Ready on the stove in under 60-minutes, this vegan lentil soup recipe is a hearty dinner great for feeding a crowd! Made with almost all pantry-staples, you can have the ingredients for this cozy soup on hand all winter for when the soup cravings strike.
Lentil soup! Could any soup sound more boring? Probably not.
But where it lacks in naming, it makes up for in flavor. And simplicity. And hearty, bone-warming deliciousness.
You’ll love This Lentil Soup
This lentil soup is such a bowl of comfort – you’re going to love it! It’s:
- Ready in under an hour, and most of that time is just spent letting it simmer away.
- A one pot meal, so clean up is quick.
- Made with pantry staples, meaning you can keep the ingredients on hand for when the craving for soup strikes!
Lentil Soup Ingredients
- Mirepoix: This is just a fancy word to describe our flavor base – onion, carrots, celery and garlic!
- Spices: Smoked paprika, salt, pepper, coriander, and cumin bring major flavor to this soup.
- Vegetable Broth: You’ll need 8 cups of broth, which can come from bouillon cubes, 2 cartons of broth, or you can make your own veggie broth!
- Crushed Tomatoes: Did you know tomatoes are a great source of umami (savory) flavor? They add a delicious dimension to this lentil soup.
- Brown Lentils: The star of the show! You’ll need dried lentils here. We’re using brown, but you could use another type of lentil (black lentils work well here).
- Lemon Juice: Right before serving, lemon juice brightens up the flavors of this dish. Don’t skip it!
Are lentils healthy?
Hi friends, Sarah here (the nutritionist and food scientist behind the recipes!). Lentils are a nutritious legume that are a great source of plant-based protein! They’re also packed with fiber, so they’ll keep you full for a while.
How to make Lentil Soup
Making this soup is so simple. You’ll basically just:
- Cook the flavor base until soft and fragrant
- Make it a soup by adding in your broth, lentils, and tomatoes
- Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon and some crusty bread!
Storage
- Fridge: This soup stores well in the fridge for about 5 days, so it’s great as a vegetarian meal prep!
- Freezer: This freezes well, thanks to the hearty texture of the lentils. It stays good in the freezer for about 3 months.
Serve It With
We’ve been loving serving this lentil soup with:
- Cornbread Casserole: We’ve been reheating pieces of this cornbread in the air fryer until they turn a little crispy. So good with this soup!
- Gouda Grilled Cheese: Dunked into this soup, so good!
- Vegan Garlic Bread: Make it while the soup simmers, ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter can sub dairy-free or oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 cup diced carrots 2 to 3 carrots
- 1 cup diced celery 3 to 4 ribs
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp each salt, pepper, ground coriander, and cumin
- 8 cups vegetable broth 1.9 L
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb pound brown lentils 425 g
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- To serve: parmesan, Italian parsley, bread
Instructions
- Flavor Base: In a large pot, heat 2 Tbsp unsalted butter over medium. Add 1 medium yellow onion, 1 cup diced carrots, 1 cup diced celery, 4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and ½ tsp each salt, pepper, ground coriander, and cumin. Cook until onion is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Make It Soup: Add 8 cups vegetable broth, 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, and 1 lb pound brown lentils. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 45 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
- Serve: Before serving, squeeze in fresh lemon juice and stir. Serve with grated parmesan, Italian parsley, and crusty bread.
Katie says
Hello 🙂
Why is there so much sodium in this soup?
Sarah Bond says
The vegetable broth and salt add up! For a lower sodium version, try a low sodium broth and reduce the amount of salt 🙂