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.
Nance
I love that this soup is looks so inviting and delicious…. a lot of lentil soups looks a bit mushy…. what are the yellow pieces in the soup picture? Thanks. Will be trying this tonight!
Kate
Great description, Nance! Carrots. What did you think?
Nance
got it…. carrots!
Sharon A Snow
This soup has become a staple in my kitchen and in my daughter’s. We all love it. My daughter and I both adopted a plant-based diet a few months ago and your website has become our go to for great recipes. Thanks so much for consistently providing me with something new and exciting to cook.
Sharon
Kate
I’m happy both fo you get excited to cook! Thanks for sharing and for your review, Sharon.
Cayley Rice
Yum. I used chana dal and it was wonderful. I’ll make this again. I’d add more kale though.
Kate
Great! Thank you, Cayley.
Margie
OMG! I love lentils but this is the best lentil soup I’ve ever had and my kids are throwing it down. Love it. More recipes please. How do I save it???
Kate
I’m glad! You can use the print option to save to a PDF, you pin on Pinterest.
dannie
I love to take this soup with baked bread.tastes nice
Kate
That would be a nice compliment! Thank you, Dannie for the review.
Jenny
This is the recipe that introduced me to Cookie & Kate recipes! It is my “go to” soup and is now just one of many recipes that I love from your blog.
Kate
I’m so happy to hear that, Jenny! Thanks for the comment and review.
Claire
I just made this today and it’s amazing! Great flavour and enough left for lunches through the week. 10/10
Kate
Great, Claire! Thanks so much.
carol
Truly, the Best!
Kate
Thank you, Carol!
Quin
Bomb diggity !!! My first time eating lentils … the flavor was AMAZING. Hubby loved it ! I didn’t have collards or chopped tomatoes so I used fresh spinach and stewed canned tomatoes . We can’t stop sampling after dinner.
Julie Harper
I actually mix red and green/brown lentils Carolyn, they work just as good, I am making this again today as it’s a cold winters day in Australia. It is one of the best lentil soups ever, and makes great leftovers, thanks again Kate for this beautiful recipe.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Julie! I appreciate your review. I agree, wonderful leftovers!
Terri Smith
This totally lived up to its name! My family loved it <3
Kate
Great!
Nurse Grace
I’m so glad the search “vegetarian lentil soup” lead me to your site : ) I made dinner for my friend’s vegetarian mother tonight, and this was a big success (served with a salad and then Greek yogurt for dessert.) I also liked that you wrote to cook the onion until it has softened and “is TURNING translucent,” because I’m always confused as to, well, when has an onion really BECOME translucent??…(a more common direction.) This let me not overthink it, and move on to the next step. Thank you – I will be making this recipe again!
Kate
I’m so glad it did too! That’s great to hear. I’m happy the directions were helpful, and it was tasty. Thanks for the review.
Susan
The title of this one is not an exaggeration. This really is the best lentil soup. I make this essentially exactly as written (I do add a bit more carrot and use a bit less salt), and it’s incredible. The lemon at the end is key!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Susan!
Marianne Ward
One of the best soups I ever made. Pretty much followed the recipe as written. It made too much so I froze some (3 months or so)and just had it for dinner tonight. It was just as good the second time around. It’s spicey so I added some parmesan cheese and a little sour cream. I realize that it’s no longer vegan, but that’s fine with me. Either way I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Recipe is a keeper.
Kate
I love hearing that, Marianne! Thanks so much for commenting and providing a review.
Kristin Sorensen
Delicious lentil soup! All four kids, my husband and I LOVED it! We made a double batch and fought over the leftovers. Thank you for sharing.
Kate
Win! Thank you, Kristin.
Brioney
Can you use red lentils instead of brown or yellow?
Very much looking forward to cooking this soup. Its a bit chilly here in Australia so a nice warm soup will go down well!
Kate
I wouldn’t recommend red for this soup as they can get mushy quickly. Brown or green would work here.
Hannah
By far one of my favorite soup recipes ever
Kate
Great! Thank you, Hannah.
Amy
Hi. I have already cooked brown lentils. Does this change that amount of water added?
Kate
You should be able to omit the water and it work well. However, I prefer to cook the lentils in the soup as it provides more flavor.
george
put a link at the top to the recipe so we don’t have to read through all the drivel
Kate
Hi George, I’m sorry you feel that way about my content. You can always skip and go to the recipe. However, I do spend a lot of time creating recipes and sharing what inspired them, as well as providing any other tips.
