Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is classic comfort food at its finest! With protein-packed lentils and plenty of fresh veggies, this soup is a nourishing one-pot meal that’s also incredibly easy to make. It cooks in about an hour, most of which is hands-off simmering time. It’s one of those classic homemade soup recipes that will keep your weeknights stress-free.

Learn how to make lentil soup on the stovetop and create a simple meal that everyone will love. Serve each warm bowl with a slice of crusty bread, and watch your family smile! This meal may just become a staple in your home. After all, it’s hard to resist the best lentil soup recipe.

Ingredients for Lentil Soup

• Lentils: I recommend using dried brown or green lentils for this soup. These sturdy lentils won’t break down into mush during the cooking process.
• Oil: We use a little canola oil to cook the vegetables. Feel free to use olive oil or butter in its place.
• Vegetables: Like most soup recipes, this lentil soup recipe starts with sauteing mirepoix, a fancy French cooking term for a mixture of diced onions, celery and carrots. Then, four cloves of minced garlic are added for pungency.
• Herbs and spices: A mixture of dried thyme, ground cumin, paprika, bay leaf, salt and pepper create an earthy, woodsy, savory flavor.
• Chicken stock: While you can totally use the best chicken broth instead of chicken stock, know that stock and broth are slightly different. Stock is made with animal bones, and broth is made with meat and vegetables, making it a bit thinner than collagen-rich stock.
• Crushed tomatoes: Grab a 15-ounce tin of crushed tomatoes for this lentil soup recipe. Fire-roasted tomatoes would add a lovely smoky flavor.
• Fresh parsley: It’s optional, but we love finishing this soup with a sprinkle of vibrant green parsley.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the vegetables

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In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook, stirring, until they’re softened, six to eight minutes.

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Add the garlic, salt, thyme, cumin, paprika, pepper and bay leaf. Cook for one minute longer.

Step 2: Simmer the soup

Stir in the lentils, chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Step 3: Puree to thicken the soup

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Partially puree the soup to the desired consistency using an immersion blender. If desired, sprinkle with parsley.

Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer 1 or 2 cups of the soup to a regular blender to puree. Stir the pureed portion into the rest of the soup to give the soup a thicker, creamier texture.

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Recipe Variations

• Don’t puree it: I like to puree a small amount of the soup to give the dish a thicker, creamier texture. If you don’t want to bother with this step, that’s fine. The soup will still be delicious!
• Make it vegetarian: You can make this a vegetarian lentil soup recipe by using vegetable broth (or vegetable stock) instead of chicken stock.
• Include bacon: Chop up four slices of bacon and cook them in the Dutch oven over medium heat until they’re crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Bonus: You can cook the vegetables in the leftover bacon fat instead of canola oil! Just before serving the soup, garnish each bowl with the bacon bits.
• Add sausage: Add a pound of bulk Italian sausage or any other sausage of choice. Brown the meat in the Dutch oven, then remove the sausage and set it aside. Drain the grease and proceed with the recipe as directed. Return the sausage to the pot after pureeing the soup and let it warm through.
• Use ham: Simmer the soup with a meaty ham bone or smoked ham hock to add a rich, smoky flavor.

How to Store Lentil Soup

Before storing your lentil soup, let it cool to room temperature. You can portion the soup into airtight containers so it cools more quickly, but don’t snap on the lid just yet. Stir the soup every five minutes to help it cool evenly. Once it’s at room temperature, close the lid on the container and store it in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze lentil soup?

This easy lentil soup is one of those soups you can freeze and enjoy later—it’s one of the reasons we can’t stop making it! Transfer the cooled soup to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge or simmer it gently from frozen in a saucepot.

Lentil Soup Tips

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What should you serve with lentil soup?

This soup is thick, satisfying and perfectly filling on its own, so it doesn’t need to be served with anything else. That said, it’s never a bad idea to pair the soup with slices of crusty French bread or sourdough, buttery cornbread, homemade buttermilk biscuits or a light, crisp salad like our autumnal spinach, apple and pecan salad.

Do you have to soak lentils before cooking them?

No, you don’t have to soak the lentils before cooking them. That’s yet another reason that this soup is so easy! Just rinse the lentils and pick out any irregular or bad ones before adding them to the pot.

Is lentil soup healthy?

Everyone has their own definition of “healthy,” so the answer will vary from one person to another. However, lentils are generally considered an excellent source of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, folate and niacin. They’re also rich with plant-based protein. This soup also includes vegetables, making it a good addition to any balanced meal.