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.
PrintBest Lentil Soup
- 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
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.
Laura
Man, lentil soup is the best!! So hearty and comforting. This looks like an awesome ingredient list packed full of nutrition. Nothing like a good bowl of soup – thanks for sharing:)
Diana
This is an amazing recipe I made this while in NYC over Christmas Holiday and my dad and myself enjoyed this so much. So easy and tasty. I am about to make it tonight that is how much I love this recipe :)
Sini
A hearty, nourishing soup. What’s there not to love?
Dee
My fiance said this was the best soup he has ever had . I used chile diced tomatoes and put cayenne pepper instead of the pepper flakes bc we both love spicy food. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Dee, for taking the time to say so!
Nancy Paris
This is very tasty. I probably will end up eating the whole pot with in the next two day.
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship
That looks so yummy! Lentil soup sounds so good right now!
Liz
A nice soup. Thanks so much and have a great weekend.
Kate
Thank you, Liz! Hope your weekend is lovely.
kristin | W [H] A T C H
this looks delicious. i love lentil soup in the wintertime — it’s so cozy.
Elizabeth Anderson
Do you think beet greens could work in this recipe instead of collards or kale?
Kate
I think so, as long as you like their flavor!
Sunshine
I used beet greens in this recipe as I also made a side of roasted root veggies it turned out incredible! Really liked the beer greens in the soup
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
Indulging in tacos and tequila is almost mandatory when you’re in Texas. Oh, and Shinerbock. Make sure you try a Shiner while you’re there! :)
This soup sounds like a great way to balance everything out. I love the addition of collard greens and lemon. Perfect for winter!
Lauren
Yesss absolutely my kind of dish!
Lauren x
Kendra
would red lentils be ok?
Kate
I think so! They will have a slightly different flavor and may break apart more while they cook… but I suspect you’d end up with a tasty soup anyway.
Jess
Did the red lentils work?
Anthony
Tried this recipe today with the red lentils; though I liked it, I think green ones would have been more to my liking, as I find they make for a heartier flavor. Can’t go wrong either way.
Rachel
I know I’m a little late to the party, but if anyone else happens to wonder about this, I use this recipe all the time with red lentils. It does change the flavour slightly but I think the red lentils work really well.
Jerilyn
Lovely looking soup! Have you cooked with BroccoLeaf yet? I am using a lot of it, just as I would like kale…it would be great as the greens in this recipe…just a thought. By the way, your dog Cookie is absolutely precious, and I always love to see new pictures posted of her…she looks so adorable. :)
Kate
No, I haven’t, but I think I just saw some at a grocery store. Cookie says hi!
thefolia
Cheers to lentil soup…cumin rocks it and I especially love black lentils.
Happy Feasting.
Rose
Ok, so here’s a shocker (not): yet another amazing recipe from our gal, Tequila Kate! I just made this as its hovering around -4 here and it’s going to make a delicious, healthy, cozy dinner this evening. I did find I had to add about a tablespoon of honey because my tomatoes were a tad on the acidic side. I also opted to throw in some parsley at the end. Kate, you’re my BBFF – Best Blogger Friend Forever – thank you!!
Kate
Rose, thank you! Your comment made me smile. :)
Millie | Add A Little
This is right up my street Katie! SO comforting and delicious!
Rebecca @ DisplacedHousewife
The tacos and tequila sound delicious…but I have to say this soup looks equally so. Yum.
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking
Oh man it is negative five with windchill here in Chicago. Do you even remember what windchill is? Oh, sooo jealous of all the IG adventures you guys are having. I looove the flavors of the curry and cumin balanced with the bright lemon!
Kate
Haha! Yes, I remember windchill well. Brrr. Stay warm up there!
Kelly
I love lentil soup- your recipe looks great! Love the squeeze of lemon.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
I’ll have a bowl please – actually, no, I’ll have a whole pot! It’s absolutely glacial outside here today and soup is pretty much all I want right now (in addition to a big fluffy hoodie, my pj pants and a blanket!) Lentils have been in regular rotation in my house lately, and I’m thrilled to have another use for them. Awesome job on this recipe, Kate!
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well
This recipe is RIGHT up my alley – absolutely gorgeous and sounds so good!!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
A gorgeous and healthy simple soup. I just love the flavour!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I must admit that I’ve never given lentil soup a second glance – until now! I love these flavors, what a great looking soup!
