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.
Ashley
How do the lentils in the photo keep their shape if the soup is put in a blender?
Kate
Hi! Some of the lentils will get blended, but not all of them if only blending suggested amount. I hope that helps!
Nancy
This soup is easy to make and is super delicious! I used an immersion blender in a 4 cup measuring cup while holding a piece of paper towel over the top. Using the immersion blender alleviated the mess of cleaning up a blender, and the soup was perfectly thickened without using flour or cornstarch. The flavors and aroma of this soup is out of this world! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Nancy!
COLE B JOHNSON
You only put a cup or two of the lentils in the blender then add that back to the pot.
Nikki
As well as you could probably blend a lesser amount of maybe non if you prefer the lentil texture.. itll turn out different but probably still delicious
Lynn
I’ve made this recipe twice now — I had never made lentil soup, or even bought lentils, before — and it’s a keeper! (The soups I make usually contain half as many ingredients, so that’s a high compliment, haha.)
I made some modifications based on ingredient preferences/tolerances/availability:
• I used half the amount of oil, or 2 tbsp. Because I made the recipe in a ceramic-coated pot, there was no problem with sticking.
• I don’t like onions and can’t digest them, so I avoid them when doing my own cooking. Instead I substituted two ribs of celery, with leaves.
• I *do* like garlic (very much!) but can’t digest it either, so I used 2 cloves rather than 4.
• I didn’t drain the diced tomatoes.
• We always have organic, low-sodium chicken broth on hand, so I used that instead of vegetable broth.
• Cumin: The first time I made the soup, the cumin seemed overwhelming when I first tasted it as it was cooling. By the next day, the flavors had blended more, and the soup had a nice tang. The second time I made the soup, I used 1 tsp. of cumin rather than 2… and I may go back to 2. Or maybe 1-1/2 tsp. will be a good compromise! ;-)
• I have a giant bag of a frozen, organic, spinach-kale blend, so I used that rather than fresh.
Such a good, hearty soup for the winter! Add some crusty bread… yum. Thumbs up!
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made it, Lynn. I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
Yasmin
My ma is Egyptian, and lentil soup is basically the Egyptian national dish. So when it comes to lentil soup, I have been spoiled. If I’m feeling down – lentil soup. Sick? Lentil soup is the only thing I will be able to stomach. Just got dumped? Lentil soup will make it better. I never manage to recreate the exact taste of her lentil soup but was pretty proud of what I thought of as THE dish that I had down pat. For some reason, I decided to actually follow a recipe and landed on your page… Kate (and Cookie!) this is the best lentil soup I have ever tasted. I won’t be telling my ma that of course but wow! Thank you!
Sylvie
I’m making this soup yet again as I type this. I LOVE this soup. The flavors are so comforting and it’s easy peasy. You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make it and so it always works, and its also filling.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Sylvie!
Nadia
Simply delicious.
Kate
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Nadia.
Melissa
Flavorful, easy, and delicious! Great job!
Kate
Thank you, Melissa!
Lori
Fantastic! I didn’t have any curry and this was still delicious. Making another batch tomorrow and I’m looking forward to great meals all week!
Kate
I’m excited you enjoy it, Lori!
Yasameen Imani
Hi there,
What can I substitute for the canned diced tomatoes?
Thanks
Kate
Hi, this is best recommended as written. Sorry!
cannedFoodDisrespecter
Uncanned tomatoes
M
If you have brushed tomatoes I put in a bunch of those after peeling them. Probably need to add a little bit more liquid but that’s a pretty malleable thing in this recipe anyway. I don’t think anything but tomatoes would really do though.
Liz
I used tomatoes I had in my freezer from my garden harvest, worked great!
MariAnn Paladino
I make this all the time. It’s so healthy and delicious. Thank you.
Dee Wright
Hi Kate – this is the BEST lentil soup ever!!!
Thanks for all your ideas, recipes, and thoughtful, funny posts!!
Love,
Dee
Aj
My first time making lentil soup and this was delicious. The lemon helped to balance the flavors. I cannot wait to eat tomorrow.
Heather
Delicious! My husband, grown daughter, and I all enjoyed this soup. I didn’t blend it to thicken it and I forgot to add the lemon juice at the end, but I mostly followed the recipe. Thanks! I will be making this on a regular basis.
