Best Lentil Soup
This healthy lentil soup recipe comes together quickly with pantry ingredients. Simple spices, fresh greens and a squeeze of lemon make it the best! Vegan.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 3, 2024
7266Comments
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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.
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.
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.
How to Make the Best Lentil Soup
Five reasons to love this recipe:
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients, but tastes gourmet.
- 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.
- This nutritious, well-balanced soup counts as a meal if you enjoy a generous portion. Lentils are rich in protein, fiber, iron and folate.
- Lentil soup packs well for lunch in a leak-proof container, and it tastes even better the next day.
- This soup freezes and defrosts well. Make soup now and enjoy it later!
Watch How to Make Lentil Soup
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.
Best Lentil Soup
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.
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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I have been vegan since my heart attack in 2018. I came across your BEST lentil soup recipe 2 years ago. I have been making it vegan since then because it IS the best lentil soup. I eat it every day for breakfast instead of oatmeal; to me it tastes better than oatmeal and I do not get bored of it! I tweak it every morning with some additional kale, ground flax seed, lemon, raisins; whatever is around. I freeze large batches ( 20+ quarts at a time) of this recipe and room defrost a quart at a time. By the way sticking to a vegan life style, thanks to you helping with a great delicious recipe, my cardiac blood chemistries are way below normal. Thanks for putting some added variety in my daily cuisine and adding years to my life!
I’ve been making this recipe for my family for years. Recently my aunt has been receiving chemo to extend life. She can’t eat much. This soup is one of the only things that she has willingly eaten in the past few months. I make her a batch each week and it is something she can actually still enjoy and feel nourished. Thank you for sharing this nurturing and flavorful recipe.
I hope your aunt is able to find comfort, I’m so sorry to hear that. Thank you for sharing, Tina.
5 stars. I made some modifications like cubed baking potato instead of tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of curry and 1 tablespoon of cumin, plus 1 teaspoon of onion powder and garlic powder. 1 stalk of celery and a dash of red pepper flakes. AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS
I love to hear that, Carla!
This soup is very fresh and flavorful! I made it for a large graduation gathering, so I used 3x recipe. I made the soup 2 days ahead and held out the water until day of serving when I reheated it in microwave and added to a crockpot. One of our guests has allergy to cumin, so I substituted ground coriander for the cumin and left out the curry powder. Everyone loved the soup which we served with basmati brown rice in rice cooker. I put red pepper flakes out for added spicing. It was the perfect meal for a gathering since I set it up and just added more soup as needed after reheating in microwave. There were no leftovers, so I am making the soup, 1x, again this week with cumin and curry powder!
Excited to try this today. In reviewing, the ingredients say 3/4 cup olive oil but the directions say 1/4c. What am I missing?
Hi Pam! You may have the 3x recipe selected. A single recipes calls for 1/4 cup. I hope this helps!
I love lentil soup and look forward to making your recipe. What are the nutritional elements of this recipe? I don’t see them on the page. I’m working with a dietitian and I need to be careful with carbs, protein mainly. I’m a vegetarian. Thank you
Hi Jeani, They are listed below the note section of the recipe. You will need to click to expand. Let me know if you are still having issues!
Just finished making this. Let my fussy husband taste test…..and he loved it. I was looking for healthier soup recipes and this fit the bill.
Great to hear, Martha!
Divine soup, well thought out recipe, thank you for sharing
One of the most bland recipes I’ve ever made. Doubling the spices couldn’t even save it.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe, Grant. I appreciate your feedback.
This soup is amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe. This will be a recurring dish for me.
This is one of my go-to soup recipes! It’s also one of my favorites to drop off for friends recovering from surgery, who just had a baby, just need a meal, etc.. Sometimes I add a pound or so of sausage to this recipe too (right after cooking the onions and carrots) – just as good without though for a vegan/vegetarian friendly option!
I love to hear that, Nicole!
This is truly the BEST lentil soup recipe! I double the quantities and it stores very well. Also, my extremely picky young daughter loves this soup – which really says something! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Excellent recipe! This has become a household favorite and leftovers save great. We ran out of curry, so I substituted turmeric and actually liked this version a little better.
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Russ!
I have a question….I was making two of your delicious soups at the same time..and I accidentally added 4.5 teaspoons of cumin to the lentil soup instead of 2 teaspoons. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix it? Should I add more lentils?
Oh no! What did you decide to do?
As of right now, I separated portions in containers and put them in the freezer. I researched that lemon will help cancel out the cumin. I think some crackers will help too.
Just tried this recipe for the first time ever and it is amazing! A KEEPER!
Awesome soup! Thank you. My new favourite. (I added some diced potato, and will do again)
This soup is delicious!!!!!! I forgot to add the greens, and I used chicken broth instead of vegetable. That’s what I had in the pantry. It still tasted amazing. My husband liked it too. This recipe will definitely be a keeper!
Hi-I love your recipes! Planning on making this for a group including several kids who don’t like chunky tomatoes. Can I substitute puréed Pomi tomatoes? If so do I need to change the amount of tomato/add more broth? Also if I want to make it less tomatoey in general, can you suggest any modifications that will still keep the overall flavor?
You could omit the tomatoes or use less. If you don’t use diced and something more liquid you may want to decrease liquid overall.
I love this lentil soup. I use more lentils than the recipe calls for, and I add diced celery for more vegs and a whopping tablespoon of the Magical spice blend from another website, and I add in a dollop of plain yogurt for a protein boost.
