Itโ€™s true – this really is The Best Lentil Soup youโ€™ll ever make! Itโ€™s all whipped up in one pot with simple and inexpensive ingredients like fresh veggies, bold spices, and of course plenty of lentils. Itโ€™s a wonderfully thick soup thatโ€™s equal parts filling and flavorful!

close up of a bowl of soup

Summer is oh so slowly fading awayโ€ฆ Which means itโ€™s time to start whipping out all of the best soup recipes! Cozy up with something warm, delicious, and vegan this fall and winter. Some of the best soup recipes include (but are certainly not limited to) Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Spicy Peanut Soup, and Instant Pot Tomato Soup!

The very best lentil soup

When it comes to Lentil Soups, they donโ€™t get much more satisfying than this one! Itโ€™s a bare bones soup, meaning you wonโ€™t find any unnecessary frills or complicated steps here. Itโ€™s a classic recipe thatโ€™s the definition of tried and true!

With that being said, itโ€™s also anything but bland. The medley of mouthwatering spices and mix of fresh veggies keep this thick Lentil Soup plenty flavorful. Oh, and that squeeze of fresh lemon juice right at the end is like the cherry on top!

ladle holding soup from pot

What makes it the best?

  • The ingredients are inexpensive! In fact, you likely already have the majority of these ingredients in your kitchen now. If you donโ€™t, this recipe is a great excuse to start stockpiling all of your inexpensive cooking essentials! 
  • Itโ€™s so filling. The amount of protein-packed lentils and nutritious fresh veggies in this thick soup make it wonderfully filling! Trust me, this Lentil Soup always hits the spot and satisfies everyone around the table. 
  • The flavor is truly delicious! Smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, and just a touch of salt create a flavorful medley of spices that make this soup downright delicious. And since youโ€™re making this soup at home, you can alter the spices however you see fit!
big pot of lentil soup with spinach

Ingredients needed (with substitutions)

  • Olive Oil – Avocado oil can be used instead. 
  • Onion – Feel free to use a white or yellow onion, either one will work well.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic will yield the best flavor here. 
  • Carrots – When you chop them up, make sure theyโ€™re in small enough pieces to fit onto your spoon with the other ingredients. 
  • Celery – Rinse your celery with water and pat it dry before chopping. That way, thereโ€™s no dirt or residue still on it. 
  • Tomatoes – Use a can of either crushed or diced tomatoes. Either one will get the job done. 
  • Lentils – You can use green or brown lentils – whichever you prefer! 
  • Vegetable Broth – Use a low sodium vegetable broth for a less salty taste. 
  • Spices – Youโ€™ll need a medley of ground cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika, and just a light sprinkle of salt to make this Lentil Soup supremely flavorful! 
  • Baby Spinach – Slice your spinach into ribbons so itโ€™s easier to eat in your spoonfuls. Also, you can substitute this for kale if youโ€™d like.
  • Lemon – Make sure youโ€™re using freshly squeezed lemon juice only – nothing from concentrate! 
bowl of lentils, dry

How to make lentil soup

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements below in the recipe card.

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.

pot with onion, carrot and celery

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. If desired, use an immersion blender to slightly blend and thicken it.

immersion blender in pot with soup

Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. It will only take a minute for the spinach to wilt. Season with salt to taste.

spinach being added to lentil soup

Frequently asked questions

  • Can I change the consistency of Lentil Soup? Yep! For a thinner soup, simply add more water or vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached. You can also blend it just a few times with an immersion blender for a slightly creamier soup. 
  • Can I freeze Lentil Soup? You sure can – and it freezes so well! In a freezer safe food storage container, your leftover Lentil Soup will stay fresh for up to 3 months. You can keep it in one large container or several small containers for individual portions. 
  • Can I swap the spinach for kale? Yes, just make sure that you cook the kale for about 10 minutes longer than you would the spinach so itโ€™s nice and tender. 

What to serve lentil soup with

I like to serve this hearty soup with some Dutch Oven Bread and perhaps a Vegan Caesar Salad.

two bowls of lentil soup with lemons on white background

Do you love lentils as much as I do?

Here are a few of my favorite recipes using lentils:

square image of a bowl of soup with a spoon in it
4.97 stars (178 ratings)

The Best Lentil Soup

Itโ€™s true – this really is The Best Lentil Soup youโ€™ll ever make! Itโ€™s all whipped up in one pot with simple and inexpensive ingredients like fresh veggies, bold spices, and of course plenty of lentils.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

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

  1. For a thinner soup, simply add more water or vegetable broth until the desired consistency is reached.ย 
  2. Leftover soup will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
  3. This soup freezes well. Either freeze in individual containers or a large container for quick future meals.
  4. 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.ย 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 610mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4333IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 5mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Nora Taylor
Did you make this recipe?Mention @nora_cooks_vegan_ or tag #noracooks!