CeciB
I made in my InstantPot and pressure cooked for 15 min. I meant to release after 10 min but got busy making cornbread and forgot until 20 min had gone by. I also put my immersion blender right down into the soup (still in the IP) and ran it for a short bit along the bottom until some of the soup was blended, leaving enough texture of the veggies otherwise. It’s good! Even better on day 2! I did need to add more salt for my taste.
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I know others will find this helpful.
Susie Hernandez
I’ve never used an Instant Pot before, can this lentil soup be made without the olive oil in an InstantPot ?
Jemma
THANKYOU so much for this recipe, it’s now a staple. I love collard greens but get a little bored of the sane ole’ saute etc. The mild curry, tangy tomatoes and warming broth is just perfect for any day of the week. It’s also budget friendly. I’m grateful.
Kate
You’re welcome, Jemma! I’m glad you love it.
Katy H.
So good! My whole family liked it, including my son who normally declares that he “hates” soup. I doubled the carrots and used more collard greens than the recipe called for because I am always trying to sneak in more vegetables. I will definitely make this again.
Sam
What is the amount of a serving? Nutritional info just states 4 servings . Thank you . Oh yes and delicious soup
Kate
Hi! One serving is roughly 1.5-2 cups. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
TRENA Fischer
Love love loved. Great taste and so nutritious. Thanks for the recipe! Trena
Dena
Oh my! I enjoy lentil soup when I travel but I’ve never made it in the past. Simple to make (took me an hour b/c of the boil) but it was wonderful! The lemon at the end was perfect, I’m glad it makes a big batch so I will have left overs.
Rhoadsfam
Really good soup! I followed the recipe to the T (1 tbsp of lemon juice) and the only thing I would alter is the salt. I’ll go down to a half tsp of salt next time.
Very satisfying meal. Thanks!
Colleen
This soup is one of my favorites. Last time I made it I used crushed tomatoes because I didn’t have the diced ones. It made the soup thicker and I found I didn’t need to do the blender thing.
Bev
Can canned lentils be used?
Thank you!
Kate
Sure, you will just want less liquid and not to cook as long.
Sandi Barg
It absolutely lives up to its name. This is truly the Best Lentil Soup. Super easy to make and loaded with flavor. I only modified the recipe slightly by adding celery to the onion and Savory seasoning. I used lots of fresh kale. This is a going to be a staple recipe I make often!
Grace Gower
Wonderful! Simmering now, and even in this early stage the flavour is amazing. I used frozen spinach as I had it on had, and only a tiny amount of cumin since I don’t like it usually. Thank you, it’s quick, inexpensive and tasty, and cheap!
Connie Somsen
Absolutely fabulous! I have made lentil soup several times and this is the absolute best recipe I’ve ever had. The curry!
I did use my immersion blender and blended it into a puree. For those that like a little bit of meat I sliced an andouille sausage in my food processor so it came out very very thin and added it to the soup at the end.
I love spice so I added extra red pepper flakes and topped my bowl with a dollop of sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt)
I omitted the greens as I didn’t have any.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Connie!
Kristina
We love this soup, it is absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe. :)
Kate
You’re welcome, Kristina! I appreciate your review.
Janet Hansen
Soup lives up to its name. It is truly THE BEST! Could not get enough. I used a block of frozen spinach instead of kale and red lentils which cook quicker. Great way to get my husband to eat veggies. Thank you!
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Janet!
Marie-France
I absolutely love this soup! It has become a staple during winter! I do wonder how many calories a cup of soup is though…. I tend to take 2nd and 3rd helpings lol
l
I made it according to directions, but it came out kind of bland. Added more salt and Parmesan on top, but not much flavor.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it as it. I appreciate your feedback.
Liane
Hi! Can red lentils be used instead?
Thank you!
Kate
Hi Liane, That may work. You will want less liquid and less cooking time. Reference my How to Cook Lentils
Maggie
I’m watching my sodium so I used tomatoes with no-salt added, low sodium vegetable broth, and half the salt. I doubled the carrots and greens (I used beet greens). Flavorful and delicious, thank you!
cristy mac
I love this recipe so much!! I have made it many times and it is always a favorite. Thank you
Margaret
I made this recipe and froze the leftovers. It is so yummy. I even enjoyed it one night over some leftover mashed potatoes which was excellent. I would definitely make this again in the future.
