The Best Lentil Soup
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This is the BEST lentil soup ever, made in 1 pot with budget friendly ingredients. Naturally thick, satisfying and filling! Perfect with some fresh crusty bread for dipping.
This lentil soup is anything but bland. It’s FULL of flavor between the spices, fresh vegetables and even a squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
One thing I absolutely love about colder weather is enjoying a warm bowl of soup, perhaps with a cozy sweater while watching the leaves change outside. But I honestly enjoy soup all year long. I love how I can make a big pot of soup and have leftovers for several days, or even freeze some for a rainy day.
A few of my other favorite soup recipes include Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup and Vegan Potato Soup.
You’ll want to make this lentil soup all year long! It’s:
- Budget friendly, made with inexpensive ingredients
- Satisfying, filling and full of protein
- Filled with greens
- Kid-friendly
- & SO easy to make!
Ingredients needed
- Olive oil – for sautéing the vegetables, may omit or use vegetable broth for oil free.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Celery
- Crushed or diced tomatoes – I usually use diced tomatoes, but you can use crushed if you don’t like having chunks of tomatoes in your soup.
- Green/brown lentils – I wouldn’t use red here, as they sort of melt into the soup.
- Vegetable broth – I almost always use Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base. It has great flavor and is so easy to store.
- Spices – Cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt.
- Baby spinach – You can substitute kale, if desired.
- Lemon juice – Don’t skip this, it really takes the soup to the next level!
What kind of lentils should I use?
Use either green or brown lentils for this soup. Both work well; they hold their shape while thickening the soup. You could even use black lentils, but your soup will be a lot less thick. So go for green or brown!
Red lentils are wonderful in many dishes, but not this soup. They are very soft and mushy once cooked, and in this soup we really want the lentils to hold their shape. I love using red lentils in marinara when I want to add nutrition and protein without changing the consistency very much, like in The Best Vegan Lasagna. I also use red lentils in Cauliflower Sweet Potato Curry Soup and Red Lentil Lemon Soup.
How do you make lentil soup?
This is a very simple recipe to make.
First, in a large soup pot, cook the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a bit of olive oil for about 4-5 minutes.
Next, add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the spinach and lemon juice. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the soup is thickened and the lentils are tender.
Use an immersion blender and blend a few times right in the pot to make the soup creamy. Alternatively, you could add a few cups of soup to a blender, blend until smooth then add back to the pot.
Finally, stir in the spinach, lemon juice and season with salt to taste. If you want to use kale instead of spinach, give it about 10 minutes to simmer in the soup.
Enjoy with some fresh, crusty bread if desired or even with some brown rice.
Tips for success
- Blend a little of the soup to make it creamy, with no cream needed!
- Use brown or green lentils, NOT red.
- Don’t skip the lemon juice, it really brings out the flavors of the soup.
- Switch up the veggies based on what you have, such as green peas, a potato/sweet potato, broccoli or cauliflower.
Leftovers and freezing
This soup recipe makes quite a bit, so consider freezing your leftovers if you don’t think you will eat it within 5 days. You can freeze it in individual containers for quick, easy meals in the future! Or freeze half of the soup in a large container or large freezer bag.
Warm leftover soup in the microwave or a pot on the stove. Perfect for healthy meal prep!
More amazing vegan soup recipes
- Easy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Vegan Minestrone Soup
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Super Creamy Cauliflower Kale Soup
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.Â
- 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.Â
Nutrition
*This recipe was first published in November 2018 and has been reposted with improved photos and writing.
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267 Comments on “The Best Lentil Soup”
This is a go-to recipe for me, delicious flavour and straightforward to make. I use half the amount of puy lentils.
Hi Clare. Thanks for using my lentil soup recipe as your go-to recipe! I appreciate your taking time to share your review and comments!
First time making soup for me, I’m so impressed with how this turned out! Excited to go to work this week knowing I have a pot of this to take for my lunch everyday 🙂 My family all love it too, even dad who’s got an irrational phobia of anything vegan!! Thank you x
I’m thrilled you and your family loved the lentil soup! I have lots of other yummy soups that I hope you’ll check out as well! Thank you for sharing your great review review and comments! Happy cooking!
Made this soup today easy and so delicious, certainly going to make again.
Thank for sharing your wonderful review! I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Loved this recipe. Â Easy to make and so tasty! Â Â
Dear Nora,
many thanks for this recipe. I amde it today and it was very delicious.
My family loved it, too.
Yours sincerely,
The Vegetarian Hannibal
Hi! I am so glad all of you loved the soup! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful review and comments!