This was so good! I tripled the kale and lemon just because I love both, and it was still so so tasty:) thank you for this recipe
Any idea if you could calculate the carbs in your soup recipe. I LOVE your recipe and have made it very often. Now it becomes necessary to count carbs in food prep for my spouse. I will make it no matter what as i think it is fabulously healthy as well as tasty ! Thanks!
Hi Bonnie, my nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.
I’m trying to get more calories and protein out of this. What do you think would happen if I added 32oz tempeh?
You could try it. Let me know what you think!
I didn’t make the original recipe so I can’t make a direct comparison. But it tasted good when I added tofu (not tempeh).
I can’t find this question answered but can this be made in a crock pot? I’ve made it before on the stove and it was awesome
I believe others have. I haven’t tried it so don’t have suggestions. See what others recommend in the comments!
This was delicious!! For something a little extra I might try adding a little coconut milk or cream next time but absolutely perfect as is! Will make again.
I just made this soup and it is the BEST soup I have ever had. Your recipe is honestly something I would expect in a 5 star restaurant. As I am typing this, my daughter & boyfriend are devouring it. Take a bow, you deserve it!
Ken Zilliox
Edmonton, AB Canada
Phenomenal! This recipe is super easy to follow and the soup is full of flavor! I make it faithfully every Sunday afternoon.
That’s great to hear, James!
This is so good that it’s getting printed to go in the permanent recipe binder!
The only thing I changed was that I used all broth for the liquid versus 4 cups broth and 2 cups water. It was perfect for my taste and not overly salty at all. No adjustments were needed at the end.
The curry powder was interesting. It was like a secret ingredient that I couldn’t discern but it added warmth and a rounded-out flavor to the soup.
Great recipe!
Indeed the best lentil soup. I added to mine some thin chicken breast pieces and a “ton” of chopped up dill (love dill in about anyhting). Absolutely love it and my wife and my 16 year old couldn’t get enough of it.
Thank you
I love this recipe and being winter in Australia perfect time for soup. Is it possible to do a straight swap with red lentils though?
Thanks
Lusa
You can try red, but you will need less cooking time and less liquid. See my How to Cook Lentils post for guidance on cooking.
Hi Kate, this is the 3rd time making this delicious soup – because I absolutely love it! I didn’t have any greens, so added a large stick of celery & towards the end I added about third of a diced-up sweet potato. Thank you for sharing your talents with us – it’s very much appreciated!
You’re welcome, Cheryl!
Fabulous recipe, it’s become a firm favourite in our house, absolutely delicious.
I’m Puertorican and I grew up on lentil soup. I’m glad I looked for “something new”! I did not use curry because my husband does not like it but I will next time! I loved this so much I let my friends know and packed then a container. This was on a hot summers day so I can imagine it on a cold winters day! Thank you.
Love this soup!!! I don’t have diced tomatoes this time can I use crushed tomatoes instead?
It will make it more liquid with less texture, but you could try it.
I have made this really tasty soup numerous times, always goes down well with my boys!
Hi. I am interested in making this soup. Just one question. What is the type of curry powder to use. There are so many with different flavor profiles and I haven’t cooked with curry too much in the past!
Can I use black lentils
Sure, your cooking time will just vary.
10/10. I rarely give a ten for anything but this soup could not be faulted. I did it exactly as per the recipe and loved every mouthful.
I’ve made lots of lentil soups over the years but this is definitely the best one ever, (you were right ! )
It ticked all my boxes and plenty left for freezer and work.
The recipe is quick, easy, and tasty. It pairs well with cholula hot sauce (I’m totally biased).
My mother used to make a lentil soup in the 1950’s & 60’s. I have tried over the years to find a comparable recipe. Sorry, Mam, this is the Best Lentil Soup ever. It is full of flavour and satisfying goodness
I made this tonight and it was some of the best soup that I’ve ever had. Thank you!
I highly recommend this delicious recipe! It’s the best lentil soup recipe I’ve ever made and my husband agreed!
Great to hear, Susan!
I absolutely love this recipe and have made it often, it IS the best lentil soup! The only changes I make are adding a bit more curry powder, use a small can of tomatoes & use spinach as the greens. It’s so healthy and delicious, and easy to make! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it’s perfect for my heart healthy diet!
My favorite lentil soup recipe do far. I have been making for about 3 years in a row now.
Thank you
I love this soup!! So good!
Great to hear, Angie! I appreciate your review.
It is not a good idea to “salt to taste” as the ability to taste the salt in the soup diminishes and so the cook adds more salt “to taste” and the end result is much too salty for others who are eating it later.
Love this recipe; it’s so tasty!
I added celery and courgette at the start with the onions and carrots. I couldn’t find red pepper flakes so cautiously used chilli flakes instead. As I wanted to serve with rice rather than as a soup, I added less water – it worked a treat. I will definitely be making this regularly. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Sharon!
We love lentil soup! I jazzed it up a bit. Good for weight loss
Delicious lentil soup. My liquid got all soaked up by the lentils. What am I doing wrong? Thank you!
Hi Patty, how long did you cook it for? Did you add the correct amount of lentils? The lentils shouldn’t soak up all the liquid and should still be a soupy consistency.
Amazing vegan recipe! I’ve made this several times for me and my non-vegan husband and we both go back for seconds and thirds every time.
Notes on additions and substitutions: I’ve added vegan chorizo crumbles the last few times and it was amazing. I usually skip the crushed red pepper because it was a little too spicy for my husband the first time I made it; you can always add it to your own serving later. Substitute parsley for the kale if you don’t have any.
I am making it now! How many calories per cup?
Thanks!
Hi Christina! Nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.