Lentil Soup

Meet the BEST lentil soup recipe! Made with dried lentils, fresh vegetables, flavorful spices, and hearty greens, it's simple, nourishing, and delicious.

Lentil soup

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 recipe ingredients

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!

Sautéing onion, carrot, and celery in Dutch oven

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.

Adding diced tomatoes to pot

Next, simmer the soup. Add the garlic, tomatoes, lentils, vinegar, thyme, and broth.

Adding lentils to soup pot with vegetables

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.

How to make lentil soup - pouring broth into pot

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.

Stirring kale leaves into pot of 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.

Best lentil soup recipe

More Favorite Soup Recipes

If you love this lentil soup, try one of these nourishing soup recipes next:

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Best Lentil Soup

rate this recipe:
4.97 from 590 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 4 to 6
This easy lentil soup recipe is healthy and delicious, filled with fresh veggies, herbs, and spices. Serve it with crusty bread for a simple weeknight meal! Skip the cheese to make this recipe vegan.

Ingredients

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

Store leftover soup in the fridge for up to 4 days. If it thickens too much in the fridge, stir in a little water while you reheat it to reach your desired soup consistency. This soup also freezes well.

 

827 comments

4.97 from 590 votes (170 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Lynda
    01.15.2024

    So fresh and healthy. I added extra paprika and cumin.

  2. Jodi Sergent
    01.15.2024

    5 stars
    This is the first lentil soup I’ve made that I actually liked. Could not find fresh thyme so used dried.

  3. Lindsay Porto
    01.15.2024

    5 stars
    So hearty and warming for a cold winter night. Don’t skip the vinegar, it adds such a nice round flavor to this soup!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  4. Nicole Holdgate
    01.15.2024

    5 stars
    A great way to deliciously pack a bunch of veggies into your day. I made my own Veggie broth using a stash of frozen kitchen scraps the day before and it gave such fresh flavor to this soup.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  5. Katie
    01.14.2024

    This soup was SO delicious! I forgot to grab kale at the store, so I left that out, but I had about 1.5 cups of leftover cubed butternut squash from another recipe, so I decided to add that into the soup as well – it was GREAT! I loved the thyme flavor and felt it really shone through. I also followed the directions for timing for each step, adding the squash in during step 2, and I really appreciated how the vegetables were cooked perfectly – not to mush. Even the leftovers were fabulous.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Katie, I’m so glad youo loved it!

  6. Miriam Miller
    01.14.2024

    So delicious! I’ve never added tomatoes to my lentil soup and we really liked it

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Miriam, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!

  7. Jenn
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    I really enjoyed this, but the fire-roasted tomatoes were too spicy for my spice-adverse daughter. The flavor was great for me, and it felt lighter than my go-to lentil soup recipe.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Jenn, I’m glad you enjoyed it.

  8. Nancy Miner
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    Wonderful winter soup recipe. I made this soup for a friend recovering from knee replacement surgery. It was nutritious and delicious and perfect for this arctic blast that is hitting us in Austin, Texas. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I hope you stay warm! I hope they enjoyed the soup 🙂

  9. Ruth Walker
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    So Good! I followed the recipe with no substitutions (no cheese though) and it turned out wonderfully!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  10. Kelly Ehley
    01.14.2024

    4 stars
    Wonderful recipe! I have been looking for a nutritious soup to pack for weekday lunches and this is it! I love that it is not only delicious but packed full with vegetables.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

  11. Brianna Pickett
    01.14.2024

    This was so nourishing and delicious on a cold winter evening!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Briana, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  12. Janet Briggs
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    Delicious! The white wine vinegar added an important dimension to the flavor. I needed much more simmer time for the veggies to reach the tenderness I prefer, but that’s the only modification I’ll make to the recipe. This will be part of my regular soup rotation.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Janet, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  13. Rebekah Shaffer
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    It’s 8 degrees outside so soup is perfect! The flavors are really yummy together. But next time, I will let the soup simmer 45 minutes or so. At 30 minutes, they weren’t as soft as I like veggies in a soup.

  14. Mara Altman
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    So easy and tasty! I added some sweet potato to use it up. Would make again.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  15. Sharon Beach
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    This is easy to make and looks beautiful with all the fresh vegetables. I used some white/yellow carrots too. I probably added more kale than your recipe called for, but I REALLY love kale in soups. The only addition I did was a bay leaf during the simmer phase. It is delicious.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Ha, I really love kale too, I’m glad you enjoyed!

  16. Lisa Strehlau
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    This soup is so good! I loved it and it was pretty easy to make. Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so happy to hear!

  17. Sally Wahl
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    Delicious! Used lemon zest and fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. Added more spices and fresh herbs. Appreciate the tip on using green lentils as they don’t get mushy.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  18. Cristi Clark
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    This is quite possibly the best soup I’ve ever eaten, much less made. Absolutely delicious exactly as is!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  19. Allie Fritz
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    I made this and it was so delicious! I could see adding even more lentils next time. Used dried thyme instead of fresh and it was fine. We served it with bread and it was perfect.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      Hi Allie, I’m glad you enjoyed it!

  20. Janna Pizarchik
    01.14.2024

    5 stars
    Perfect soup for chilly winter days!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.15.2024

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.