Heather
I am going to make this soup tonight for the third or fourth time tonight and it is soooo yummy!!! We absolutely love it! It’s also extremely healthy and a great meatless option.
Kate
Great! Thank you, Heather.
Linda Schoormans
Made it and we loved it very much. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Linda!
Elle
Absolutely fantastic soup! My friends have tasted it, and can’t believe the depth of flavor :) Well done!
Kate
Thank you! Elle, I appreciate the review.
Kathryn
So weird a picture of the dog with the pictures of all the ingredients. It really caught me off guard, salivating over the photos of lentils, greens, carrots and kale and then what, “the dog? that’s not an ingredient….” then I just got turned off, since I am vegetarian I don’t salivate over animals. Sorry if Im too sensitive, but the photo just doesn’t fit.
Kate
I’m sorry you feel that way. Cookie is a big part of the blog and she is always helping in here own way. :)
Brian
I felt 100% the same way… don’t get me wrong — cute dog and I love animals. I love them so much that I’d never expect to see them in a vegan recipe. That picture in particular took me off guard becuae it looked a bit like a dried fuzzy kind of flower spice…. no, it is a dog — ewww.. appetite lost.
Kate
Hey Brian, I removed the dog pic. Sorry for the confusion and thank you for your feedback. Best, Kate.
Trudy
This soup was absolutely delicious! One of the best I have ever had to be honest. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thanks!
Kate
That’s great to hear Trudy! I appreciate the review.
Veronica C Wilson
It was absolutely delicious!!!!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Veronica for your review.
Alicia
I just want you to know I’ve made this soup Like twice a month for the last 4 months and my family is always so excited when I make it. They LOVE it!
Kate
I’m glad this works so well! Thank you, for your comment and review.
Julie Selvais
I had never heard of collard greens before living in the States (2005-2007) and have never found them in Belgium, where I’m from. But my mom does have kale in her vegetable garden, so I love that this recipe gives the option to swap one for the other! I’ll definitely give this one a try.
Kate
Let me know your thoughts, Julie!
Jen R
Best veggie soup ever! My husband and I are not vegans or vegetarians but are semi-health conscious and always on the lookout for new healthy meals that we actually WANT to eat! My husband can be kind of picky too and he went back for seconds and kept saying how delicious it was. I could easily purée the entire thing and just drink it (and the idea of drinking anything vegetable based normally sounds and is disgusting to me). We are adding this to our cycle of favorite dishes!!! Love that it’s pretty easy to make too!
Kate
I’m glad this soup made your list and satisfied your picky husband. :) Thanks for sharing, Jen!
polly
how many calories are in this soup?
Kate
The nutrition information is below the notes section of the recipe. You just need to click to expand to see. :) Hopefully this helps!
Rufus
As a European I am always confused of the measurements. Could you maybe add a note explaining how much “1 cup” is for example ?
Thank you :)
Kate
Hi Rufus! There are great online converters to go between US measurements and metric. But, one US liquid cup is 8 US fluid ounces. I hope this helps some.
Renee
Made this tonight – was wonderful! Even my husband, who is a meat and potatoes person, loved it. Thanks. :-)
Kate
Hooray! This soup does do that to a lot of people. Thanks for your star review, Renee.
Ellen
Waving hi from Overland Park. Another great recipe. Thank you!
Kate
Hi Ellen! Thank you for your review.
Mikhayla
I am not a vegetarian, indeed, an avid lover of meat. However, meat is expensive and I want to use lentils and beans more in my diet. I got to say, even though this is completely vegan, it tastes amazing. I even added some zucchini which gave it even more bulk. Not only filling and healthy but crazy tasty as well.
Kate
I’m glad you think so!
Tanya L.
This is my all time favorite soup! The soups in your cookbook are amazing as well! Do you plan to post a split pea soup recipe in the near future? I hope so!
Thank you so much – your recipes have changed my life!
Warm Regards!
Tanya
Kate
You’re welcome! You are so kind, Tanya. I will keep your request on my list :)
Ann
This soup is amazing! Hearty, spicy & tasty! I am oil free so left out the oil but it is still fab :)
Kate
Happy to hear that, Ann!