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Comments

  1. I just made this last week! It really is easy and it’s adaptable to whatever you happen to have in your kitchen. I added some additional vegetable broth and some quinoa. I could see adding potatoes, chopped squash–almost any veggie you have hanging around in your vegetable bin.

    Lentils always seem to take a long time to cook for me, so I simmered the soup with a lid for about an hour. I love mushy lentils though, so maybe that’s just me!

  2. This recipe is excellent! Very easy to make and very flavorful! I forgot to add the spinach and lemon initially, once I did it was even better! This recipe will be on heavy rotation this winter!ย 

  3. I have been having some GI issues lately, so I googled lentil soup and saw this recipe. It is fantastic! So delicious and filling. Thank you for sharing ??ย 

  4. This soup is wonderful! I love the lemon in it. I substituted the spinach with thinly sliced cabbage to use up some cabbage I had leftover from the Thai Peanut Salad (also so good) and it turned out great. Next time. I’ll use spinach. This was also so easy to make. Thanks Nora!

  5. Iโ€™m totally addicted to this lentil soup recipe. ย I make it twice a week (at least). ย And I think this is really more of a stew than a soup. ย I do soak the lentils overnight then drain/rinse them before adding them to the pot. ย Further I add pieces of kombu to the broth and then cook the lentils for a longer time frame at a simmer (sometimes up to an hour). ย These cooking techniques result in no toots! ย ๐Ÿ˜‰

  6. Awesome soup! Thank you!
    I don’t like buying a giant chunk of celery from the store so I’m going to throw in a bag of frozen peas instead.

    Question:
    Should I put the lid on the put when I’m letting it simmer for 30 minutes?

    1. Thank you! You do not have to put the lid on, but you could. If you do, I would leave it slightly ajar to let some steam escape. Hope that helps!

  7. Your soup is phenomenal. ย Both my husband and my son ย really enjoyed this lentil soup. ย The only ingredient that I didnโ€™t have was the coriander, but still it was super tasty.

  8. Very good! And very healthy! My husband and I both enjoyed it tonight for dinner. We will have it again tomorrow night and there will still be plenty leftover for lunches or the freezer. The recipe makes a lot. Thanks, Nora! There are no disappointments when I cook your recipes, and I appreciate it.

  9. I donโ€™t like cooked carrots and celery. Is there something I could use instead or omit them all together. I know Iโ€™m weird. Lol

  10. Tried this soup today. It was so delicious. I had to use regular paprika, that was all I had but loved it as well as my hubby. We are not Vegan but a nice healthy, delicious meal. Thank you for such a good, easy recipe. Will make again.

  11. I made this soup with red lentils even though Nora said not to because they get too mushy. Since I sometimes have trouble with the texture of lentils I wanted to try them. Oh my goodness! It changed the texture of the soup from a bean soup to an Indian spiced potato soup. So rich and creamy and without any dairy too! Thanks for the recipe. I absolutely love it! Per Nora’s direction, I also made a marinara with the red lentils. So good. Won’t be missing my Italian sausage sauce at all!

  12. I rarely share an untried recipe with others but this sounded just right so I brought it to the Ash Wednesday soup and bread dinner before services at church. What a hit! Even the non-vegetarian, non-vegan crowd gobbled it up. I didn’t have any leftovers to bring home. I did not use oil and I did puree half the soup so it was deliciously thick and filling. I’m making it again right now as part of my weekly food prep. Well done! This is the very first vegan lentil soup I have liked and I love it!!

  13. This soup is delicious. I added a touch more cumin and coriander, as well as about a quarter teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Made it for my vegan boyfriend and he was very happy. My son also loved it. Having some friends over tonight and will be serving this with some crusty bread and a salad.

  14. This was a delicious soup! I made it exactly as the recipe called for except didn’t have coriander, so I added a little extra cumin. Perfect! Will make again for our vegan friends!

  15. Just starting my vegetarian journey. For myself and my son. He ate two whole bowls of this and heโ€™s a picky 9 year old. Making it again right now. Added some sofrito to enhance it but still keeping it vegan. Amazing soup thanks for recipe.

  16. I thought that lentil soups took a long time to prepare. Your estimated time was quite accurate. The soup turned out to be very tasty and had a very pleasant appearance. Thanks for this healthy, luscious and easy to do recipe!

    1. This lentil plate is So yummy! Loved it! I made it WFPB, eliminating the oil and sautรฉing with the broth. I also added sweet peas and more of the spices mentioned. Iโ€™ll be adding this to may favorites list!!

  17. Absolutely beautiful . Thought it would taste tomatoey. But it was a mix of tastes that was pure heaven . Thank you so much .

  18. Didn’t see a calorie count for the soup, but with an online calculator it estimates at 278 calories per serving.

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