Traditional Lentil Soup Recipe

This Traditional Lentil Soup Recipe is simple, delicious, and budget-friendly. Healthy and packed with plant-based protein, it's naturally vegan, gluten-free, allergy-free, and made with nutrient-packed lentils, vegetables, and comforting herbs and spices! An easy and quick one-pot meal that's perfect for weeknight family dinners or meal prep you can freeze!

I think I have created the ultimate lentil soup recipe! Naturally smoky and earthy brown lentils, with the simple soup veggie trifecta of celery, carrots, and onion. Add comforting spices and fresh herbs...simmer it all in one pot until you have fragrant, warming perfection! Hearty and filling, so all you need to pair it with is a piece of gluten-free garlic bread and call it a day! There are a few extra special ingredients that really help elevate this soup and make it the best lentil soup, but you'll need to stick around and see for yourself.

Why You'll Love This Healthy Lentil Soup

Traditional lentil soup is naturally a healthy meal. The classic combo of lentils, veggies, and a flavorful broth makes it perfect for the winter months and one of those feel-good meals when you're feeling under the weather. Lentils are one of the best budget-friendly sources of vegan protein with 12g per half cup, cooked! This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, super kid-friendly, and totally customizable! Soups are always a forgiving dish to make since you really can't mess up the flavors or ingredients! This homemade lentil soup is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Coconut-Free, Corn-Free)
• Grain-Free + Sugar-Free
• Kid-Friendly
• Customizable Add-Ins
• Quick, Budget-Friendly, & One-Pot
• Simple Ingredients
• Make-Ahead, Meal Prep, & Freezer-Friendly
• Great Light Lunch or Easy Dinner

Ingredients For Traditional Lentil Soup

• Brown Lentils: Brown lentils (often just labeled "lentils" in the store) are the hearty star of the show for this soup! A 12-ounce bag of dried lentils, slightly more than 2 cups dried. They have so much earthy smoky flavor on their own and won't turn to complete mush even if you leave the soup pot to simmer for a bit too long.
• Olive Oil + Garlic + Onion: Every good soup starts with sauteed garlic and onion. The most basic and essential aromatics that make everyone who steps into the house say, "Mmm, what's cooking?"
• Celery + Carrots: The basic formula for a classic lentil soup includes the simplest veggies, including celery and carrots. Honestly, two veggies that seem to be almost always essential in a good cozy soup!
• Tomato Paste: One of 2 secret ingredients. The concentrated flavor of tomato paste adds so much depth to the soup. It adds to that subtle smokiness I always talk about with the lentils! Of course, a slight tomato flavor without chunks of tomato, and adds incredible flavor to the broth.
• Lemon: The other not-so-secret ingredient is some freshly squeezed lemon juice. This really brightens up all the flavors in the soup and ties it all together, trust me!
• Fresh Herbs: I love dill and lentils together. You totally can use parsley, even cilantro. If you want to use dried herbs, you can go for thyme, sage, or rosemary. Also, let's not forget the bay leaf, which helps break down the oligosaccharides in the lentils!
• Spices: You can add whatever you want, in whatever amount you want (again, another reason why it's so hard to mess up a soup!). I am using and suggesting that you use cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper. We are clearly going for that deep smoky comfort food vibe. Salt should only be added at the end of cooking to avoid hindering the lentils from getting soft.
• Vegetable Broth: To really make this soup broth flavorful, use a high-quality low-sodium vegetable broth or stock. Don't use all water since you'll never get the broth flavorful enough, but you can try half broth and half water, but make sure you season the broth extremely well!

Ingredient Substitutions and Add-Ins

• Potatoes: I almost added these, but then it wouldn't be traditional! However, by adding a starch like white potatoes or even sweet potatoes to the soup, you won't even have to worry about serving the soup with a side like gluten-free bread (well, maybe). If you add white potatoes, add canned potatoes, chopped, or dice whole white potatoes, and add them to the celery and carrots during the cooking process.
• Bell Peppers: Some chopped red or green bell pepper would be amazing and would add a ton of flavor to the soup.
• Other Seasonings: You can add in some chili powder, cayenne pepper for heat, chipotle powder for smoky heat, or a curry powder!

How To Make Easy Lentil Soup

1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat before adding the onion and garlic. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes until the onion has begun to soften and everything is fragrant.
2. Add the celery and carrots. Mix them into the sauteed onions and garlic to coat them and continue sauteing over medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.

3. Now add the dried lentils, tomato paste, seasonings, and bay leaf. Mix it all together.
4. Finally, add the 8 cups of broth, and give everything a stir. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a slight boil before reducing the heat and simmering for 25-30 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the lentils are tender.

5. When the soup is done, taste and adjust any seasonings before adding in the fresh lemon juice and herbs.
6. Serve the soup in bowls with extra fresh herbs and crusty gluten-free bread (you'll want to soak up all that broth!)

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Lentil Soup

• Always give your lentils a quick rinse before cooking. Dried lentils tend to have more grit and tiny stones than other dried legumes.
• Add the lemon juice at the end of cooking. Adding an acid, even too much salt, can cause the lentils to toughen up instead of softening during the cooking process.
• Don't use the wrong type of lentil! You may think it doesn't matter, but red lentils will be creamy and mushy, while a brown or green lentil will be nice and tender, holding up to the boiling of a soup.
• Don't be scared to season things up! This basic lentil soup is such a blank slate. You can go all out with the seasonings and really flavor it up to your liking!

Storage & Freezing Instructions

• How To Store Leftovers or Meal Prep: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container and placing it in the fridge for up to 7 days. This also works if you plan on meal-prepping the soup to have on hand throughout the week! You can hold off on adding the fresh herbs and lemon juice into the soup until you heat up portions you will be serving, if you want the soup ahead of time.
• How To Reheat: You can reheat large portions of soup in a pot on the stove, allow the soup to warm up over a simmer, don't bring it to a boil again. You can also microwave individual portions for a super quick and easy lunch for one!
• How To Freeze: You can freeze the soup by cooling it completely to room temperature before carefully pouring the soup into a freezer-safe container or storing it in smaller portions in freezer-safe bags. Lay the bags flat until the soup is frozen solid for easy stacking in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Frozen soup will be best used within 6-8 months.

What To Serve With Lentil Soup

This vegan lentil soup is a hearty and delicious meal on its own; however, you can also pair it with a slice of crusty gluten-free garlic bread, a gluten-free biscuit, or crunchy crackers. You can do a soup and salad lunch by pairing it with this shirazi salad, fresh spring salad, or Italian tomato salad. Of course, a side of veggies like air fryer Brussels sprouts or crispy potatoes always sounds like a plan too!

More Easy Vegan Soup Recipes:

• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Curried Pumpkin Soup
• Easy Slow Cooker Vegan Chili
• Gluten-Free Pasta e Fagioli
• Gluten-Free Sopa de Fideo
• Old-Fashioned Vegan Potato Soup
• Spicy Chipotle Black Bean Soup
• Vegan & Gluten-Free Chicken Noodle Soup
• Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Vegan Tomato Soup
• Thai Carrot Soup

Print

The best lentil soup recipe you'll ever make! Easy, vegan, classic flavors. Take this as a base recipe to explore new customizations, flavors, and add-ins to always keep your lentil soup game fun and interesting!

So tell me:

+ What's your favorite add-in for traditional lentil soups?

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