Angelica
It’s absolutely amazing! Truly the best lentil soup ever, and so healthy. I’ve been making this nearly once a week for months now – thought it’s about time to say thank you :D
Kate
I’m glad you did! Thank you, Angelica. I appreciate your review.
Natasha Duchene
I never leave comments on recipes, but this was so yummy I had to say thank you. So thank you! <3 Perfect for a chilly fall day.
Kate
I’m so glad you did! Thanks, Natasha.
Hannah
I make this soup at least once a week! I add garbanzo beans for extra protein and a little bit of turmeric! SO YUMMY!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Hannah!
Yolanda Rodriguez
I constantly compare and add ingredients from different top chefs to enhance the flavor in soups, but this recipes’ ingredients really surpassed other recipes, without having to tweak it. The flavor is amazing!!! It is now on my top favorite lentil soup recipe. Thank you for sharing it.
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review.
Vibeke Vale
In the photo it looks like there are chickpeas in it, too. Am I mistaken?
I have made this soup many times in the past and it is very good.
Kim Chambers
5 Star for sure! What can I say but WOW!!!! My favorite soup ever – and I’m 66 and love to cook.
Sare
This was a delicious soup! I’ve made it twice now. The first time I substituted white onion with leeks. My husband and I don’t eat garlic either so I just took that out completely and it was still amazing. The second time I made it when a few Hare Krishna monks came to my town. They don’t eat garlic or onions so I used a big green pepper to keep it hardy and I added a little bit of liquid smoke. It was a hit! Thank you for posting this recipe, 5 stars :)
Kate
I love how you are changing it up all the time, Sare! You’re very welcome for the recipe. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment and review!
Kathryn
Perfect for a rainy day. Very tasty. Added some black beans, pinto beans, and celery. Definitely recommend.
Kate
Yes, a great soup for a rainy day. Thanks for sharing, Kathryn!
Patricia
Found your recipe and decided to make it today. It turned out great very tasty, didn’t have kale on hand so used celery instead. Was hesitant to add the lemon juice in the end but it really added another dimension to the soup. Good choice. Thank you!
Joan
This soup was Sooooo good. It came together very easily. My husband commented on how much he liked it every time he filled a bowl (and he filled a lot of bowls because I’d whipped up a double batch). We used fresh tomatoes from the garden, leaving the skins on and simply chopping them coarsely. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing your talent!
Kate
Fresh tomatoes, there is nothing like it! Thank you, Joan for sharing. I do appreciate you taking the time to comment and providing a review.
Joan
You’re most welcome but we owe you the gratitude. This recipe will be a frequent flyer at our house. My husband whipped up another batch today(tripled the recipe this time). By the way, the pureeing of some of the soup is genius and made this soup rich, creamy and hearty.
Lawania J.
Exceptionally good! Great taste and I enjoyed it so much!
Kate
Thank you, Lawania!
mark scott
Just made this,,,,WOW so so tasty , from a bid meat eater who work for a butcher,
Kate
Thanks for your comment, Mark!
Elaine
I was given LOADS of spinach and wanted to use it in a recipe that would be ideal for a cold rainy autumn day in Manchester, UK. I’m glad to say I’ve found it. It’s gone down a storm even with non vegan family members.
Kate
Thank you, Eliane! I’m glad it hit the spot.
Paula Smith
I Your recipe. The best tasting soup I have ever eaten & easy to make with usually all the stuff you have in pantry.
Thanks so much.
Kate
Thank you, Paula! I’m glad you like it so much.
Kyley Eagleson
A bit too much cumin for my tastes. I think next time I make it I’ll cut that in half and add some tomato paste to up that flavor.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Kyley.
Jan Dunn
This is a favorite in our house! With fall temperatures in the air, we made the first batch of the season! Absolutely love this recipe, thank you for sharing your recipes!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jan! Soup season is upon us. :)
angela
i can’t remember if i already reviewed this. Anyway, i love this soup! it’s one of my favorites to go back to and make over and over again. i love having it for dinner, and then saving leftovers or freezing for lunch for weeks to come!!
Kate
I’m glad you reviewed again, Angela! Thanks for sharing!
Edi
Ok, I want to say first that this soup was so delicious! I served my 7-year-old a small portion, (thinking he may not like it) and he complained about me serving him so little because it was so good! That said, I wanted to ask if there was anything that I could use in place of the curry because I LOVED the soup but it gave me some bad heartburn.