Kate
That’s great, Margaret! I appreciate your review.
Yvette Diaz
question. would this work with frozen spinach instead of fresh greens?
Kate
It would be different, but you could try it. You would want to thaw it and maybe squeeze out some moisture. Let me know what you think if you try it!
Tijuana Jenkins
Delicious! I didn’t use water in mine I used all broth and I used baby kale because that’s what I had on hand. It absolutely delicious!!
Karen
Absolutely incredible soup, and the fragrance through the house while making…divine! Thanks for the fabulous recipe, it is definitely a keeper!
Elise
I didn’t add the mixture to a blender and I added a generous amount of fresh ginger (highly recommend). Delicious!!
Kate
Thank you for your review, Elise!
Klaudia
I’ve made this stew TWICE now, and each time it’s been delicious! Such a staple recipe to have on hand, especially if you are two people, not wanting to cook two different dinners for a few nights!
Gerldine
I see comments on other recipes that red lentils go mushy, however that’s what I have. Will the recipe work with red lentils?
Kate
Hi, You can try it. I would suggest less liquid and shorter cooking time. Reference my How to Cook Lentils.
Denise
So good! I’ve made this recipe twice now and both times were delicious! The first time I made it I forgot to add the lemon and man, what a difference when added!
Both times rather than a can of tomatoes I substituted with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and I won’t make it any other way. Also, instead of curry powder I used paprika, cumin, coriander, thyme, oregano, and chili powder. Thank you for this inspiration. It’s a staple in my home now!
Kate
You’re welcome, Denise!
Vince
Made it, loved it! Missed the part to add lemon juice. Also used tortilla strips as a garnish. Thanks for the recipe. You can go a lot of ways with this base. Thanks again!
Kate
You’re welcome, Vince!
F Shelton
So delicious
Marlene OHaire Sandkamp
This soup was my New Years Day good luck soup. Eating lentils on Jan 1, according to my Italian frien,brings good luck in the New Year.
Minor modifications…28 ounce can of Crushed Fire Roasted tomatoes, Chk broth instead of Veg Broth..and fresh spinach instead of Kale.
I’ve made it again…and now it’s my fav soup! It truly is a great combo of flavors!
As for the Luck…we shall see!
Grace A Casalino
This is, by far, the best lentil soup recipe ever. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. This recipe is a keeper! By the way, I also love vegetables and dogs. Thank you!
Cyndi
I don’t have a blender on hand….any suggestions?
Kate
You can skip this step if you don’t have one. I hope you are still able to enjoy it!
nanabee
Great recipe, thank you. I added a few extra carrots and used the power greens I had on hand. I was too lazy with a cold to go to garden and find thyme, so left it out. Also added an extra clove of garlic, just because I could.
Nikki
Thank you for this recipe my son is a very picky eater and will almost never eat a dinner, this is one recipe I can rely on that he absolutely loves, as I do too
MariAnn
I make this all the time. Healthy and hearty.
Kate
Thank you for your review, Mari!
elizabeth
Such an amazing lentil soup recipe. like others, i had to make some modifications. I used a heaping tbsp of curry, and only about a 3/4 tsp of cumin. I chopped up 8 or 9 cloves of garlic and added a bit of crushed marjoram. i did not strain the tomatoes because the juice is the best part! i also used fire roasted tomatoes for extra flavor. i didn’t realize it called for collard greens until the end, all i had was bok choy, so i added it right at the end and it was a great healthy addition. i also forgot to add water but i had enough liquid from broth and the canned tomatoes. i also served this over white rice like a curry, with some flatbreads, it was great and people wanted seconds! i am surprised how quickly the dry lentils softened up, and i’m excited to use the rest of them in another recipe.
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made this one, Elizabeth.
Jean
After combining the blended portion with the rest of the soup, I did not have high hopes. Boy was I wrong! Trust the process! Add the lemon and you will taste the soup’s soul! Added some more salt, black pepper, and a sprinkle of cayenne. Originally was going to add spinach as I didn’t have kale on hand but ended up not adding any greens. This will be part of our regular rotation now. Thank you :)
Nore
I made your recipe tonight and it was spoon licking good! I added 1 small russet potato and 1 small sweet potato for a thicker stew consistency. My neighbor asked what was smelling so good when he walked his dog past my house. Thanks for sharing!!
