I make this lentil soup recipe all year round. It’s so good! I love the combination of spices and lemon in this simple soup. It’s so comforting. I don’t blend my soup like other lentil soup recipes, and I love the brothy texture of whole lentils and veggies. If you prefer blended soups, feel free to blend this one. It will be super creamy.
Key Ingredients
Lentils: I use brown or French lentils (a type of green lentil) for this soup. They cook up soft and tender, and they’re packed with fiber, B vitamins, iron, and protein, while being low in fat. We love lentils so much, we wrote an entire article about how to cook lentils. Garlic, onion, and carrots: These aromatics add delicious flavor, texture, and color to our soup. Ground cumin, coriander, and turmeric: These spices bring warmth, earthiness, and a vibrant golden hue. If you don’t have them on hand, some readers have substituted curry powder, which creates a different but delicious flavor profile. Broth: For a vegetarian/vegan soup, use vegetable broth. Otherwise, chicken broth works beautifully. Greens: A handful of kale or spinach adds more nutrients, flavor, and color to the soup. Lemon: Fresh lemon juice lifts all the flavors in the soup. I also like adding a few lemon slices to each bowl when serving. Fresh herbs: While optional, fresh dill or parsley adds flavor to the soup.
How to Make Lentil Soup
Like many of the soup recipes on Inspired Taste, this lentil soup recipe is incredibly simple. In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook onions and carrots until they soften and smell sweet. Next, toss in garlic, cumin, coriander, and turmeric and cook them briefly for about 30 seconds. This short cooking time allows the flavors to bloom and intensify. Before adding them to the pot, always rinse the lentils under running water. Then, give them a quick check to remove any stray beans, rocks, or grains that may have snuck in during packaging. Once the lentils are rinsed, add them to the pot along with the broth. Then, bring everything to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the lentils are soft. This usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Taste the soup a few minutes before serving and adjust the seasoning as needed. Then, stir in some greens and let them wilt slightly. Finally, serve the soup with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a handful of herbs. Add a few lemon slices to each bowl for a little lemony flavor. This is totally optional, but it’s pretty and adds even more lemony flavor.
Storing Lentil Soup
Lentil soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. (I actually think it gets better over time.) You might find that the lentils absorb some of the extra liquid as it sits in the fridge. To bring it back to a soup-like consistency, simply add a splash of water or broth before reheating. You can also freeze the soup. It should keep for several months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat before serving.
What to Serve with Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is already a hearty and flavorful meal, but you can add a side to round out the meal. I love serving this soup next to a slice of crusty bread, flatbread, or homemade focaccia. Garlic bread would be delicious, too. Serve this soup next to a light salad with your favorite dressing. I love this carrot ginger dressing or this green goddess dressing. This lemony arugula salad would be really good, too. 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups finely chopped onion (1 medium onion) 1 ½ cups chopped carrot (2 large carrots) 2 teaspoons minced garlic (3 cloves) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth 2 heaping cups shredded kale or spinach 1 to 2 lemons 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs like parsley or dill, optional Fine sea salt, to taste 2Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and turmeric, and cook for 30 seconds. 3Stir in the lentils and broth. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Taste, then adjust with salt (we add between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon depending on how well-seasoned the broth is). 4Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. 5Uncover the pot, stir in the kale or spinach, and cook, uncovered, another 5 minutes. 6Take the soup off the heat and stir in the juice of half a lemon and the fresh herbs. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and/or lemon juice. (I like quite a bit of lemon.) 7Serve, or if you prefer the soup blended, use an immersion blender to blend until you achieve your desired consistency. For even more lemon flavor, serve with a few lemon slices.