P.S. I have a weak stomach so I know it’s not the soups fault. :D
Thanks in advance!
Edi
Kate
Thanks, Edi!
Johanns Ostwald
Fantastic- spicy, tasty, filling.
First Lentil soup I ever made, as my ditisen has me on A no milk, wheat diet- and only 2x weekly meat.
Thanks John
Kate
Thank you for your review, John!
Lana
So SO SO tasty!!!! Seriously, the best lentil soup. Can’t believe it’s vegan. Cheers!
Kate
Cheers, Lana!
Carolyn M Osborne
We eat bean, split pea, or lentil soup for breakfast every day. We started doing this ten years ago to support a weight loss diet, and now when we take an occasional “day off” or two, we’re happy to get back on the plan. So, I make a gallon of soup at a time and we have the same soup for 3 days. I am always looking for variations and ideas for meatless legume soups, and this one is a winner.
In this recipe, the lentils, which can be hard to season adequately, have a rich flavor, the base soup is creamy and pleasant, and spices are great. Since we like savory foods, I doubled the curry and spices generally- that’s a question of taste. I also used low-sodium soup base (both beef and chicken) in place of vegetable, as we do eat meat. I didn’t have heavy greens on hand, so used fresh spinach and that worked well. I look forward to trying it with kale in particular.
We’re almost through the batch I made this week and I have just printed out the recipe. It’ll go into the breakfast soup rotation. Thank you for a terrific soup!
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed this lentil variation, Carolyn! Yes, having extra soup is always nice and it’s usually better after it has sat for awhile.
Sierra
This recipe is amazing! I didn’t have curry powder, so I substituted probably .5-1 teaspoon of chili powder and man o man it is so goooooood! I also had some leftover cooked chicken breast in the fridge, so I chopped it up and threw it in there too. Delicious! I will definitely be keeping this receipe in my repertoire ❤️
Kate
Wonderful, Sierra!
Kerstin wallace
LOVE this excellent recipe. Made it again today. It’s the only lentil soup I ever want to make now. Best fall/winter soup ever.
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Kerstin!
Fiona
I’m new to your site. We eat vegan/vegetarian about half the week, so I’m always looking for fresh inspiration & this really hit the spot. Question for you – I’ve had issues in the past with lentils remaining crunchy, even after hours & hours of cooking. A chef friend pointed out that cooking lentils with salt keeps them crunchy. I’ve always cooked them in broth, for the flavor, but wonder now if the salt in the broth is the problem. This recipe worked out well with broth & brown lentils, but red & yellow lentils always seem to be troublesome. Any advice?
Thanks!
Kate
Hi Fiona! Great question and I think it also depends on the type of lentil you use (some are more dense than others) and how long you cook them for. Red and yellow lentils do tend to get mushy that’s why I prefer brown or green. Hope this helps some!
Natalie Balthrop
Great recipe! I used 2 cloves of garlic and didn’t blend it, and it was hearty and delicious.
Thanks for sharing!
Kate
You’re welcome, Natalie!
Karen Kurdys
I made this soup recipe and it was a huge hit with vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike!! It was just delicious. My mother said it was the best soup I’ve made and I can’t believe how fast and easy it is.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!
Kate
You’re welcome! It’s the best, I would agree. Thanks, Karen!
David Findlay
I’m a big fan of this recipe! As a matter of fact I’m enjoying a bowl of it right now! It’s loaded with antioxidants but I triple the cumin and curry powder to boost it even more. So good! Sometimes I add sauteed shiitake mushroom slices which makes it even better.
Thank you Kate!
Kate
First hand experience, I love that! You’re very welcome.
Doug
I am no cook but this recipe could make someone believe I was. I would pay top dollar for this at a restaurant and be happy to do it over and over again. The only problem with the recipe is that it needs doubled. I’m 212lbs and ate half of it in one sitting.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Doug!
Pam Evans
I made your Spiced Vegan Lentil Soup today. Decided to cook it in my crockpot while I was gone during the day. (I did saute the carrots, onion and spices before adding to crockpot).
I absolutely love this soup and I have a feeling it will be a favorite this winter at our house! Thank you for the most delicious lentil soup ever!
Kate
You’re so welcome, Pam!
Tink Campbell
This was easy, very flavorful and appreciated by my family. I will make a triple recipe for freezing.