Jennifer
So when a recipe says it’s “the best”, I’ve gotta try it…and this was no lie! My husband is a major carnivore & almost always turns his nose up at vegan/vegetarian dishes I make. Not tonight!! I’d already cooked our meal for the evening (zucchini soup with Italian sausage) so he was fed & happy…then I started making the lentil soup for tomorrow night. Oh my word, the aromas, the flavors…when the soup began to simmer & the aroma filled the house, the carnivore was in the kitchen hovering!!I got the kale added and let that cook & the smell, the taste, and the beauty of the dish just thrilled us! What a lovely dish, and so tasty…cannot wait to share tomorrow night & see how much more the flavors have melded!! Thank you for sharing this!!
Joyce Champagne
I’ve always put Italian sausage in my lentil soup. Not this time! Followed this recipe exactly as written and it is like an elixir! Today will be my second time making it!
Jerry
My one son needs a liver transplant and we really, as a family, have to cut down on meats. Being Polish it’s a problem as pork is a staple of Polish cooking. But we are trying vegetarian recipes to eat healthier. Thanks so much for this recipe. We loved it and will take the place of one of our meat-based winter soups.
Kate
I’m so sorry to hear that, Jerry! I hope he gets what he needs. Send your family good thoughts!
Tracey
I’ve been trying to find healthy recipes. I made this one and have never even tried lentils before. I’m not crazy about this recipe. I think maybe a cup of dried lentils is too much and too much cumin. It taste kinda like chili but something is missing. So it was ok but probably would not make it again.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. I appreciate your feedback, Tracey!
Linda
This soup is delicious!
My only suggestion is to use the tomato juice in the can and cut back on the water if necessary. Add more carrots if you like.
Well done.
Colleen Mahoney
Love this soup, rich flavor, nutritious veggies and pantry staples. Excellent!
Kate
Great to hear, Colleen!
Bill
Pretty good, but I threw in a roll of breakfast sausage. Really sent it over the top!
Jerry Weil
Can this recipe be adapted to an Instant Pot pressure cooker?
Kate
I haven’t tried it, sorry!
kathie vidmar
WOW! That’s a lot of sodium! How can I cut that down? I haven’t made it yet.
Thanks,
Kathie
Kate
More on my Nutrition Disclaimer. You can always omit the salt and add no-sodium added canned ingredients.
Chiara Martino Pera
This is undeniably the best lentil soup ever. My husband is not a fan of soups but asks me to make this for him all the time. Thank you for converting my husband into a Soup Nutzy.
Teri Murphy
Delicious!! I’m not a huge fan of lentils, nor is my husband, due them being mushy. I followed the cooking instructions and voilà. I used brown lentils which, from research, are less mushy than red. I added sweet potatoes like another commenter suggested. Will be adding this to our regular menu!! Trying to eat less meat, but still intake protein. Love that you added the nutritional facts!!
Kate
Wonderful to hear this one was a hit for your family, Teri! I appreciate your review.
Alice
Love this recipe! Make it frequently. Always add 1/3 more cumin and curry than you call for as we like a little more “ kick”. And no garlic as my husband hates it. Thank you Kate for creating these dishes!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Alice! That’s great to hear.
caroline
Love this recipe so much….. family and friends love it. Big success each time. I added 4 cups of spinach instead of kale and the juice of two lemons. Served with bread ….DELICIOUS !
Thank you
Rose
I’m a soup lover and this one was delicious. Very minor changes based on personal taste. I upped the kale to probably 2 cups and did not blend. I thought the thickness was just right without blending. Another great recipe from C+K!
Ed
Our family’s favorite with one minor addition: after blending add 2 small sweet potatoes (diced) and simmer for 10 min before adding greens. Sweet potatoes add a nice texture and flavor contrast to already perfect soup. Thanks for the recipe!
Dalene Stasak
Even my “I don’t like lentils” family members loved this soup! Yay! After rave reviews from all the family my kids asked me, “Are you going to leave a review?” Of course! I googled “best lentil soup recipe” and I found it. Thank you, Kate.
Joanne Renee Marie Francis
This is definitely the BEST lentil soup ever!!!
