Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup
Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup- prepared with fresh leafy greens and tart lemon juice. All you need is 5 ingredients and 30 minutes to make it! (vegan, gluten-free+ grain-free)
Okay, so listen. I know this soup isn’t going to win any beauty contests but you have to trust me when I say that it tastes WAY better than it looks. And the ingredient list is crazy short which is always a plus, right?
The idea for this recipe came from the intense lemon craving I’ve been having over the last couple of months.
I’ve been using them for salad dressing, avocado toast, cookies, you name it. It’s like my body knows they’re in season and wants me to eat them with everything. Especially soup, because it’s freaking cold.
You know what else in season? Dark leafy greens!
Our patio garden is flourishing with them right now. We planted little seedlings back in October and now they’re UUGE. I almost don’t want to eat them because they’re so big and pretty. But don’t worry, I will. :)
My favorite to way to cook leafy greens is sauteed with shallot in olive oil along with a touch of vegetable broth, lemon juice and crushed red pepper. Simple yet SO good. But rather than just have them as a side item, like I usually do, I decided to add some lentils to the mix and call it dinner.
The end result is nourishing and hearty with a touch of lemony brightness.
Plus, between the lentils, the greens and the lemon juice, it’s also a good source of protein, fiber, and vitamins A & C, making it the perfect plant-based meal to get you through a cold winter night.
I hope you love it as much as we do! If you end up trying it, please let me know by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. It always brightens my day to hear from you!
Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup
Yield: 4 bowls
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 40
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 bunch leafy greens such as swiss chard, chopped
- 4 cups vegan chicken broth (I like Better Than Boullion’s No Chicken Base)
- 1 cup water
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions:
Start by warming the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Next, add the chopped greens and crushed red pepper (if using) then stir together. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the greens are slightly soft. Add the lentils to the pot along with the vegan chicken broth and water then turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender, then turn heat to low.
Squeeze the juice of two lemons into the pot and stir together. Ladle into separate bowls, serve warm and enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by rating the recipe, leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback! 
Goodness, this looks and sounds delicious. I have a cough and am a bit under the weather so this broth-y soup with it’s tart lemon and the goodness of greens and lentils seems just the thing to appeal. Handy that I happen to have all the ingredients. This is what I shall be eating tonight. Many thanks!
Thanks Sara! I hope you love it and that it helps you feel better soon!
I eat this everytime I’m sick now! Tbh, my son and I thought it looked gross lol but once we tasted it, omg, superb! And it really does make you feel so much better when you’re sick. I use Kale though, as Swiss chard isn’t available at my store ☺️
This is such a healing tummy soup!! Love the lemon! Lemon and lentils are always good together!
Seriously LOVE the idea of adding lemon to soup! I never would have thought of it. And the dose of vitamin C will help with iron absorption from the lentils and greens too ;) Also, I know how tricky it can be to make things like soups, curries, etc. look good, but I think you made this look delicious!
Can I get a woo hoo for iron absorption?! ;)
This recipe is actually so perfect, because I’m going home Sunday and trying to avoid grocery shopping before then and just living on things in my pantry. Pretty sure some of the main things I have are lentils, kale, and lots of lemon. Yay!!!
Awesome! I hope you get a chance to try it, Emilie! :)
I just wanted to come back and say it really is feel good food. The lemon adds a zing that is just delicious. The whole thing is really tasty and I really enjoyed it. Lucky for me I’ll eat some more tomorrow. I also put a potato in (chopped with skin still on – I like my wholefood carbs!). I just loved it and will be eating it plenty more times I am sure. Thank you :)
Yay! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Sara! Potato sounds like a delicious addition. Thank you for letting me know! :)
Oh how I could so use a huge bowl of this right now! It sounds so fantastic! We just got back from a quick vacation to Arizona and I mayyy need a bit of detox from all the food and wine. haha Pass me a bowl stat! :)
The lemon craving is real! I go through them like crazy and am planning to plant a lemon tree in a few months. They grow really well in the dessert.
I agree! A little lemon in desserts is like magic!