Kate
Thank you, Tink!
Miriam
Made this tonight. I might have slightly over-liquidized it but it was still delicious – very strong flavor. Mine came out like a thick, hearty winter soup (which is just right for tonight). Have doubled and will freeze half :-) Thanks again for another winning recipe!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Miriam!
Jamie
Loved this! In a house with 3 growing college boys who are NOT vegetarian, there were rave reviews. This is going onto our list of go-to meals! Thank you for such a delicious, hearty, and healthy soup!
Kate
Win! I bet you are busy! Thank you, Jamie.
Jenn
Made this for dinner tonight and I agree, it’s one of the best lentil soup recipes I’ve ever had. LOVE the little bit of curry flavor. My kids and hubby ate this right up too! Delicious!
Kate
Wonderful, Jenn!
Barb
I love it ! Made it many times and it has become a family favorite …
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Barb! Thank you for your review.
Elaine
I made this last week and my husband said its the best lentil soup he has ever had! I’m making it again today but added a cup of sliced cabbage and a can of black beans. We’ll see….
Kate
Hooray! Let m e know what you think if you change it up, Elaine!
Lynn Kell
Can’t wait to make this lentil soup today….I would like to double the recipe though as my 2 grown sons are living at home right now and eat ALOT! I’m always afraid to just double everything in a recipe though…Do you have any suggestions?
Kate
This recipe will work just fine if doubled. :)
Ian MacDonald
After tasting some foods, I say, “I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!” The foods are few, but this is one.
The flavor of this soup is phenomenal! There is just enough spice to raise it to the “warm” category; those who don’t enjoy “hot” foods will be fine with it, however. The only modification I made was to dice up some celery into it because, well, I like celery in my lentils.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Sincerely, Huntington Beach CA
Kate
Wonderful, Ian! Thanks so much for your review. :)
Jane T. Anders
Can I add potatoes to this?
Kate
If you like potatoes sure! I would recommend sweet potatoes!
Karen D.
This recipe turned out fabulous. Made it for a Church fellowship lunch, thinking I would have some leftover to bring home to eat later. Every bit was gone. Huge success! Very delicious recipe. Will make again.
Kate
That’s good (and bad if you wanted leftovers. :) ) Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Emily
I have made this lentil soup so many times, and it’s become my favorite go-to soup. I just made a batch today and felt so comforted after a hard week. I use red or green lentils, add red bell pepper and celery when I have it, sometimes skip blending, and once in a while toss some diced sweet potato in there. It works every time, no matter what! Thank you for sharing it!
Kate
You’re so welcome, Emily! Thank you!
Jessica
This was the best soup. I’ve already shared it with other people. Definitely going to make it again! Thanks!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Jessica.
Martha Mryglod
I made this soup today and it is incredible! Easy and quick to make; and so delicious! I’ve put some in my pint jars in the freezer and will share some with co-workers. I used an immersion blender and it worked fine for pureeing the soup. I give this 5 stars and will make it often!
Kate
Great! Yes, this does freeze well.
Sara
As I type this, there’s a big pot of this delicious soup simmering on my stove, and I figured it’s due time for a review, considering I’ve made this recipe 6 or 7 times now. It’s safe to say it’s one of my favorite soups ever (Katie’s African peanut soup is another fav) and my absolute go-to recipe when I am sick. I made this for the first time when I was under weather, and I felt exponentially better the next day. What a magical soup! I’ve started to add grated ginger or straight up ginger juice right at the end for an added immune kick. Thanks for another stellar recipe!
Kate
That’s a lot! I’m glad it made you feel better. Maybe I need to name it magical soup. :)
jaime
Why does it look like there are potatoes in the picture of the soup but not in the recipe?
Kate
They are actually carrots. :)
Johan
Can I do this with red lentils?
Kate
Red lentils tend to get soft/mushy quickly. I would recommend green or brown. Hope this helps!
Christine
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this recipe! This is BY FAR the best lentil soup I’ve ever had as well! Definitely a new staple in our home!
Kate
Thank you, Christine!
Sofia
I love this recipe! Definitely a go-to that I make fairly often
Kate
That’s fantastic, Sofia!
Kelsey
This soup is incredible! I’m a college student and don’t have a blender/immersion blender at school, so I just skipped the blending step. It still turned out to be delicious – I now have healthy and hearty dinner prepared for the week! Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
Kate
Happy to hear you like it, Kelsey!