Dee
Love lentils, this looks really good!
Anna
This looks amaziing!! Perfect for winter days <3
Celeste
This looks amazing! Yum!
Valérie
I must admit lentil soups were the horror of my childhood. My mum always managed to make them look disgusting with a nasty green color. I guess, I my childhood memory prevented me from ever making one myself that I actually like but your recipe is definitely an inspiration to overcome my distaste for lentil soups: It looks simply delicious!
Kate
Oh no! Well, I hope you give this soup a shot. It’s nice and fresh!
Amy Basso
This looks amazingly delicious! The perfect comfor
Amanda Winchester
Thanks for sharing! We are still in the grip of winter here in the UK so a lovely hot soup is perfect for warming you up :)
Elise
Made this for dinner tonight and it was SO GOOD! Super tasty and felt like it was really doing the body good- full of good stuff. Thanks!
Kate
Awesome, thank you Elise!
jenna @ just j.faye
This looks great! I’m going to make it for my lunches this week :)
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
Lentil soups can be really hit and miss… why is that?! Love the look of this chunky, hearty bowl :)
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy
YUM. This sounds so good to me right now. I am pinning this!
Lisa
So, I live in Boston. Your soup recipes have been a little slice of heaven amisdt record-falling snow and negative temperatures. Trying this one for lunch and already the house smells so good and comforting. Thank you!
Kate
Hope you’re staying warm up there, Lisa! Also hope the soup turned out well for you. Thank you for commenting!
Emily
Another beautiful soup! Love those colors. Lentils are always a favorite around here. Making a metal note to try your version soon!
Eileen
Yay, lentil soup! I love how simple and classic this is and I especially love the addition of greens. Such a good plan.
Lori
Let me just say… oh. my. god. I’m not a big fan of lentil soups, but I *knew* by the ingredient list that it was going to be awesome. In fact I just made it the first time & doubled the recipe.
Kate
Yes!!! Thank you, Lori. :D
Rhonda
I made this delicious soup over the weekend while in Boston visiting. Love it. This recipe is a keeper and I will be making another batch this week for Fat Tuesday recovery. Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Rhonda! I’m so glad you loved the soup! Hope you’re recovering nicely. :)
Joanne
I’m so jealous of your blue skies and warm weather!! NYC is defintiely one of those places that’s experiencing extreme cold…and I desperately need a bowl of this!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
This looks delicious! I just made some lentils earlier this week and I love what a cheap and easy source of protein they are! :)
Madeline
I love all your recipes, but this was just wonderful. After a long day, it was easy to put together, and so flavorful and warming! I added extra greens and was so happy with how it turned out. Just the thing for winter!
Kate
Thank you, Madeline! I’m glad you enjoyed the soup.
Heather
My husband’s quote, “This is the BEST soup I’ve ever had!” I heartily concur. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Kate
Yesssss! Thanks, Heather!
Alexa
Kate, this is the first recipe I’ve made from your site…and it was absolutely delicious! I used red lentils (because that’s what I had) and it turned out perfectly. Thank you so much — I can’t wait to enjoy it this week.
Kate
Hooray, thanks Alexa! Hope you enjoy my other recipes just as much. :)
nikki
This was so delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and loved it!
Kate
Hooray, thanks Nikki!
Krystal
So easy and so delicious! Loved this one!!! Thanks Kate!
Kate
Awesome, thanks Krystal!
Tova
This soup was a huge hit! It was absolutely delicious and will definitely be making this again!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Tova!
Wendy
I have never ever commented in a recipe blog and I almost never make soup (all the chopping and stirring), but this soup called out to me and it was amazing! Even better for lunch the next day. Thank you!!
Kate
Wendy, thank you for saying so! I’m glad you loved the soup!
Martha
This is the first recipe I’ve made from your site. I wanted to add that it has become our new staple soup in chilly NH; my husband and young daughters devour it! I use half green lentils and half millet and don’t tweak anything else…it’s so incredibly tasty! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Kate
That’s wonderful to hear! Thank you, Martha!
Lori
I did the same with the millet and used spinach instead of kale because that is what I had on hand. It tastes so yummy and will be my lunch for the week!
Kelz
After getting hit with the flu, this was amazing! Hit the spot and so warming! Thanks! Feeling better all ready! :)
Kate
So glad you are feeling better, Kelz!
