Lentil Vegetable Soup - The Plant Based School (2024)

Here’s a delicious, easy lentil vegetable soup with a flavorful, hearty tomato base and nourishing green or brown lentils.

This recipe is made with simple ingredients, is excellent for year-round weeknight dinners and meal prep, and is a healthy and wholesome homemade meal.

Table of Contents

• What is Lentil Vegetable Soup?
• Lentil vegetable soup video
• How to Make Lentil Vegetable Soup
• Serving Suggestions
• Variations
• Tips
• Questions
• More Lentil Recipes
• More Soups with Legumes
• Lentil Vegetable Soup Recipe

Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.

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Since you all loved our classic lentil soup, Turkish lentil soup, Moroccan lentil soup, curry lentil soup, and red lentil soup, we are sure you’ll enjoy this lentil vegetable soup recipe.

It packs incredible flavor and nutrition; it’s ridiculously easy to make with simple pantry staples in one pot and with little hands-on time.

The lentils make the dish nutritious and fulfilling, packing it with texture, wholesome plant protein, iron, and heart and gut-healthy fiber.

The flavor base with onion, garlic, carrot, celery combined with oregano, thyme, cumin, and canned tomatoes make the vegetable lentil soup so flavorful you won’t believe there’s no meat and dairy in it.

Like our 20+ lentil recipes – think of lentil chili, Mujadara, lentil loaf, lentil tabbouleh, lentil pasta, and lentil curry – lentil vegetable soup is excellent for meal prep as lentils keep well for 4 to 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.

Inspired by Mediterranean and Italian flavors, this lentil soup recipe will feel comforting and familiar while excitingly new and original.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Dried lentils

You can use dried green lentils, brown lentils, or black lentils for this lentil soup recipe. They cook in about 30 minutes and keep an al-dente texture we love.

Here’s everything to know about how to cook lentils and how to cook black lentils.

Can you use canned lentils? Sure you can. But add them later as they tend to overcook and lose their bite.

Olive oil

We recommend extra virgin olive oil to make the flavor base.

Extra virgin olive oil has a higher polyphenols content, making it more stable (healthier) at high cooking temperatures, so we always recommend it for most preparations.

You can substitute avocado or other vegetable oils for extra virgin olive oil.

Onion, carrot, celery

Onion, carrot, and celery are a classic combination of French and Italian cooking for soups and stews. We use white or yellow onions.

As they gently sauté in the olive oil, they develop remarkable sweet, acidic, and umami-rich compounds that make the soup richer and tastier.

Substitute thinly sliced leek or shallots for the onions.

Garlic

If you like garlic, you’ll love it in lentil soup. You can grate, crush, or finely chop it with a knife before adding it.

Herbs and Spices

You can use dried herbs or fresh herbs for this recipe. We recommend thyme, oregano, and ground cumin.

You can also use rosemary, sage, and bay leaves.

You can experiment with turmeric, curry powder, and smoked paprika; add one teaspoon at a time, taste, and adjust for more if required.

Vegetable broth

For weeknights, we use store-bought vegetable broth. This way, the soup is quick and easy to make in one pot.

If you are on a low-sodium diet, you can use a reduced-sodium vegetable broth and play with the spices to make the soup tastier.

Canned tomatoes

There are many types of canned tomatoes you can choose for this recipe. However, we generally go for canned diced tomatoes.

Alternatively, you can use fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, whole canned peeled tomatoes (smashed with a fork before adding them into the soup), or fresh ripe tomatoes (chopped into chunks).

We tried making this with tomato purée, and while the flavor was excellent, we missed the chunky texture of diced tomatoes.

Leafy greens

You can be creative here and add your favorite leafy green. Choose from spinach, curly kale, Lacinato kale, chard, bok choi, Chinese cabbage, and more.

You can substitute other vegetables for the leafy greens.

For instance, try diced sweet potatoes, diced potatoes, chopped bell pepper, quartered mushrooms, cauliflower florets, and broccoli florets.

You can use fresh or frozen leafy greens and veggies.

Salt and pepper

We recommend sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can also add red pepper flakes should you like your soup with some heat.

Toppings

You can top the soup with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley or cilantro (coriander), quick pickled red onions, grated parmesan cheese, dairy-free cheese, homemade croutons, pita bread, or a thick slice of toasted crusty bread rubbed with fresh garlic.

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

1. Start with the flavor base

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.

Add coarsely chopped onion, celery, and carrot, and sauté them on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir often to prevent the veggies from burning.

Add grated garlic, ground cumin, and sauté for one more minute or until you smell their fragrant aroma.

Note: this initial soffritto, or flavor base, adds a ton of flavor to the soup, so we recommend not rushing it and letting the veggies soften and sweat for at least 5 minutes.

2. Simmer gently

Add the dry lentils to a sift and rinse them under running water to remove soil and debris.