Paula
The lentil soup was incredible. Best lentil soup recipe I have made. Loved by my whole family including 4 teenagers!! This post is long overdue. This is my first comment after spending all summer making one of your recipes almost every day!! Everything I have made is 5 stars!! I get so many compliments and tell everyone its all Kate. I just execute. Thank you.
Kate
Parent win! Thank you for the compliment.:) So glad you like this and many others!
Julia
I made Best Lentil Soup. So delicious. I used my canned tomatoes and Swiss Chard from the garden. Couldn’t believe how good it is. Will freeze some and give to grandkids to take to college. Thank You so much.
Camille
This is my go-to soup now!! I’ve made it more times than I can count. So delicious!
Kate
It’s a great go-to, I agree! Thank you, Camille!
Myranda
I always come back to this as a starting point when I am making curry lentil soup. I love this recipe! I did add a few ingredients including 3 stalks of celery with leaves, some tomato puree, turmeric, and veggie bouillon. So good! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks so much for the review, Myranda.
Grace
I have never commented on any sort of blog post before but I just wanted to say that I have made this soup probably10 times since I first found the recipe and I never get tired of it. It’s seriously the most perfect lentil soup! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe :)
Kate
I’m so glad you commented, Grace! You’re welcome. It’s a great repeat recipe!
Heather
I love this soup! It’s hearty yet the lemon juice makes it taste fresh. The lentils and greens make it feel healthy. The spices you use are perfect and the amount of heat is just right for me. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome! The lemon is key. :)
Stevie Sellar
Ive made this recipe countless times, it holds a special place in my lentil-loving heart as this was the first lentil soup I ever made!
I add a little tumeric and a lot of celery to the mix for extra goodness. I also use all my veggie scraps for the past month that I freeze as I go, and make a large batch of veggie scrap stock which I use in this soup. I always feel like I might wake a mega-human with all these nutrients I’m consuming in one sitting! Thanks Kate!
Kate
You’re welcome! I think we can all feel like a mega human when we eat this. :) I like that!
Vanessa
OMG Thank you for this recipe! I make lentils all the time and came across this recipe a couple years ago. These lentils are AMAZING! I follow the recipe exactly as it’s written. My family request it all the time and I’ve shared this link with numerous friends. Thanks again Kate! Yummmm
Kate
You’re welcome!
Curtis
It’s unbelievable how good this soup is! I make it every 2 or 3 weeks. I’ve forgotten to blend it a few times and it’s just as good. I sometimes add some fresh ginger root and sometimes used canned whole tomoates.
Thank you so much for posting this, I’m very grateful as it’s become a real staple for me!
Kate
You’re welcome, Curtis! I like the fresh ginger. I will need to try that!
Jo
Great recipe recommended by a friend! I made it twice in two weeks and shared with my sisters overseas as it’s an easy one and my kids enjoyed it too. We have it for dinner with a salad and then I send leftovers to school for lunch the next day. The lemon really adds something, don’t be tempted to skip!
Kate
The lemon sends it over the top! Thanks for your review, Jo.
Lauren
One of my favorite meals ever. I make this soup all the time and cannot get enough of it. I’ve tweaked my recipe a bit.. one being adding okra!! Love love love! Recommend everyone try!
Kate
Oh, that’s interesting! Thank you for sharing, Lauren.
Jess
Seriously delicious!
Kate
Thank you! Happy you loved it, Jess.
katie
So hearty and great for a rainy fall day. I have made this many times and it always comes out wonderful. Thank you!
Kate
I couldn’t agree with you more, Katie!
MTgirl
Absolutely the best lentil soup I have ever tasted! Made it exactly as written and even my four year-old loved it! It will be on permanent rotation throughout the winter! Thank you!
Kate
Hooray! Great to hear!
Lexie
Wow, the picture looked yummy but I was not expecting it to taste so amazing – I cannot get enough of it! The recipe makes enough for leftovers (thank god!) – it even tastes good cold. Honestly the best dish I’ve ever made with lentils!
Kate
I’m glad it surpassed your expectations, Lexie!
Abbey
The use of fresh lemon in the soup adds such a delicious bright acidity. Off the charts! Delicious!
Kate
The lemon is a lovely finish, I agree! Thank you, Abbey.