Gloria
Hi Kate, this looks delicious! Do you have a favorite brand of vegetable broth, or any broths for that matter?
Kate
Hi Gloria! I can’t say I’m particularly loyal to any one brand, but I always buy the organic versions in tetra-paks. Veggie broth is the only kind I buy since I’m a vegetarian. I like Whole Foods’ 365 broth, as well as Clearly Organic. I used Trader Joe’s quite a bit but it’s oddly orange!
Gwyn
Hi ladies, just finished the soup it was delicious! I haven’t tried out the recipe for homemade veggie broth, but definitely on my to do list!
aranwe
I use spinach insted of kale and because i eat dairy products, after i plate it i put 2 big teble spoons of sour cream over, was perfect.
Thank you Kate.
Kate
Awesome, glad to hear it!
Porsha
I just made this soup today. It was absolutely delicious! Even the kids asked for seconds.
Kate
Thank you, Porsha! So glad you all enjoyed it.
Ted
Google was spot on in bringing me to this recipe when I entered “vegan lentil soup delicious” in the search bar. My girlfriend declared it may now be her favorite soup, and that it reminds her of the sambar she loves so much at Indian restaurants. I appreciate the deliciousness as well as the simplicity of making it. Thank you thank you thank you!
Kate
That’s so great to hear! Thank you, Ted. Glad you both enjoyed the soup.
Emily
This was the MOST DELICIOUS soup I have EVER had! OMG Kate, the best!!! It was winter time so I added a butternut squash and a diced red bell pepper. I also used all chicken broth instead of vegetable broth + water combo (Unfortunately this means my soup was no longer vegetarian but still tasted amazing). I topped it off with grated Parmesan-Reggiano and avocado slices and let me tell you, I will be dreaming about this soup for all time! Thank you Kate!!!
Kate
Hooray! That’s fantastic to hear. Thanks, Emily!
sal
Can I use coconut oil intsead of olive oil?
Carolyn
I made today and used the coconut oil and the soup was very good.
Kate
Glad to hear it, thanks Carolyn!
Kate
Yes, as long as you don’t mind a subtle coconut flavor in the soup. I prefer olive oil in this one.
coJack
Dude!! This soup was super awesome! Thank you!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks for saying so!
Sarah
This was really good! I didn’t puree the soup…mostly because I was feeling lazy. I added a little turmeric with the spices and used crushed tomatoes because that’s what I had. I sliced some avocado in my bowl before eating. I will be making this again!
Kate
Thanks, Sarah! Your soup sounds great!
Desiree
Just made this for my family and they loved it! Thank you so much! :)
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Desiree!
Corinna Bee
I literally just finished a bowl of this soup. It is incredible. I am not a soup person in general, but I want to binge on this soup, it’s so good. The flavors blend so perfectly. No spice overpowers any other, and they all add something special. Even the lemon juice at the end adds a perfect, light zing. It doesn’t get any better than this amazing, easy, quick soup.
Kate
Corinna, thank you so much for your glowing review! I’m so glad you’re loving this soup.
Lila Kelaita
Calorie count ?
Kate
I’m sorry, I don’t provide nutrition facts because they’re often inaccurate when it comes to home cooking. Feel free to run this recipe through a calculator like myfitnesspal.com.
Anastasia
I made this for dinner a couple of nights ago and it was amazing! My husband is a big meat eater and he always feels unsatisfied with vegetarian dishes. But he loved this and it kept him full for a couple hours. We had this with whole wheat rolls, and it was such a nice combination. We are really picky and most new recipes don’t make it onto our menu rotation, but this will be made over and over again.
Kate
Thank you, Anastasia! So glad to hear that this soup met your standards.
Kelly
What a delicious soup! I made a batch over the weekend and brought some in to work. I am so happy that I found your site! I feel like your approach to food and vegetarian recipes match what I have been trying to accomplish with my new diet and lifestyle. Thanks and kudos!
Kate
Awesome, thanks Kelly! I’m so glad you found my blog! :)
Alexandra
My go-to soup! This is honestly the most amazing recipe. Even my meat-loving other half absolutely cannot get enough! Thank you so much for all these wonderful recipes.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Alexandra!
Ms. Becky
I just made this and I agree, it is my favorite lentil soup recipe. It is delicious. I add some garam masala and this soup sings!!!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Becky!
