you want soup to be, warm and comforting. I found it made more than 6 servings, but that just meant some for the freezer for later. It has great body and the spices are subtle but add a nice complexity that the lemon zest and juice brighten up at serving. Perfect!
This was fabulous. The lemon is a game changer, so delicious.cooked the veggies until soft then put it all in my crackpot to eat for dinner. Perfect
This our family’s favorite lentil soup recipe! Absolutely delicious!
This humble lentil soup is one of my favourite Nagi meals 🥰 Its comforting and I feel good after eating it, happily eat in 2-3 days in a row even. And I always look forward to it if its in the freezer. My last one i added real home made chicken stock instead of store bought and it definitely lifted the yummy factor. I also add whatever veggies I have that look like they should have been used up already in the sauteeing stage. This time after carot and celery, I also added some green beans, some red capsicum and some eggplant and it was so good. I do saute longer for the flavour and I cook it much longer as like it quite soft. 😊
Im generally a full time meat eater but wanted to try a few recipes that are a bit healthier, budget friendly and delicious and I think this recipe does all three! Highly recommend 👌 I served it with a dolop of sour cream and some garlic bread and it hit the spot.
Absolutely beautiful! Made this last night because I wanted a comforting hearty meal. So much flavour. The lemon really tops it off. Serve with warm crusty bread, you won’t be sorry
This is the best lentil soup recipe by far. I tried to branch out with a different recipe last time and regretted it. This one is my go-to.
Yum! Yum! Yummer!
Thank You for the recipe.
Just made this soup and am enjoying a cup of it. Absolutely correct in not skipping the lemon – it adds a nice zip. Great recipe Nagi! Your recipes have been a regular go to in this household!
Looks yummy! Are tomatoes necessary for this soup?
Yes, in my opinion. I wouldn’t skip the can of crushed tomatoes (and I recommend organic!). What makes this soup great is the depth of flavor from the veggies and spices.
For my taste, I added a third garlic clove, more lemon zest and juice, a teaspoon of cane sugar, and more fresh ground pepper. Super yummy!
Actually, the recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, but the video shows diced tomatoes. In Canada crushed tomatoes are different. Which is what I used,- but I’m sure it will be just fine😋 can’t wait to try it!
I always skip the tomatoes myself as I have a tomato allergy in the home. To me, it is wonderful without them as well. I also add some potatoes. This is one of my favorite go to meals. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend!
I just made this, and indeed it IS the most delicious lentil soup. Thanks for a great recipe!!
In response to Michelle, (I got an email from your site asking for a response), yes, add the lemon before serving. It will brighten the dish.