Don’t settle for bland Lentil Soup! Make it right and you’ll have everyone begging for seconds….and thirds…
All it takes is a hint of spice flavourings, bay leaves and finishing it off with a touch of lemon. Bonus: This is a really easy lentil soup recipe!
A really great 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 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!
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.
And the “secret” ingredient – lemon. 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!
Which lentils to use 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.
This can even be made using canned lentils. But there is not much difference in the cooking time because even using canned lentils, you need at least 15 – 20 minutes for the soup to simmer so the flavours can come together. Using dried lentils, it takes 35 minutes (no need to soak).
Also I feel that dried lentils make a nicer soup because the starch that’s released while it cooks in the soup broth thickens it slightly.
How to make Lentil Soup
I start off my soup by sautéing onion, garlic, carrots and celery over low heat for almost 10 minutes. Take your time here – the lower the heat, the longer you take, the better the flavour base for the soup!
Then simply add everything else in other than the lemon. Give it a mix, then simmer until the lentils are soft (but not mushy!).
This lentil soup is thickened naturally by whizzing up the soup just a little bit. It’s quick and easy to do using a blender stick, but if you don’t have one, just transfer some into a blender then add it back.
And the perfect finishing touch – a little lemon zest and drizzle of lemon juice. 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!
Do this just before serving into the pot, or in individual bowls.
Every time I make Lentil Soup, 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! – Nagi xx
Soup Dippers
Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread • Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread • Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls
Lentils
- 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
Are lentils good for you?
Yes! Lentils are so, so good for you! 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.
In a nutshell – lentils are good for you and a tasty Lentil Soup is a good way to eat more of them!
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.
- 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
Lentil Soup 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!
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.
Nagi, I truly love alllll of your recipes! You have great taste 🙂 This lentil soup is always a hit. I add a bit more carrots, celery and lemon. I love lemon! Topped with a lil sour cream. 😋
Delicious! I didn’t have cumin or coriander, so I used garam masala which worked well. Definitely being added to my regular rotation!
Wonderful to hear Frankie! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
This soup was awesome. I will be making this once a week. Best of all its vegan.
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this Mia, thanks for letting me know! N x
I have already cooked lentils on my fridge from another meal…could o make the base of the soup and add the cooked lentils at the end?
I have made lentil soup over the years and have always been happy with the outcome. Your addition of small amounts of spices raises this to a new level, and yours will be my go to recipe in the future. Thanks for letting us know about it.
Beautiful soup and very healthy, just what we need with the colder weather kicking in. Definitely making this one again. Thank you!
So great to hear Sonia!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
This soup was so fantastic! The flavour was perfect – so tasty and savoury. I’m about to make a batch tomorrow but thicker and use it for vego shepherds pie filling – I can’t wait for my tasty sunday lunch!!!!!
So great to hear Sue!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Delicious! My husband, a dedicated carnivore enjoyed this soup. Very filling and very comforting.
So great to hear Ev!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Is the serving size (421 grams) about 1.5 cups? I would probably have double that in a meal.
This soup is a staple!!
Hi Pamela! Yep it’s about 1 3/4 cup. I really find it quite filling! N xx
Nagi, this soup is AMAZING. I say this about all of your recipes but this is just delicious. The spices along with the lemon & zest. Yum. 😍. Could eat daily.
Fantastic to hear Steven! Thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
Making this for the second time today. This soup is delicious!!! I eat mine with a dollop of Greek yogurt and sprinkle pumpkin and sunflower seeds on top. Also love the fact that something so tasty is good for you too.
Love hearing that Laurie! So glad you love this too! N xx
Made the recipe except didn’t have any lemon and added about 1.5 to 2 cups chopped fresh spinach. Great recipe! Yummy and quick and easy to make.
Love hearing that Craig! So pleased you enjoyed this so much! N xx
Live on the fabulous Oregon coast…but March is especially wet and rainy…which makes for perfect soup weather. Tried this recipe today and my husband loves it. The lemon zest and lemon juice make it the best! Along with the coriander and cumin. Fabulous soup…will be making it again and again. Thank you!
What do you say to adding some small diced potatoes to this?! How would I go about incorporating….? 🙂 Novice cook here!
This soup was very good. I did it slowly and the flavor was great.
Weather was calling for thunderstorms here in TN and I had a bag of lentils in the pantry! So I decided homemade bread and soup were in order. I’m so glad I found your recipe! The addition of paperika and coriander put it over the top! I added the spices to the veggies to toast before adding liquids (i didn’t have celery but I had a green pepper) . I also didn’t have crushed tomatoes so I threw in a couple tablespoons of tomato paste and a cup of water. Then I used homemade chicken broth. Thank you for the recipe!
I LOVE hearing that Kisha! Thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
I consider myself a good cook, but lentil soup always intimidated me for some reason. It might be because I’ve had some REALLY good lentil soup in my day, and I just assumed it must be hard to make. This recipe is GREAT! I was a little worried with the consistency after everything had cooked, but once I blended 2 cups of the soup as recommended, I was completely sold. Delicious flavors, perfect texture – it was a hit among my wife and I, as well as our 9 month old daughter!
This soup was amazing! I made it for myself, froze half of the leftovers, and ate it for a couple of weeks. It never got old because the flavor was so spot on. This is definitely bookmarked in my recipe box to make for years to come.
I LOVE HEARING THAT!! *Sorry for shouting* 😂
This was absolutely tasty! It was my first time cooking with lentils and will become my go to when making bean soup again. 5 stars👍🏾.
P.s I have one confession….. I added some kale in the last 10 minutes of cooking.😉
Just made this recipe on a snowy day and it was perfect! Just what we needed to warm us up! My boyfriend loved it.
LOVE hearing that Patricia!!! So glad you enjoyed it! N x