Kelly
Just made this a few moments ago- amazing! I didn’t have the diced tomatoes so I used tomato paste and an extra cup of water. I also used spinach leaves instead of kale. At the end I was also missing some acidity- probably because I didn’t have the diced tomatoes- so I added a quarter cup of red wine vinegar. And ok, I didn’t use a 1/4 cup of oil at the beginning- I’m guilty- watching those calories!
Let me just say- amazing! You might think it’s too much water/stock when you first start to make it but it’s not- the lentils really soak them up. Blending 2 cups of it and adding it back really creates that richness you’re looking for. The curry and cumin are inspired- I used some hot curry powder and it really gave me that kick I was looking for.
Thanks for this recipe! I’ll never eat boring lentil soup again!
Kate
Thanks, Kelly! So glad you enjoyed it! Your version sounds great to me.
Issie
This looks so delicious, do you think I could freeze it?
Thanks,
Issie x
concealerandkale.blogspot.co.uk
Diana Cooper
I have made this soup MANY times and always freeze half of it as there are just 2 of us. It freezes beautifully. BTW, since I’m not strictly vegetarian, I sometimes brown some crumbled sausage and throw that in near the end. Or you can put in a small ham hock and let the soup simmer longer, like 2 hours, then remove the hock, cut off all the ham and chop into smaller pieces. Toss that in and maybe a bit of Parmesan or Romano cheese and you have a delicious variation on an already great soup!
Lisa
I’ve been making lentil soup for a while now and I didn’t realize, until now, how boring they all were! This one is by far the best I’ve ever tried. There are so many flavors that work together beautifully. Outstanding recipe worthy of the food network! I will be trying more!! Thank you!!
Kate
Why thank you, Lisa! Really appreciate your kind words!
Margot
I made this today and it was delicious!
Kate
Yay, thanks, Margot!
Becky
Just made this tonight. I didn’t have any greens but the result was still delicious! I ended up blending more of the soup because my little ones preferred that texture but yum either way. Thanks for a keeper!
Kate
Thank you, Becky! :)
Cheryl
Just made this soup on a cold and rainy June 1st and MAN, is it delicious!!! Definitely a keeper and I’m actually glad to have a yucky cool day to try it out, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have found it until the fall! Thanks Kate!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Cheryl!
Stacy
I made this soup for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING!! I’m so looking forward to having this for lunch tomorrow! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe :)
Kate
Thank you, Stacy! Delighted to hear it.
Kendra
My first at lentil soup. Didn’t have any thyme. Wonderful flavor, even in 75 degree weather. Slice of key lime pie, perfect combo ( I had the pie first) thanks for the recipe.
Kate
I am all for pie before dinner! So glad you enjoyed this soup, Kendra.
Jeff
Tonight I Googled “lentil soup” and found yours. Glad I did! Very easy recipe to follow. I love lentil soups generally, but yours is pretty fab. The spice combo is perfect. Many thanks!
Kate
Awesome! Thank you for saying so, Jeff.
Ariel
Bloody delish! Thanks for this!
Kate
Thank you, Ariel!
Mark K
Hi Kate
Saw a bag of Roland lentils in my favorite Italian deli and was inspired to do something, and checked your site and sure enough found this recipe. Just make it and the flavors are amazing, especially like the lemon. Doubled the recipe and it will be lunches for my wife and I, plus a quart to send home to my son in Brooklyn. Congrats – great recipe, and so healthy too!
Kate
Thank you, Mark! Really happy to hear that you came here to look for recipes. :) Glad you all enjoyed the soup!
Carol-Ann
This soup is really delicious!! Perfect amount of heat, and lots of amazing flavours!! The dish is so colorful from the orange carrots, red tomatoes and greens – mouthwatering! I used broth instead of oil, and it still turned out magnificent – definitely will make again!
Kate
Thank you so much, Carol-Ann! :)
Ole-E. Nesse
Kate, This Is THE BEST Soup I’ve Ever Had!
The taste, colour and texture are spectacular!
It’s just the perfect accessory to the latest album from Melody Gardot. Or was it the other way around? ;)
Cooked it many times now, not going to stop.
Thank you so much for sharing it.
Kate
Thank you, Ole-E.! So glad you enjoyed it. I didn’t know that Melody had a new album out. I’m off to listen!