I’ve made this once before and it was so delicious! I’m wondering if I could cook it in the crockpot as well?
Yes, that works well. Simply place everything in your crock pot and cook either on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Thanks!
Very delicious, thanks so much for another great recipe!Â
You are welcome! I’m thrilled you loved the soup! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Just made this! Ate some with bread and butter; I found this recipe to be easy and delicious! Thank you!
This soup is so good with bread and butter! I’m glad you found it easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing your review and comments!
Yummy!
Quick and easy to make
Hi,Â
My family and I absolutely love this lentil soup recipe!
I’m wondering if you have a rough estimate of how much 1 serving is equivalent to (in cups)?
Thank you!Â
Hi Meghan. I’m so glad you guys love the soup! Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful review! There are 8 servings total, so about 1 1/2 cups of soup.
Just made this dish. I couldn’t agree more with it being “The best lentil soup”. The texture and the flavours worked so well and it tastes super delicious and also so easy to make. Thankyou
Hi Jennifer! I’m glad you loved the lentil soup! Thanks so much for taking time to share your great review and comments!
Tasty! I also made my own veggie broth.
Thanks for sharing your great review!
Delicious!
I made this before and it’s fabulous. I’d like to make it for a friend who can’t do tomatoes – any suggestion for a substitution?
I would just leave them out, I think it will still be great!
Made this for dinner today.  I’ve never really eaten lentils before. I’m not Vegan or Vegetarian, but I’m currently in the midst of a lifestyle change and I’m trying new things as often as possible. This soup was delicious. I made it exactly as is, without any changes or substitutions, and I can honestly say I will be making it regularly now.  It was simple to make, inexpensive, and tasted wonderful. Thank you so much for a healthy new recipe!Â
Hi Amber! I’m so thrilled that you love the soup and will be making if often! Thanks for taking your time to share your wonderful review! Happy cooking!
Can I use canned/steamed lentils and just throw them in near the end?Â
You probably could but I would use a bit less broth.
Can I use black lentils? Â
Sure, that’s fine!
During the pandemic I was able to take time and try many different vegetarian lentil soup recipes. This is my favorite by far! The spinach and lemon are perfect additions. Thanks so much! Going to buy your book in my local independent book store.
Thank you so much, I’m glad you love the soup as much as I do! Unfortunately, I don’t have a hardcover cookbook yet. But I hope to one day!
we’re a soup family and this is REALLY GOOD SOUP! Perfect on this dreary, cool day. I didn’t have celery so I added extra carrots & mushrooms in the beginning. Ended up adding a touch of sugar and some tumeric (trying to get my husband to have more in his diet). Once it started boiling, I added some cauliflower pieces (it was going to go bad if I didn’t use it). So good and filling. Ate it at lunch and haven’t even thought about dinner yet.
I’m really glad you guys loved the soup! Thank you for taking your time to share your review and comments!
So yummy!! my partner and I loved it ..going away for weekend and have just made up another lot..
Glad you guys loved the soup! Thanks for sharing your review! Enjoy your weekend!
 I was searching for soups to make with lentils that have been soaking overnight.Â
**Lentils can be tricky, I often read only a rinse is necessary but then soaking for 4 hours – overnight is best.
Am I able to use soaked lentils (they’re green) in this recipe?Â
I’ve never tried it, but I don’t see why you couldn’t use soaked lentils.
Amazing, all the kids loved it and all bowls emptied. Every single one of your recipes has been really really nice. My favourite recipe website by far!
I added some butternut squash blended in with the sauce to sneak in some extra veg as they wont have the spinach! Thank you for another delicious recipe.
Hi Laura. I am so thrilled you are loving my recipes! Thank you for taking your time to share your great review!
I absolutely love this soup. I made it for about 14 friends last week who raved about it and asked for it again this week! I obviously have to triple the ingredients. I also grate my carrots instead of chopping them. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m so glad to read you and your friends are loving the soup! Thanks for taking time to share your wonderful comments!
This recipe is going in my favorites and I’m very critical when it comes to a good lentil recipe. A new fave in my house. The flavors were spot on. The only thing I changed was adding a bay leaf and some pink salt into the  soup while it was simmering. I also took about 3-4 cups of the soup and blended it up in my Vitamix then poured it back in.Â
Perfect soup for a rainy day.Â
Thank you!Â
I’m thrilled you love the soup, Laura, and that it’s a new fave! Great idea to blend part of the soup! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Amazing , added jalapeños , bay leafs , fresh coriander and heavier on the spicesÂ
Thanks for sharing your great review and comments! I’m glad you love the soup!