Meet the BEST lentil soup recipe! Made with dried lentils, fresh vegetables, flavorful spices, and hearty greens, it's simple, nourishing, and delicious.
This lentil soup recipe might surprise you. Sure, it’s simple. But that doesn’t mean it’s bland or boring.
This lentil soup is packed with hearty greens, tender vegetables, and fiber- and protein-rich lentils. Fresh herbs and spices fill it with complex flavor, and a splash of vinegar adds a delicious tangy kick.
It’s not just my best lentil soup recipe—it’s one of my best recipes, period. It’s been a staple in my rotation for years. I love that it’s easy to make with mostly pantry ingredients and that it’s nourishing, warming, and satisfying. If you ask me, it’s the perfect healthy dinner for a winter weeknight (save any leftovers for lunch the next day!). I hope you love this classic lentil soup as much as I do.
Lentil Soup Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lentil soup recipe:
- Lentils, of course! I recommend using green or French green lentils because they hold their shape in the soup, adding satisfying texture. Brown lentils are also a fine option. Don’t use red lentils here—they’re too mushy for this recipe.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- Onion, garlic, carrot, and celery – They create the soup’s aromatic base.
- Fresh kale – You’ll use the whole leaves, stems and all!
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – I love the smoky flavor that fire-roasted tomatoes add to this soup. In a pinch, regular diced tomatoes will work here too!
- Vegetable broth – Make homemade vegetable broth, or use store-bought.
- Fresh thyme – For citrusy, woodsy flavor. I like to bundle whole sprigs together with kitchen twine. Then, I add the bundle to the soup like a bay leaf, removing it before serving. Bundling the sprigs like this is SO much quicker than picking and measuring the leaves.
- Cumin – The secret ingredient! It adds savory, earthy depth of flavor.
- White wine vinegar – It gives the soup a bright, tangy kick.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Variations
Don’t have these exact ingredients on hand? These swaps work nicely:
- Replace the kale with another leafy green like fresh spinach or Swiss chard.
- Use 1 teaspoon dried thyme instead of the fresh sprigs.
- Replace the celery with 1 small fennel bulb, diced.
- No vinegar? No problem. Finish the soup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
How to Make Lentil Soup
This lentil soup recipe is easy to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, kale stems, and cumin. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, about 8 minutes.
Next, simmer the soup. Add the garlic, tomatoes, lentils, vinegar, thyme, and broth.
Cover the soup and cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes or so. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
Finally, add the greens. Cook until they wilt, about 5 minutes, and then season to taste.
Serve the lentil soup in bowls topped with garnishes like fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, and/or red pepper flakes. Enjoy with crusty bread!
Love cooking soup in the Instant Pot? I have an Instant Pot version of this recipe! Check out my Instant Pot Lentil Soup.
How to Store Lentil Soup
Got leftover soup? You’re in luck! It will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
I actually like this soup better leftover. The flavor only improves as it sits in the fridge!
Can you freeze lentil soup?
Yes, this vegan lentil soup is freezer-friendly! Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then seal it in airtight containers or jars, leaving an inch for the soup to expand at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this lentil soup, try one of these nourishing soup recipes next:
- Minestrone Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegetarian Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Tomato Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Best Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 small or 3 large kale leaves, stems finely diced, leaves chopped (8 cups)
- Heaping ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- ¾ cup dry green lentils, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 12 fresh thyme sprigs, bundled
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, kale stems, cumin, salt, and several grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, lentils, vinegar, thyme, and broth. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Add the kale leaves and cook for 5 minutes, or until wilted.
- Remove the thyme bundle and season to taste. Serve topped with the parsley, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
Lentils- the workhorse that is always delish! This recipe is a welcome staple to the rotation.
This recipe lends itself to kitchen creativity! I had French de puy lentils as well as a quarter cup or so of brown lentils so I did a mix. Added more carrots and celery roo.
Did you change this recipe? what happened to the old one 🙁
The old one is here now, sorry for the confusion!: https://www.loveandlemons.com/curry-lentil-soup/
Amazing soup & the hubby already asked for me to make it again 🙂
I’m so glad you both loved it!
Great recipe, easy and tasteful. Would substituting crushed for diced work as well??
Hi Dianne, I think crushed tomatoes would be fine here.
Hi Elizabeth, I like Frontier Co-op’s curry powder!
Very delicious and such a snap to make but yet with a complex and lovely taste. The very fresh french green lentils cooked just fine with the oven roasted tomatoes. I used an immersion blender at the end and kept it nice and thick and served it with rice.
Hi Cie, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
OMG, this soup is phenomenal. I followed the recipe exactly, and this is the best lentil soup I’ve ever made.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Just made this and it’s delicious!!! I replaced the water with chicken broth. Thank you for your amazing recipes
Hi Kiran, I’m so glad you loved it!
I cannot find fire roasted tomatoes.
What else do you suggest?
Hi Karen, just regular canned diced tomatoes will be great too.
Why is is this not in the Live & Lemons cookbook I purchased?
Hi Regina, the cookbook recipes are unique to the books and aren’t the same as the ones on the blog.
Absolutely delicious! I did have to cook the lentils for more like 40 minutes to get the texture we like, but that was no trouble.
I don’t like to eat out, but can only make easy, quick recipes that are not too hard on my back and hands; this one is *well* within my abilities, though.
Thanks so much– I will be making this regularly!
This was EXCELLENT. One of my favourite soups now. I don’t care for tomatoes so I replaced the diced tomorrows with a Mango salsa, it reduced the amount of tomato and added a nice extra sweet and tart flavour. Would recommend!
This soup is so good! I made it for dinner last night. I had all of the ingredients on hand. It was simple to make but has a lot of depth of flavor and texture. Delicious!!!
Hi Pamela, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe! Can’t stop eating it!
This soup is a big hit! Wow, I have had a lot of lentil soups and this one far exceeds any lentil soup I have ever had even in restaurants. Thank you very much! Followed the recipe exactly and it is perfect!
I LOVE this soup!! I make it at least once a month for my weekly meal prep. So good!! Thanks for so many great recipes ♥️xoxo
I’m so glad you’ve loved it!
Delicious!!!
I did it exactly as the recipe says and it’s my favorite lentil soup. I’ll definitely make it more times.
Agreed! This soup is seriously good. My new favorite lentil soup too.
I blended it smooth.
This looks amazing! Would this translate well to a slow cooker?
This soup is a part of our bi-weekly rotating soups. 🙂 yummy, soooo good!!!
So glad you love it!