Meet the BEST lentil soup recipe! Made with dried lentils, fresh vegetables, flavorful spices, and hearty greens, it's simple, nourishing, and delicious.
This lentil soup recipe might surprise you. Sure, it’s simple. But that doesn’t mean it’s bland or boring.
This lentil soup is packed with hearty greens, tender vegetables, and fiber- and protein-rich lentils. Fresh herbs and spices fill it with complex flavor, and a splash of vinegar adds a delicious tangy kick.
It’s not just my best lentil soup recipe—it’s one of my best recipes, period. It’s been a staple in my rotation for years. I love that it’s easy to make with mostly pantry ingredients and that it’s nourishing, warming, and satisfying. If you ask me, it’s the perfect healthy dinner for a winter weeknight (save any leftovers for lunch the next day!). I hope you love this classic lentil soup as much as I do.
Lentil Soup Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this lentil soup recipe:
- Lentils, of course! I recommend using green or French green lentils because they hold their shape in the soup, adding satisfying texture. Brown lentils are also a fine option. Don’t use red lentils here—they’re too mushy for this recipe.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
- Onion, garlic, carrot, and celery – They create the soup’s aromatic base.
- Fresh kale – You’ll use the whole leaves, stems and all!
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – I love the smoky flavor that fire-roasted tomatoes add to this soup. In a pinch, regular diced tomatoes will work here too!
- Vegetable broth – Make homemade vegetable broth, or use store-bought.
- Fresh thyme – For citrusy, woodsy flavor. I like to bundle whole sprigs together with kitchen twine. Then, I add the bundle to the soup like a bay leaf, removing it before serving. Bundling the sprigs like this is SO much quicker than picking and measuring the leaves.
- Cumin – The secret ingredient! It adds savory, earthy depth of flavor.
- White wine vinegar – It gives the soup a bright, tangy kick.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Variations
Don’t have these exact ingredients on hand? These swaps work nicely:
- Replace the kale with another leafy green like fresh spinach or Swiss chard.
- Use 1 teaspoon dried thyme instead of the fresh sprigs.
- Replace the celery with 1 small fennel bulb, diced.
- No vinegar? No problem. Finish the soup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice!
How to Make Lentil Soup
This lentil soup recipe is easy to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, kale stems, and cumin. Season with salt and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies soften, about 8 minutes.
Next, simmer the soup. Add the garlic, tomatoes, lentils, vinegar, thyme, and broth.
Cover the soup and cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes or so. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
Finally, add the greens. Cook until they wilt, about 5 minutes, and then season to taste.
Serve the lentil soup in bowls topped with garnishes like fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, and/or red pepper flakes. Enjoy with crusty bread!
Love cooking soup in the Instant Pot? I have an Instant Pot version of this recipe! Check out my Instant Pot Lentil Soup.
How to Store Lentil Soup
Got leftover soup? You’re in luck! It will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
I actually like this soup better leftover. The flavor only improves as it sits in the fridge!
Can you freeze lentil soup?
Yes, this vegan lentil soup is freezer-friendly! Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then seal it in airtight containers or jars, leaving an inch for the soup to expand at the top. Freeze for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
If you love this lentil soup, try one of these nourishing soup recipes next:
- Minestrone Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Vegetarian Chili
- Black Bean Soup
- Tomato Soup
- Or any of these 35 Best Soup Recipes!
Best Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 small or 3 large kale leaves, stems finely diced, leaves chopped (8 cups)
- Heaping ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- ¾ cup dry green lentils, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 12 fresh thyme sprigs, bundled
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, kale stems, cumin, salt, and several grinds of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, lentils, vinegar, thyme, and broth. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Add the kale leaves and cook for 5 minutes, or until wilted.
- Remove the thyme bundle and season to taste. Serve topped with the parsley, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
Made this for dinner tonight, and we enjoyed it. I added a couple of turnips, used lemon juice in place of the white wine vinegar, and drizzled it with olive oil before serving. This recipe was a nice one for the cooking club, as we make lentil soup of some sort often.
Hi Annie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
I have made this recipe before but this time had my 8 and 11 year old sons help cook it. They were so engaged in the cooking process that they were psyched to eat it all! Even the greens :).
Hi Catherine, I love this! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed making and eating it. 🙂
Thank you for the lovely Lentil Soup Recipe of the Month. I made it today for dinner following the directions closely. The simple ingredients and easy instructions were perfect for a cold winter soup. We enjoyed the dish with yoghurt and with whole spelt bread. My kids enjoyed the soup too.
Hi Karen, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
My husband and I loved this soup. Very fresh and just a little spicy. Delicious!
Hi Jennifer, I’m so glad you loved it!
One of the best!
Hi Judy, so glad you loved it!
I made this for my family and my 8 month old loved it! (The rest of us did too)
Hi Erica, I’m so glad it was a hit!
Delicious. Made this last night for dinner and the texture is great. I used a new bouillon that is saltier then I am used to so I added water at the end and it helped both dilute the salt and make the soup a little thinner.
Hi Amber, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Fantastic Lentil Soup recipe! It’s got a different umami flavor than my usual recipe and it was so good! I’m also so glad I finally made a recipe of the month in the actual month! Thank you!
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you loved the soup! Thanks for joining the Cooking Club!
So delish!!! Added a little pasta and used a mix of green and black lentils, so excited to have leftovers for lunch today!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Good tasting soup. Nice and easy , will add to soup rotation list.
Lentils are fast becoming a staple in our kitchen, so when I saw this recipe I had to try it. So easy to make. Made the whole kitchen smell delish!! Excellent!
I did substitute spinach for kale…..lots of spinach!!
Hi Kathy, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
This was hearty and cozy and the perfect recipe to kick off soup season! Yummmm!!
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
Great soup recipe. Lentils are my favorite. I had to omit the kale so my kids would eat it, but otherwise it was a hit.
Hi Ashley, so glad you loved it!
Super tasty! I brought the whole batch to have for lunches this week and with the cold weather we’ve been having it’s been great to have as a warm up during lunch. Will definitely make again.
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the soup!
I made this soup last Sunday on a rare and very stormy day here in Tucson. It was perfect….so perfect I made a second pot to put in the freezer. My husband and I loved it!
Hi Misha, I’m so glad you both loved it! It’s such a great recipe to have stocked in the freezer.
The best lentil soup I’ve ever had! So easy and so much flavor
Hi Carolyn, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
I made this lentil soup today and it was delicious! Your recipe said that you can use spinach. So I actually used a little of both the kale and spinach. And I had some fresh tomatoes instead of the fire roasted kind. The recipe also said that the diced tomatoes were fine. So that’s what I did. It came together nicely and it was very good! It’s nice to get some veggies in my diet. So thank you for the recipe and your tips!
Hi Tasha, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
I made this lentil soup last night and it was delicious—perfect for a cold, rainy night. It was a hit with my whole family. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lisa, I’m so glad everyone loved it!
The perfect dinner on a freezing rain day!
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you loved the soup!
Super yummy soup! Perfect soup to eat with the crusty bread on a cold, wet winter evening. Can’t wait to have leftovers!
Hi Elaine, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!