The Best Lentil Soup
The Best Lentil Soup- a classic lentil soup recipe that’s perfectly seasoned and brightened with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
Although I have several lentil soup recipes on my site, it wasn’t until recently that I discovered what I consider to be the best lentil soup. That’s not saying I don’t love the other recipes, but they’re not what you would call a classic version. One that starts with a mirepoix, includes plenty of fresh garlic and is seasoned with bayleaf.
So I set out to develop a version that I could deem my go-to lentil soup. I was inspired by Alton Brown who’s recipe features the basics along with a few key seasonings like coriander, cumin and grains of paradise.
If you’re like me then you’re probably wondering what the heck are grains of paradise? Apparently it’s a spice that’s closely related to cardamom and ginger. Sounds fantastic, right? Don’t worry, we’re not including them here. I’m not one for exotic ingredients that all of us are going to have a hard time finding. Instead I shifted to a more savory gear and replaced it with ground chili powder. Basic but it works perfectly, especially paired with coriander and cumin.
How to Make The Best Lentil Soup
- Soak your lentils. I know not everyone likes to plan ahead but when it comes to legumes, it’s worth it to give them a good soak prior to cooking. This helps reduce phytic acid which improves digestion and absorption of all of those incredible nutrients.
- Sauté the fresh aromatics. Cook the onion, celery and carrot with salt then add garlic and seasonings.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, lentils, and broth. Gently boil the lentils just until they are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Squeeze in fresh lemon juice. The lemon is a must here as it brightens the flavor and really takes it over the top.
- Serve warm and enjoy! I love topping my lentil soup with a sprinkle of cashew parmesan and fresh herbs like finely chopped cilantro or parsley, although that’s totally optional.
Please let me know if you give this soup a try! Your feedback means everything to me and I love hearing from you.
Looking for more soup recipes? Check out some of our favorite soups:
- Dairy-free Potato Soup
- Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- 15-Minute Tomato Soup
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
- 5-Ingredient Black Bean Soup
The Best Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil, I like avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup lentils, picked and rinsed*
- 15- ounces diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leafs
- squeeze fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and salt then cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
- Next add the garlic, coriander, cumin and chili powder. Stir to combine and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.
- To the pot, pour in the rinsed lentils, diced tomatoes with their juices, and vegetable broth. Add the bay leafs then bring liquid to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over top then stir to combine. Serve warm with cashew parmesan and enjoy!
Such a cozy looking lentil soup! Definitely just what I need in this cold weather
Ohhh how I love a good lentil soup! Perfect for getting through the rest of the winter (which will hopefully not be too long!!)
I love all the spices you used in this soup recipe! It all sounds so flavorful :)
I love a good lentil soup and this one sounds fantastic! I feel like all I’ve been doing is making soups lately but I have no plan of stopping anytime soon!
Great tasting soup but you left out the amount of garlic to use so I just used a couple of cloves
Sorry about that! It’s supposed to be 3 garlic cloves. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!
It is a snowy day and this soup hit the spot. We also missed the garlic but still so tasty. We also used a touch of red wine vinegar instead of the lemon. Very good. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I just updated the instructions to include the garlic. Sorry about that. Thank you for the review! :)
Hello,
I tried your Best Lentil soup and it is absolutely delicious!! Great flavor combination and the lemon is superb!!
I was looking for the cashew cheese recipe but didn’t see it although I do have a recipe for cashew cheese.
Yum!!
I’m so glad you liked it! I apologize for not including the recipe for the cashew parmesan. I just added it to the notes for future reference. Thank you for the review! :)
Hi lovely ! If I use cooked lentils how much lentils are needed ? Thank you!!! I love your recipes!!!! Xoxo
I would say about 2 cups! The dry lentils absorb some of the liquid so you may have to reduce the vegetable broth. I would start with 2 cups then add more as needed. :)
Hi! I really like your recipes! I have a question. Can I use safflower oil?
Yummy soup! I added more broth before serving to make it soupier. We (my cousin Sandra) and I had this soup for lunch yesterday with almond Parmesan cheese and guacamole and chips. Sandra is not quite fully on the vegan wagon, and our old lentil soup recipe called for quite a bit of meat. She loved this plant based version. And even tried the plant based Parmesan. This recipe is a keeper!
I love hearing that! Thanks for the feedback, Susan!
I stayed very true to the recipe as written. I made this without soaking the lentil prior and added a jalapeno for spiciness and I loved it! I will soak the lentils next time to combat the phytic acid problem. Super hearty and filling and perfect for all you non-vegans (like me!) who are intimidated by the vegan label. Will definitely keep in my soup rotation. Thank you! Question: If you don’t pre-soak the lentils, does the extra cooking time deal with the phytic acid and displace it?
Thank you for the review, Jeffrey! I believe that soaking is the best way to reduce the phytic acid. I’m sure the cooking process remove some of it but from my research (that I did years ago so this could have changed) soaking is the way to go. But if you don’t notice any difference in your digestion when not soaking them then you can always skip that step!
Is there a good substitute for chili powder (it has garlic in it) and garlic as I have a garlic allergy? Glad I found your site. Your recipes sound delicious. Thank you for your reply.
Sorry to hear you’re allergic to garlic! My best advice would be to make a homemade chili powder (usually a combo of paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder (omit this) onion powder and cayenne). If you store in a sealed container it should last for up to 6 months and you can use it in other recipes as well. :)
Question: you didn’t say how long to soak the lentils…
It’s listed in the notes of the recipe! Usually around 6-8hrs, but that step is optional if you’re short on time. It will just require a longer cooking time if they aren’t soaked. :)
Was a big hit! Doubled everything so I could freeze half for later. Paired it with homemade bread. We didn’t have coriander so I just used more cumin. I used a little less of the chili powder because I’m a weakling with spiciness. I also dumped a lot of garlic in there. But it was delicious.