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Best Lentil Soup

6,618 Comments JUMP TO RECIPE

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.

OUR VIDEOS

01:13

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.

Search for

Lentil Soup Recipe

Easy Lentil Soup

Best Lentil Recipes

Recipe Ingredients

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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.

Search for

Lentil Soup Recipe

Best Lentil Recipes

Recipe Ingredients

Organic Lentil Soup

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How to Make the Best

Lentil Soup
Five reasons to love this recipe:

1. The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables

and affordable pantry ingredients, but
tastes gourmet.
2. 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.
3. This nutritious, well-balanced soup
counts as a meal if you enjoy a generous
portion. Lentils are rich in protein, fiber,
iron and folate.
4. Lentil soup packs well for lunch in a leak-
proof container, and it tastes even better
the next day.
5. This soup freezes and defrosts well. Make
soup now and enjoy it later!

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1. The Best Lentil Soup ›

2. Lentil Soup Recipe ›

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PRICE & BUILD

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.

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1 Lentil Soup Recipe ›

2 Recipe Ingredients ›

3 Best Lentil Recipes ›

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Recipes
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Best Lentil Soup

h SAVE n PRINT
Author: Cookie and Kate Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x Category: Soup Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Mediterranean
★★★★★ 4.9 from 3104 reviews

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.

SC ALE 1X 2X 3X

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

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.)

6. 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.

7. 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: (affiliate links)

I love my Vitamix blender and Le Creuset 5.5-
quart Dutch oven. For more of my favorite
cooking tools, shop my kitchen essentials.

▸ NUTRITION INFORMATION

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you!
Leave a comment below and share a picture on
Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate.

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▸ C ATEGORIES budget friendly, dairy free, easy weeknight

dinners, egg free, fall, favorites, gluten free, Lebanese, main
dishes, Mediterranean, nut free, pack for lunch, pantry friendly,
recipes, soups and stews, soy free, vegan, winter
▸ INGREDIENTS carrots, collard greens, curry, kale, lemon, lentils

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BY KATHRYNE TAYLOR
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog
lover. I'm probably making
a big mess in my Kansas
City kitchen right now.
More about Cookie and
Kate »

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