Kate
Thank you, Joanne!
Mary Loftin
I love this recipe. I followed the directions the first time (unusual for me) and it was amazing. I have made it several times since then just kinda winging it in the spirit of the recipe (my more usual style) and it has been delicious every time. Today I used red lentils and, apparently a little too much hot curry, and once again loved it. The tomato-cumin-curry combination is perfect.
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Mary!
April Warner
Great!
Nancy Jean Cushing
7.2 bites
Shannon
Loved it. I made it in the morning before work, had no lemon juice and no time to juice a lemon. Next time I’ll be sure to add the lemon juice as I’m sure that would’ve complimented it well, but it was already delicious without. Worst part was leaving for work with a piping hot container I couldn’t eat until lunch!
Patty
Another one of your recipes to become a staple. ❤️ Just skipped the blending.
Susie Hernandez
Can this lentil soup be made without the olive oil ?
Kate
Hi Susie, I recommend this recipe as written. I do believe some have tried it without oil and didn’t mind the results.
Anissa
Hello! I want to make this dish heartier and keep it vegan. Could you tell me, if I wanted to add potatoes, at what point you would put those in, and if you would make any other changes?
Kate
Hi Anissa, I would add them at the same time as the other vegetables.
Mallory
I made this for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I can’t stop thinking about it lol. Seriously one of my favourite dishes of all time!! So flavourful and delicious. I could eat it everyday.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Mallory!
Trish
Oh Wow! And I didn’t have any lemons. I literally cannot wait to try for lunch and dinner tomorrow with the lemons I will definitely pick up at market. I was planning on making a fancy dinner for guest coming in from out of town tomorrow….I’m sticking with this!
Julie
Really liked the soup. The cumin overpowered the soup. Next time I will add less cumin and more curry.
Lise
This is the best, excellent lentil soup, thank you!
Francesca Nowak
Hi Kate! In the past I’ve always made traditional Lentil soup or stew with bits of ham. Well this is my new favorite Lentil soup!!! I’ve made it 3 times this winter. I love the flavors and the fact that it’s more brothy…my husband can’t eat curry so I leave it out but otherwise this is my new go-to Lentil soup!! Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Francesca!
Linda
Delicious. Truly the best lentil soup!
kait
why no celery?
Kate
I find this best as written. I hope you try it!
GK
Oh yeah, this was delish! I used/substituted some ingredients for what I had on hand – dried lentil trio (red split, black, and green lentil mix), store bought tomatoes, chopped (instead of canned diced), less onion, added chopped celery to make up for lack of onion, garlic powder instead of fresh (I was somehow out of fresh)…still very yummy, thank you! I also rinsed and soaked my dried lentils while at work all day because I thought that’s what you’re supposed to do with most dried legumes.
Rin
I’m a meat lover, but my dad eats a plant based diet, so I cooked this for him while I’m visiting home. Super easy and tasty, and we found it very filling with a side of crusty bread!
Kate
Great to hear, Rin!
Frances Cowan
Hi Kate!
Finally commenting after so many delicious & refreshingly simple recipes from you. For this soup I adjusted out of necessity the following with excellent results . Just 15.5 oz of crushed tomatoes with juice, no water ( to compensate for the missing 15.5 oz of tomatoes) just veg broth . My kale was way past its prime BUT I had beet greens which totally rocked it into the stratosphere !
Making it again today .
Thank you so much for your knowledge & expertise.
Frani
Chery
I’ve made this soup three times and I’m working on the forth. My husband and I both absolutely love love love it! We split it up in soup containers I found on line. One of the containers is just right for the two of us, so we have soup for the week for lunch. Thank you so much for the recipe. I don’t change a thing.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Chery! I appreciate your review.
Janet
This is a delicious recipe! Thank you very much for all the probable research and tinkering that you do before posting such a winner of goodness. I will definitely be making this again.
Kate
Great to hear, Janet!
Miranda
Loved this recipe so much! The flavors and spices are perfect. I used canned brown lentils because that’s what I had on hand. Have you ever tried this soup with coconut milk?
Kate
I haven’t, sorry! I’m glad you enjoy this version.
Jerome
This is definitely the BEST lentil soup recipe. The end result is a delicious and warm treat with plenty of spice to it, to keep anyone warm on a cold day.