I never think to make lemon the star of my recipes–poor, poor lemon. This soup sounds divine, and I’m glad your greens are HUUUUUGE. Send some my way, will you? :D
You MUST give lemon the attention it deserves! ;)
Hey, don’t insult the soup- it’s gorgeous! I had a similar lemony soup at a Greek restaurant once for my birthday and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since- totally got to make this :) Pinning!
Aw, thanks Medha! :)
Oh yum! I’m obsessed with lemons. I feel like everyone in my office is getting sick, so I’ve been downing citrus like crazy and banning people to the doorway so I don’t catch it too.
I know, everyone is sick right now! Citrus is our only hope! Besides banning people from our bubbles, lol. ;)
I will be making this! Lemons? Yes please! Soup? Yes please! And GREENS? Can I get an Amen? They are my favorite veg! Thanks for the recipe!
AMEN SISTER. :) xoxo
I’m a big fan of squeezing fresh lemon juice on things too, especially avo toast and salad dressing….and lentils are always a winner in my book. I’m all about healthy, easy soups, and this looks like just like that!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think this soup is beautiful. haha Everything about it sounds delicious to me, because I love lemon, lentils, and leafy greens, and it is freaking cold! This is just perfect…pinned. :)
This soup is perfection! Garrett has had a super sore throat the last few days so everything so he’d only been interested in eating soup. All the vitamins and all that lemon would definitely help him bust out his cold, so I should puh-robably be a good gf and make this for him :)
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Very good soup. I love anything lemony too, and this really filled the bill. One of the things that I like about using lemon is that it helps me curb my salt habit. If you make something lemony enough, you need little or no salt. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I agree, Vivian! Lemon is a great way to use less salt. I’m so happy you liked it! :)
I made this soup last night. So so good! Highly recommend it for a healthy and nutritious meal. I added carrots and celery and used kale for my greens. Turned out great!
Thanks Sarah! I love your additions, they sound delicious. I’ll have to try that next time! :)
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This soup is amazing! I made it last night using my Palouse Brand Brown Lentils! If you need a place for great lentils, check out their site, they ship direct from the farm and tell you what field the lentils grew in! http://www.palousebrand.com
I used my Palouse Brand Brown Lentils, too, and it was amazing! I only found about them (Palouse Brand) about a month ago. This soup is the 2nd lentil dish I’ve made and it’s amazing. It’s very hearty and filling. I have been using 2 cups of baby spinach instead of the swiss chard and we really enjoy this. The lemon makes the soup!
Love this soup!!!!! Just made it – can’t get enough. This is my new favorite !!!
Yay! I’m so happy you like it. It’s one of my favorites too! :)
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Hello :) I’ve been looking for that no chicken base but there isn’t any in my area and I can’t seem to find a reasonably priced option online. Where do you get yours, please?
I usually buy mine at Whole Foods. I just checked Amazon and for some reason it’s crazy expensive! Here’s a website that has a similar price as Whole Foods: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/better-than-bouillon-vegetarian-no-chicken-base-8-oz-jar
I hope that helps! :)
Thanks a bunch! :)
You’re welcome! :)
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Wow this hits so many different parts of my palate! ;-) There’s nothing better than nourishing, comfort food. Thank you for this. Can’t wait to give it a whirl.
Thanks Shaz! I hope you love it!
This was so simple and delicious. I used onion instead of shallot and a bag of frozen chopped kale to keep it easy. It only took 20 min, not 30, until my lentils were done. I thought one lemon was enough so stopped there. So so good and healthy and easy. I plan to make this a weekday staple!
Hi Dana, I’m so happy to hear you love this soup as much as I do! I like the idea to use frozen kale to make it easier. Thank you for the feedback! :)
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This looks amazing. I’m going to try using vegetable broth instead of the no chicken base. Thoughts?