Jamie
This is an amazing recipe!!!
I did add Bay leaves, celery and potatoes. I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned because mine needed using and it is why I was searching out soup recipes in the first place. I also changed out 1/2 cup of the green lentils for red because I like the two together. The smell while it is cooking is so delicious and the taste once it is done is even better!
Kate
Thank you, Jamie! Your version sounds terrific!
Susan
This was amazing. I didn’t have kale so used some frozen spinach instead and it worked a treat. Delicious blend of spices. It was also incredibly cheap to make and used ingredients that are pretty much always in my cupboard. Thanks.
Kate
Thank you, Susan! Delighted to hear it!
Charles
Yum! So good. Thank you for sharing! I made it for a lady I’m courting, and I think she may fall in love with me. If not, I have a really yummy soup for myself. :)
Kate
Haha, I’m rooting for you, Charles!
Breeana
I made this soup last night as prep for coming off a psyllium cleanse today.. it almost killed me not to be able to try it!! It smells so good, I cannot wait to have it for lunch today! I will be using your website much more in the future for recipes. Thank you so much for posting this!!
Kate
Hey Breeana! Hope this soup was worth the wait!!!
Debbie
Just made the soup and it has lots of flavor which I love. The seasonings are wonderful. If you only have a 14oz can of tomatoes that would be totally fine, too. My recommendation is to taste it before serving just to make sure everything is fully cooked. Mine needed a little more time – which I realized after I served it. : (
Kate
Thank you, Debbie! I’m sorry your lentils weren’t cooked through. Lentil cooking time can vary by their age, etc. :(
natalie
I made it and it was great. I used real diced tomatoes with a bit of tomato juice instead of canned, and I used swiss chard as the green at the end. We ate it with plain yogurt, it was delicious.
Kate
Thank you, Natalie! Happy to hear it!
Michelle
This soup was PHENOMENAL!
I followed it to a T, too. (Though I had to DIY the curry powder and I used spinach in place of kale).
My father (who’s quite the food critic and rather picky when it comes to spice-ful dishes) called it– and I quote– “The soup of ages”!!! He wouldn’t stop talking about it to everyone in my family.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I will definitely be putting it on my list of recipes to return to.
Kate
The soup of ages!!! That’s quite a compliment. Thank you, Michelle!
Vick
Great, yummy and generous soup!I replacer olive oil with coconut oil and used baby bok choy for greens. Delicious, thank you!
Kate
Thanks, Vick! So glad you enjoyed it!
Devin
I made this soup last night for dinner and it was absolute delicious!! The best lentil soup I’ve ever had so creamy and hearty! I can’t wait to have left overs for dinner! I used the whole lemon because I never know what to do with the other half and I just poured the soup over white rice! Thank you for this recipe! <3
Sudan
This was AMAZING! Made a large pot for my lunches over the week! Had this and corn thins! It’s so good! Highly recommended!
Thanks Cookie & Kate! :)
Kate
Yay! Thanks, Sudan!
Tammy
OMG, this soup is AMAZING!!! I added in an additional lemon, pepper and used Cayenne pepper in place of the red pepper flakes. When I read this recipe earlier today, I was hoping that it was going to be a keeper. :) It sure is! I always thought I didn’t like lentil soups until today. Thank you so much for such an awesome recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Tammy! Glad you found a winner in this one!
Jane
So good! I added a tablespoon of coconut butter to my serve. Yummo too. Thank you, Kate, this is my new fav xxx
Kate
Great idea! Thank you, Jane!
Fiona
Terrific – thank you – this lentil soup was easy to cook (even for an Aussie!) and tasted yum. I didn’t add the additional water and halved the vegetable broth. In this way it was more a casserole or stew than a soup – but that’s how I like it. But also, and what was really nice, I added a heaped teaspoon of tamarind paste. Tamarind paste gives it a really nice taste. I used red lentils instead of brown or green but that’s just because they happened to be in the pantry at the time. Thanks for the recipe – this is going into the “make again for sure” folder. Five stars!
Kate
Thanks, Fiona! I’m glad the soup turned out well with those substitutions!
Elissa
Also wondering, could I freeze this? If so, at what part in the process?
Looks delish!!
Elissa
This looks delish! Wondering if I could freeze it? If so, at what point in the process should I freeze ? Thank you!
