This Lentil Soup recipe is hearty, healthy, filling, budget friendly and absolutely delicious. Lentils are simmered with vegetables and spices in a tasty broth. This simple homemade soup is the absolute best lentil soup ever!
We eat soup for dinner at least once a week and more during the winter months. Don’t miss any of my best soup recipes like this creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup and this Black Bean Soup.
I love having soup year round and this easy lentil soup is one of my favorite soups. This vegetarian lentil soup recipe is satisfying, nutritious and naturally gluten-free. You can make it ahead of time and it freezes well.
Most likely you already have all the ingredients needed to make this lentil soup at home. Now you are one-pot and 45 minutes away from a healthy bowl of pure comfort food!
🔎 Do You Have To Soak Lentils Before Making Soup?
No. It is not necessary to pre-soak lentils. You can read about how to prepare and how to cook lentils of every variety plus all my tips about cooking with lentils. I provide instructions on how to cook lentils on the stove top, the crock pot and the Instant pot/pressure cooker.
✔️ Lentil Soup Ingredients
- Oil: I use olive oil to make this recipe.
- Vegetables and Aromatics: Onions, carrots, celery stalks and fresh garlic.
- Lentils: I use brown lentils because they are readily available year round.
- Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes.
- Broth: You can keep this lentil soup recipe vegetarian by using vegetable broth. You can also use chicken broth.
- Seasonings: Ground coriander, ground cumin, ground all-spice, ground ginger, salt and ground black pepper.
- Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice.
🔎 How Do You Make Lentil Soup From Scratch?
- Heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin, ground black pepper, all spice and ginger and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils become tender. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Stir in the lemon juice.
- To make the soup creamier without the use of any cream, you can puree some of the soup using an immersion blender, or using a regular blender, blend about 2 cups of the soup until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir to combine. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
🔎 Is Eating Lentil Soup Good For You?
The answer is absolutely yes! Lentils are healthy, nutritious and a great source of plant protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Lentils are naturally gluten-free and low in calories.
🔎 What Type Of Lentils Is Best For Lentils Soup?
You can make homemade lentil soup with any type of lentils, but for this lentil soup recipe I prefer using dry brown or green lentils. Green and brown lentils have a mild, hearty and earthy flavor and although they hold their shape, brown lentils tend to be a bit creamy as a few always seem to break apart just a bit. Red lentils break apart easily and become mushy if cooked for more than 15 minutes. French lentils are great in salads and side dishes as they hold their shape and are firmer.
🔎 Can I Make Lentil Soup In The Instant Pot?
Yes! This recipe for lentil soup can be made easily in the Instant Pot/pressure cooker. You can find specific instructions for making lentil soup in the pressure cooker in the printable recipe card.
✔️ Instant Pot Lentil Soup Directions
- Sauté: Turn the sauté function on. Heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté until the onions become translucent. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin, ground black pepper, all spice and ginger and stir to combine.
- Cook on High Pressure: Cook on high pressure for 11 minutes.
- Release the Pressure: When the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure by doing a quick release. Stir and season to taste. Stir in the lemon juice.
🔎 Can I Make This Lentil Soup Recipe In The Slow Cooker/Crock Pot?
Yes, lentil soup can be made in the slow cooker. You can find specific instructions for making lentil soup in the crock pot in the printable recipe card.
✔️ Crock Pot Lentil Soup Directions
- Heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a sauté pan or skillet.Add the the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté until the onions become translucent. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin, ground black pepper, all spice and ginger to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours or until the lentils become tender. Season and stir in the lemon juice.
✔️ Storing and Freezing Lentil Soup
✔️ Storing
This soup recipe will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Cool the soup completely before storing it.
✔️ Freezing
You can freeze lentil soup for up to 3 months. Store the soup in a freezer safe container or resealable bag. I like to store the soup in smaller individual portions for convenience.
✔️ Reheating
Place the soup in a pot and reheat over medium-low heat until warm through. If the soup seems too thick, add a little bit of broth. Smaller portions can be reheated in the microwave.
Frozen lentil soup should be thaw out in the refrigerator overnight.
✔️ Lentil Soup Variations
- Add Yogurt: Make this soup creamy by adding plain yogurt.
- Fresh Herbs: Add chopped fresh cilantro, fresh basil or fresh parsley.
- Add Greens: Stir in fresh spinach or kale.
- Add Bacon: Start the soup by cooking bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and discard all but about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat. Continue with the recipe as written. Garnish the soup with the crispy bacon.
- Spice it Up: You can add cayenne pepper or hot sauce to the soup.
Hosting this year?
Which Thanksgiving Are You Hosting?
I wrote four complete menus so you can plan only the dinner you can actually pull off. Each one has its own shopping list, oven schedule and hour-by-hour plan.
✓
Cooking for 2–4
Menu 1 · Turkey breast, one oven, planned leftovers
✓
A classic dinner for 8–12
Menu 2 · Brined turkey, half the work done Wednesday
✓
A big crowd, 12–16
Menu 3 · Ham and slow cooker turkey; guests bring the rest
✓
Vegetarian guests
Menu 4 · Stuffed acorn squash with mushroom gravy
Free 40-page printable, with a thawing chart, a “What can I bring?” sheet and my fixes for when things go sideways.
Lentil Soup Recipe Tips
- Rinse the lentils under cold running water before adding them to the soup.
- Lentils don’t require any pre-soaking!
- Don’t skip the fresh lemon juice! It adds freshness and brightness to the soup.
- I prefer brown or green lentils to make this soup. If you use red lentils, reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes.
- Use vegetable or or chicken broth to make this soup.
Take a look at these other easy soup recipes:
The Best Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 cup celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounces) can diced tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Juice from 1/2 lemon, (about 2 teaspoons)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and sauté, stirring frequently until the onions become translucent, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin, ground black pepper, all spice and ginger and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30-35 minutes or until the lentils become tender. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- To make the soup creamy without adding any cream, blend some of the soup with an immersion blender to your desired consistency or by using a regular blender, blend about 2 cups of the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and stir to combine. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
To Make Lentil Soup In The Instant Pot
- Sauté: Turn the sauté function on. Heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté until the onions become translucent. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin, ground black pepper, all spice and ginger and stir to combine
- Cook on High Pressure: Close the lid and seal the pot. Cook on high pressure for 11 minutes.
- Release the Pressure: When the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure by doing a quick release. Stir and season to taste. Stir in the lemon juice.
To make Lentil Soup In The Slow Cooker
- Heat the oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a sauté pan or skillet. Sauté until the onions become translucent.
- Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, coriander, cumin, ground black pepper, all spice and ginger to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours or until the lentils become tender. Season and stir in the lemon juice.
Chef’s Notes
- Rinse the lentils under cold running water before adding them to the soup.
- Lentils don’t require any pre-soaking!
- Don’t skip the fresh lemon juice! It adds freshness and brightness to the soup.
- I prefer brown or green lentils to make this soup. If you use red lentils, reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes.
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