Kate
Great to hear, Jerome! I appreciate your review.
Cathy
I made this and it was delicious!!! I don’t have an immersion blender, so I took a cup and mashed it. I offered my father some and why did he eat the ENTIRE LEFTOVERS!!!! I was a little annoyed, but hey, he is 80 years old so he needs to eat healthy. Just went to the grocery store to make again!!! Btw, I followed the recipe, but I didn’t use lemon.
Lillianne Currier
Have made this numerous times. Very easy to assemble and the fragrance from the spices are exceptional. I have served this to friends and family and everyone loves it. So happy I found your recipe.
Kathleen
We eat a LOT of lentils! This is my go to lentil soup recipe because you can tinker with it. We don’t eat onions due to digesting issues, so I dice up some fresh red pepper. Adds some color to this soup. I use celery along with the carrots. I use Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base for the liquid. I use spinach since I always have a bag of that on hand. Baking some homemade cornbread right now and looking forward to a warm comforting dinner on a very soggy southern California day.
Christine S
This soup is so easy to make and it is scrumptious! I’ve made it several times now and only modification I did was last time when I didn’t have kale/collard greens, I used baby spinach instead and that was fine! Love this soup so much!
Kate
Great to hear, Christine!
Bethany
This soup is delicious – I added a cubed delicata squash and nutritional yeast, doubled the greens and omitted the cumin (only because I was out). Perfect for a chilly winter Sunday evening. Thanks!
Terri Farley
This was the perfect dinner tonight. My family loved it. The only thing that I did different is I used Nusalt instead of salt as my husband needs to have lower sodium, I also added a little Monk fruit to help balance the tomato taste. (I always add a little sweetener to my tomato based sauces, such as spaghetti sauce.) I agree that it is the best lintel soup I have ever had.
Sara Ann
I am on a severely salt-restricted diet so I can say that this is very delicious, even without salt. I had a can of whole tomatoes instead of diced and used the entire contents, breaking up the tomatoes in the pot with a spatula, and substituting the liquid that was in the can (about 1 cup) for a cup of the water. I also used a combo of homemade chicken broth (I had just made it) and vegetable broth for the rest of the liquid, with good results. I had spinach on hand so I used that instead of the kale, but I would splurge on the kale next time as the spinach, while tasty, doesn’t hold up as well as kale. Spice quality is key to this recipe and I use Penzey’s.
Regina Tatum
I googled lentil soup and this popped up first. I had everything so I decided to make it. It was simple, very easy to assemble and cook. I just turned the pot off and tasted it. I added the lemon juice after turning off. It is delicious! I do meatless Mondays and it a cold rainy day. This is perfect. I cant wait to serve myself a bowl. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sam
This was sooo good! Thank you!
Hannah
This is my third time making this soup, me and my family absolutely love it! Have actually only just spotted the lemon juice addition at the very end so can’t wait to add that once it’s cooked now.
My second time I made it with 1/4 of a butternut squash because I didn’t have any carrots – which I cut up very small and it cooked through in the half an hour. Butternut squash also squishes easy which was a nice added texture.
Also I didn’t blend any of the soup because I don’t have a hand held blender and didn’t want to cause a big clean up. Still super delicious!! Thanks for this recipe it’s now a family fave :)
Jenavieve
This has been my favorite soup recipe for years! Its my go to! I love it and I tell all my friends about it. Thank you C+K!
Kate
Wonderful, Jenavieve!
Glenn
It really is the best lentil soup!
MJ Leger
I made it according t the recipe, you can use either chicken, beef or vegetable broth. After cooking, I used my immersion blender in the pot to partially blend it to make it thicker but still leave some of the lentils whole. I used Italian stewed tomatoes and added a little roasted garlic/basil tomato sauce to it, and just a little sugar to cut the acidic It was delicious. I lowered the salt a little, added a little bit of turmeric in with the cumin and a dash of oregano, because I use a lot of herbs in my cooking for the medicinal benefits! The soup was d delicious and a hit, everyone loved it! I served it with hot garlic bread.
I often add spinach and kale mix to my lentil soup and less tomatoes but didn’t this time. (Carrots will provide sweet to the soup.)
Tom Oyston
Absolutely delicious.
Make this Quite often Absolutely delicious.