Kate
Yes, I think this will freeze well! Just cook the soup as directed, then let it cool completely before dividing it into freezer-safe containers and freezing. Be sure to leave a little extra space at the top, since water expands as it freezes.
Sharon
I put the tomatoes in the food processor and pulsed them before adding. I also added a teaspoon of tandori spices! Yummy!!!!
Kate
Sounds great! Thank you, Sharon!
Cassie
Thanks for this recipe! This is one of the first dishes I made when I became vegan 5 months ago. I ate what I could for a few days, and then froze the rest into one serving containers to eat for lunch at work. Now that all the frozen containers are gone, I am making another batch tonight. I used red lentils last time because that’s all I had, and added fresh parsley as a topping, and it was absolutely perfect. I appreciated the meal more and more each time I ate it over the last few months. Thanks again!
Kate
Thank you so much, Cassie! Delighted to hear it!
Karen
My husband went to Colombia on a mission trip and came home saying the lentil soup he had there was the best! I wanted to try to replicate it for him so I found this recipe and decided to give it a try. I’ve NEVER enjoyed lentils in anything and this soup is OUTSTANDING! We absolutely loved it. It will definitely go into our dinner rotation. Thank you for a delicious soup recipe!
Kate
Hip hip hooray! Thank you, Karen!
Shelley
It is 90 degrees but I craved lentil soup. This is my new favorite recipe for sure! I made a few changes including using crushed tomatoes, hot curry powder, frozen spinach, and added a touch of cinnamon. I may eat the whole pot tonight :) great recipe!
Kate
Awesome, thanks Shelley!!!
thad davis
Can I substitute, say, one quart of my garden tomatoes for the 28oz can? Thanks!
Kate
Yes, I think so! This soup recipe is pretty forgiving.
Thad Davis
Your recipe was my third and best batch of tomato soup made from my garden tomatoes this year — by far the best! It was delicious and I look forward to many more servings. (My yield was 7 cups.) I used a mix of cut up Striped German and Cherokee Purple tomatoes (4 cups, with skins), left out the lemon and greens, but stuck with the other ingredients. Cook time was 37 minutes. I esp. liked the spicy nature of the soup and intend to explore more of your recipes. Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Thad! So glad your soup turned out great, and hope you enjoy my other recipes just as much! :)
katherine
This is the BEST lentil soup I’ve ever made – or eaten! It is really difficult to find a great lentil soup recipe, lots of them are really bland. This is unbelievably delicious. Thanks so much for sharing.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Katherine.
Melanie
I made this last night with only minor substitutions, based on what I had on hand. I used 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes instead of diced, then reduced the water by 1 cup. I also did it in a pressure cooker to reduce time and it worked beautifully! I have the kind of cooker with a brown setting that lets me cook in the pot, so I followed all of the steps exactly, except at step 3, I put the lid on and cooked at high pressure for 15 minutes. The lentils were tender, the carrots still held their shape, and I got to eat the deliciousness faster! If you have a pressure cooker, this will work great in it!
Kate
Thanks, Melanie! Now I want a pressure cooker, if it’ll make this soup in 15 minutes! Amazing.
Jennifer
I’ve recently decided to stop eating meat. This was this was one of the very first soup recipes I found, and I just finished making it, about 20 minutes ago. It smells amazing and tastes even better! This is going to be one of my regular recipes in rotation from now on!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Jennifer! All of my recipes are meatless, so there are lots to choose from here! :)
Maggie Brand
Iam a new Vegan and I love this recipe
Kate
Thanks Maggie! Glad to hear it.
Rachel
Looks like a great recipe! Do you think this one will do well re-heated? Any instructions for freezing/heating? Need to make it in advance for a large dinner gathering! Thanks!!
Kate
Hi Rachel, yes, I think this one will reheat well! If you’re serving a crowd, I wouldn’t try freezing it all—that’s a lot to defrost. (I like to freeze soups in individual portions.) I’d just reheat it on the stove over medium-low heat. You might want to add a bit more lemon juice or salt before serving, just to wake up those flavors again.
Kezia
I just made this last night and it turned out to be amazing! I was out of curry so had to leave it out, and used cayenne pepper instead of the flakes. I can’t wait to make it again when I have the curry! So good, thank you.
Kate
Thanks, Kezia! Glad to hear it!