Hi Jayne! I personally prefer the flavor of the no chicken broth for this recipe but I think vegetable broth will still be delicious! :)
I made this tonight for my dinner. Loved it and so easy to make! I used vegetable broth (didn’t have any chicken type) and it was delicious. Love the lemon flavor. I was nervous about using two lemons but it was delicious! Will be a regular in my house from now on. :)
So glad to hear it works well with regular vegetable broth! Thanks for the comment, Katherine! :)
This is one of my favorite and easiest soup recipes ever!! It’s so tasty and comforting, and so easy to add any extra veggies too. Thank you for sharing, I’ll tell friends about it all the time!
I’m so glad you like it, Kristie! Thank you! :)
Love it. Added fresh coriander at the end with the lemon juice.
It’s the dead of summer here in Northwest Arkansas but I still made this soup. It’s so satisfying and delicious, and citrusy. I’m so glad I stumbled upon your site whilst perusing Pinterest for lentil soup.
I’m so glad you liked it, Jennifer! Thank you for the feedback. :)
How much soup does this make, I am single so it’s just me. It sounds yummy. How long will extra servings last in the fridge, and can it be frozen then re-heated instead? Thanks
Hi Cathy! The recipe makes enough for 4 bowls and will keep for about 4 days in the refrigerator. I haven’t tried freezing it but I think that would work just fine. You can always half the recipe to make 2 bowls as well!
Cathy, I just pulled some from the freezer that I made back in July. I didn’t even bother defrosting it…I let it defrost while simmering. It was delicious! I added an extra squeeze of lemon to finish it.
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I made this once so far and am going to make it again tonight. I cannot believe how delicious it is with just simple ingredients! I did use veggie broth instead bc it was what i had on hand but it still tasted great. Thanks for posting!
This is a great recipe for chilly weeknights: super easy and my son loved it. You can make it even easier by using precooked lentils and boxed broth (Trader Joes). I will definitely make this again.
So glad you enjoy it, Julia!
Delicious! I only used one lemon, and it was plenty. I also added 1/2 tsp salt, which was perfect. I was tempted to up the red pepper flakes, but did not, and that was a good decision. I definitely would use the 1/4 tsp, though – perfect touch to elevate this soup to something special. Quick and easy, freezes well. Any greens work (I have made it several times by now!). Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks, Sarah, for this AWESOME recipe!!! I’ve never written a review for a food blog before, but this easy, delicious and nutritious soup is inspiring. I’ve made it many times now with whatever greens I’ve had on hand and I’m always pleased with the result. My favorite was with escarole, but kale and chard are yummy too. Yesterday I used chard and cilantro and topped with grated parmesan and can’t wait to enjoy it again for lunch. Going to try your lentil loaf and tom kaa next. Keep up the great work!
My review should show five stars but looks like four and a half. Would give it ten if I could!
Aw thanks so much, Janice! I’m so happy you enjoy it. Thank you for the review!
Delicious! I wanted something simple and healthful and found this. I had to adapt it a fair amount based upon what I had in the house: frozen chopped kale, onions instead of shallots, vegetable broth as I’m out of the No Chicken base…but even with all my tweaks it’s still delightful. The lemon in it just sings. Thank you for the lovely recipe.
I’m glad to hear it worked out well for you, Amanda!
So, so good! Love the bright, clean flavor profile. We doubled this and added baby potatoes as recommended by another. Also added a head of garlic (for the double batch). Yum!!! So good! I had leftovers tonight.
Sounds amazing! Thanks Jen!
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We love this soup! We do add lemon zest and small potatoes. Yum!!!
Love the idea to add potatoes! Sounds so good!
One of my favorites! I made a few modifications – I combined 2 veggie broth cubes with 4 cups of water, I only added 1/2 cup green lentils, and then I also added celery, frozen peas, mushrooms, asparagus, and baby kale leaves. So so yummy.
Love this soup! I’ve made it Sooo Many times. I do use lemon zest and baby spinach, only because it’s easier to get than swiss chard. Great to keep in the freezer too. Thank you!
There isn’t a recipe I’ve made more often over the years than this one! I love the simplicity and the fresh, hearty, lemony wholesomeness of it. My favorite soup!
Loved this soup! We did double the broth(we like our soups very brothy.) Even my 9 year old enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!!! It’s going in our family cookbook!