This is seriously the best Lentil Soup you’ll ever make! Dry lentils, fresh veggies, and bold spices give you a wonderfully thick soup that’s equal parts filling and flavorful. Stovetop, crockpot, and Instant Pot instructions included.
Make it a soup season to remember with even more cozy and satisfying vegan soup recipes! Try my Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Vegan Lasagna Soup, and Vegan Butternut Squash Soup next.
There’s nothing I love more than curling up with a big bowl of this homemade Lentil Soup when summer starts to fade away. It’s one of those classic, bare-bones soups that is somehow both incredibly flavorful and filling.
“This is one of the best recipes that I’ve ever made! So delicious and healthy.” – Maira
Yes, I’m the type of person to get excited over a lentil soup recipe! The mouthwatering medley of spices, dry lentils, and fresh veggies is just so good together. Oh, and the fresh squeeze of lemon juice at the end is like the cherry on top!
You won’t find any unnecessary frills or complicated steps here—just simmer the simple ingredients in a pot on the stove (or in a crockpot or the Instant Pot) and you’re done. What you’re left with is a thick and savory soup that’s perfect for dunking crusty bread.
Why this is the best lentil soup
- The ultimate satisfying soup – The protein-packed lentils and nourishing vegetables make this deliciously thick lentil soup oh-so filling. One bowl always hits the spot!
- It’s downright delicious! This soup is anything but bland. The veggies are both sweet and savory, the simple spices are bold, and the bright lemon juice marries all the flavors together.
- One-pot, budget-friendly recipe – Do you have veggies, lentils, broth, and spices in your kitchen right now? Great! Just throw them in a pot and you’ll be left with this mouthwatering soup.
How to make lentil soup
Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.
Start by sautéing the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in a large pot over medium heat. Once the veggies are soft, stir in the canned tomatoes, lentils, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika.
Heat the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened.
Recipe Tip
As written, this vegetarian lentil soup is thick and brothy. If you’d like a thinner soup, stir in extra splashes of broth or water. For a thicker and creamier soup, blend some of the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender.
To finish, stir in the spinach and lemon juice and season with salt to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and dig in while it’s still warm!
Frequently asked questions
I like this soup with dried green or brown lentils the best because they’re tender when cooked, have a mild flavor, and only take 30 minutes to soften. Dried French green lentils (puy lentils) or black beluga lentils should also work, but they’ll take longer to cook.
Making this recipe for picky eaters? Use dry red lentils instead. They soften very easily and won’t be as noticeable in the soup.
Start by sautéing the onion and garlic in a pan on the stove before transferring them to a crockpot. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the spinach and lemon juice), cover with a lid, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, or until the lentils are cooked. Finish by adding the spinach and lemon juice during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
Use the sauté function to soften the vegetables as normal, then add the rest of the ingredients to the pot (except the spinach and lemon juice). Lock the lid in place and pressure cook for 10 minutes. Afterward, do a natural pressure release for 15 minutes and finish by stirring in the spinach and lemon juice.
Yes, just make sure that you cook the kale for about 10 minutes longer than you would the spinach, so it’s nice and tender.
Leftover vegan lentil soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container to keep those flavors fresh!
Yes, lentil soup freezes really well for about 3 months. You can keep it in one large container or several small containers for individual portions. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave or on the stove the next day.
The Best Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 14- ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 2 cups dry green or brown lentils
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach, sliced into ribbons or kale
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes.
- Now add the can of tomatoes (with juices), lentils, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Stir to incorporate everything.
- Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened. For a creamier texture, use an immersion blender to blend a few times in the pot. Alternatively, add 1-2 cups of the soup to a regular blender, blend until smooth and then return to the pot.
- Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. It will only take a minute for the spinach to wilt. Season with salt to taste.
Video
Notes
- For a thinner soup, simply add more water or vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached.
- Leftover soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- This soup freezes well. Either freeze in individual containers or a large container for quick future meals.
- May substitute kale for the spinach, but you will need to cook the kale in the soup about 10 more minutes to get it tender.
My family loves this soup we make it 1-2 times a month. Thank you. So good
Hi Candis. I’m so glad you are loving the soup! Thanks for sharing your glowing review! Happy cooking!
This recipe gets even better when it sits!! I was asked to make it, and of course I took credit like it’s my recipe!! Lol, so let me give credit where it’s due!!!
Hi Meesh. I agree, this soup does taste better the next day! I am thrilled that your soup turned out fabulous! I appreciate you taking time to share your stellar review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Love this recipe. I’m sure I’ve made it dozens of times over the years. This time I’m adding butter beans and other seasonings such as bay leaves, thyme and oregano as well as fresh dill to finish with the lemon.
Thanks so much, Nora! You’re usually my first go-to for recipes.
Wow – this is a delicious lentil soup and really hits the spot. I didn’t have any lemons so I substituted lime juice. The brightness the citrus adds is delightful. Thanks, Nora!
Hi Melody. I’m sure this was absolutely wonderful with the lime juice! I’m so glad that you loved the soup! Thank you for using my recipes and for sharing your terrific review! Happy cooking!
How many grams is one serving? My daughter needs to gain wait and is committed to a vegan diet. I want to help her and knowing the serving size would take out so much guest work.
I have same problem as Kris. What is the answer?
I don’t have specific weights to give you, and I am not a registered dietician or nutritionist. For accurate nutrition facts by weight, you’ll need to use something like Cronometer to enter in exactly what you use for ingredients, weigh the whole, finished soup (subtracting the weight of the pot.) Then you can calculate per individual bowl, depending on how big your serving size is. That’s the best advice I can give you.
This is a favorite but my lentils always take too long to cook. How can I adjust the broth amount accomodate using cooked/canned lentils??
I wonder why your lentils take so long to cook? Typically they cook pretty quickly. You can use precooked lentils, but you’ll need to use less broth. I’m not sure exactly how much, perhaps add broth after the lentils and only add as much as you want.
Love this recipe! Plot Twist: I just threw everything into my Crock Pot, and let it cook for a few hours while I worked. Came out great! Thanks for the recipe, Nora!! 🎉
You are welcome, Donna! I loved the plot twist! Thank you for sharing your awesome review! Wishing you a happy cooking!
Did you add the lemon and spinach at the end or in the beginning as well?
Just at the end, see step 4. The spinach will over cook and the lemon lose its brightness if you add it at the beginning.