Also, check for small stones that might hide between the lentils.

Add the lentils, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pot.

Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then crack the top open and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked but still with a slight bite.

Stir occasionally to prevent the soup from sticking.

Note: Smaller lentils might cook faster; larger lentils might take a few minutes longer.

3. Make it creamy

Pay attention if your pot is enameled, as the blender might scratch the bottom of the pot.

Note: This is an optional step, and the lentil vegetable soup is also delicious without blending it.

4. Add leafy greens

Stir in your leafy greens of choice (we use spinach here) and simmer for a few more minutes until the greens wilt (3 minutes for spinach – 8 minutes for kale).

Add more vegetable broth or water to reach your desired consistency, then taste and adjust for salt before serving.

Lentil vegetable soup is a satiating main course, but you can also serve it as a starter in smaller portions.

Remember to serve it with fresh lemon juice on top to boost flavor.

Optionally, serve it with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, warm pita bread, focaccia, or a thick slice of toasted crusty bread.

Tip: Rub the warm toasted bread with fresh garlic to infuse it with aroma, then drizzle it with good quality EVO oil and a pinch of salt. That’s how this soup is eaten in Italy.

You can also serve vegetable lentil soup withhomemade croutons or with crunchy10-minute oven-baked crostinito sop up the soup leftovers.

If you feel like adding a side dish, we can recommend the following:

• Side salad(leafy greens, cherry tomatoes, grated carrot, lemon vinaigrette).
• Green bean salad(green beans, tomatoes, shallots, feta or vegan feta, mustard dressing).
• Shaved Brussels sprout salad (Brussels sprout, dried cranberries, walnuts, maple syrup).
• Fennel and orange salad (fennel, orange wedges, pomegranate seeds, black olives).

Moroccan lentil soup

Moroccan lentil soup is Louise’s favorite soup and one of the most loved recipes on this blog.

It’s easy to make and combines earthy lentils with delicious North African spices and a fabulous hint of cinnamon.

This one’s delicious with a dollop of Greek-style yogurt, quick pickled red onions, fresh cilantro, and warm pita bread.

Check out our Moroccan lentil soup recipe.

Turmeric and potato lentil soup

Add a teaspoon of turmeric and two medium-sized peeled and diced potatoes to this vegetable lentil soup for an Indian twist.

Sauté the turmeric with the cumin at the beginning of the recipe.

Add bite-sized diced potatoes with the lentils, which have the same cooking time.

Substitute butternut squash chunks, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin for potatoes.

The potatoes become beautifully tender and are infused with turmeric flavor. Also, lentils and turmeric are an excellent match, so we are happy to recommend this variation.

Italian lentil soup

Wholesome, hearty, and packed with Italian flavors, Tuscan kale, and herbs, this Italian lentil soup is our go-to when we want to make something everyone loves!

It’s easy to make, with simple pantry staples, nourishing, fulfilling, and delicious.

Check out our Italian lentil soup recipe.

Curry lentil soup

Curry lentil soup is similar to lentil vegetable soup but adds tender potato chunks and curry powder for an extra je ne sais quoi.

You’ll love this take on lentil soup as it’s warming and comforting with an Indian twist.

Check out our curry lentil soup recipe.

Red lentil soup

Don’t have green or brown lentils at hand? Make this split red lentil soup instead.

This 30-minute one-pot meal combines creamy split red lentils with aromatic herbs like rosemary, bay leaves, and cumin to create the perfect combination of earthy flavor, creamy texture, and wholesome nutrition.

Check out our red lentil soup recipe.

Questions

Make Ahead: Lentil vegetable soup is excellent for meal prep as you can refrigerate it for several days or freeze it for months. Also, the soup tastes better on the second and third days than freshly made because the flavors have time to meld.

Refrigerator: Let the soup cool down completely at room temperature, then transfer it into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: Let the soup cool down completely at room temperature, then transfer it into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw & Reheat: thaw in the refrigerator over several hours or in the microwave with a thawing function. Warm it in a pot on the stovetop for a few minutes or in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Avoid reheating it multiple times.

Are you looking for more lentil ideas? Here are some of our best lentil recipes for you:

• The best lentil curry
• Turkish red lentil soup
• Italian lentil pasta
• Mujadara (Lebanese lentils and rice)
• Lentil bolognese
• Meaty lentil loaf
• Lentil carrot salad
• Lentil hummus
• Cauliflower lentil salad
• Lentil sweet potato salad

Check out our compilation with more than 20 delicious lentil recipes.

Here are some more recipe ideas with wholesome and delicious legumes:

• Creamy kale soup
• Tuscan soup with white beans
• Chickpea soup
• Moroccan Harira soup with lentils and chickpeas
• Easy chickpea soup
• Black bean soup with cilantro and lime
• African peanut stew

For more curries, stews, and soups, check out our soups category page.