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?
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A touch of spices.
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Cooking the onion, carrot and celery slowly so they sweeten and make a beautiful flavour base.
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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
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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!
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Add everything else other than the lemon;
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Simmer 35 minutes until lentils are soft; and
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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
Lentil Soup
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:
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Sexy Lentil Salad – try it, then you’ll get the name….
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Dal – Indian lentil curry. The highest and best use of lentils, full stop!
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Coconut Lentil Curry – outrageously addictive, and easy (I make this for a curry fix when I don’t have time for dal)
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Mejadra (Middle Eastern Spiced Lentil Rice) – so good you can eat it plain, seriously!
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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.
Marji says
Even better the next day.
Nagi says
Yes definitely Marji! I love leftovers!
Mark says
Use a instant pot and have it ready in 15 minutee
Tanya says
How would you adjust the recipe for instant pot?
Ann says
Cook garlic..for 10 minutes? Anyone who is an experienced or even an inexperienced cook knows not to cook garlic for 10 minutes. Pity the novice who does.
Nagi says
Hi Ann, you’re cooking the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, then adding the celery and carrot and cooking a further 10 minutes. You can trust me on this one 😉 N x
Arnold says
By mistake I added lime leaves instead of the bay leaves. Found out that this lifts the flavor even more. I now add them when the carrot and celery is added. Even more amazing.
Nagi says
YUM! Sounds great Arnold – N xx
Marcia H says
This soup is delicious! I also love that the ingredients are simple and economical, and it’s so easy to make. My 8 year old son loves it so much he asked me to put it in his lunch almost everyday this week. Thank you for this recipe!
D. says
Is this recipe crockpot friendly??
Loreto F says
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it today with a few additions. I added Argentinian chorizo that I sautéed with the carrots, onion and celery. I added 1/2 a cup of whole grain quinoa and 1 tsp of brown sugar. The quinoa really made the broth thick so I had no need to use my inversion blender. The addition of the chorizo gave it a little kick without the need of heat spices. Next time I’ll be adding calabaza squash just because I love the flavor on everything soup related.
Nagi says
Sounds great Loreto!!
Kim says
This lentil soup has got to be the best ever! Love everything about it, and I am pleased to report it works amazing in a slow cooker too- I just go up to step 3 and chuck everything in on low for between 3-5 hours, and add the lemon in when it’s all done. I don’t even usually blitz it at the end cos it’s the perfect consistency already by that point! Thanks Nagi, completely obsessed with your recipes!!
Nagi says
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Kim!!!
Johana says
The best lentil soup, i did not use a lot of zest and did not use lemon, but other than that the best lentil soup iave had and easy to make! I know this was publish in 2017 but oh men so happy i found recipe now!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved it Johana!
Iris Bowman says
Made Lentil soup many times but this recipe is definitely the best. In Germany we always added a splash of vinegar but I like the lemon much better.
Nagi says
Woah what a greta compliment Iris!!
Julie Smalley says
I’m going to use my ham bone broth and try this recipe instead of my usual split pea soup.
Abi says
It was absolutely delicious! As per a comment below I added a tsp of brown sugar and cinnamon. I’ve just had 2 bowls with garlic bread and am contemplating going for a third round. 😋
Nagi says
Perfect Abi!!
Jo says
It’s good but too lemony for me too. I would make again but with less lemon and as suggested in another post, maybe add brown sugar to cut back in tomato acidity.
Matt Little says
Delicious and easy! I live the soup over basmati rice and topped with some mango chutney and a side of naan. Plus, I get to use my new immersion blender that I got for Christmas! Woohoo. Top notch recipe.
Deborah Richter says
Loved this recipe! I added a tsp of cinnamon and tsp of brown sugar to balance the tomatoes. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Nagi says
Sounds divine Deborah!
sal facciponte says
EXCELLENT LENTIL SOUP DELICIOUS
Nagi says
Thanks so much Sal!
Anne Bakerim says
Nagi, thanks! Very tasty soup turned out. Very cool photos!
Nagi says
Awesome Anne – N x
Annette says
I made this soup exactly as your recipe says and it was amazing. Hubby doesn’t like soup but I asked him to give it a try and he also loved it. The only thing I forgot to do was take the bay leaves out before I blitzed it, which meant I was left with a few stalks 😂, it didn’t seem to affect the taste though which was a relief.
Nagi says
You’ve totally converted him Annette!!
Kay says
Delicious and healthy recipe. The last two times I cooked it, I added bell pepper in there just because I like bell pepper so much, but it’s delicious without it. Love your recipes.
Nagi says
Peppers would be amazing! I’m so glad you love it Kay!
Kathryn says
Just made the soup and I love it!! Just wondering what a serving size is equal to? Can’t seem to find it in the recipe .