Red Lentil Soup Recipe with Vegetables

This red lentil soup recipe with vegetables is a healthy, hearty, satisfying meal in a bowl. Perfect for a weeknight meal served with crusty bread.

The soup is thick, rich and flavorful – and super nutritious.  Lentils are a good source of soluble fiber, protein, folate, and other minerals and vitamins. The carrots, onions, celery and potato add even more nutrition.  

You can adjust the flavor and spices to your taste with coriander, more cumin or even hot sauce or chili flakes. We love the lemon in the soup which gives it gives it a bright zing.

We typically serve this red lentil vegetable soup as a full meal with crusty bread. And maybe a salad. But of course you can use a smaller portion as a starter. Be careful though – it’s filling.  

One more thing, it freezes well, so it’s a great make-ahead soup. 

Shortcuts 

• Throw all the vegetables in the processor for a rough chop (pulse a few times) instead of dicing them all by hand.
• Use garlic in the jar or frozen garlic cubes instead of mincing garlic cloves.

Tailor To Your Taste

Here are several variations and substitutions you can use.

• Substitute cilantro for the parsley. Here’s a quick 101 on Herbs: The Bare Essentials.
• Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Use a cup of diced tomatoes (no juice) instead of tomato paste
• Alter the seasonings to your taste
• Use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth
• Add more broth to make it a thinner soup
• Puree all or part of the soup with an immersion blender
• Omit the lemon

Make Ahead

• The red lentil soup recipe with vegetables can be frozen for a couple of months. We like to freeze it in smaller lunch-size portions.

Other hearty soup recipes you might like

All of these can either be served as starters or as meals in a bowl. 

• Beef barley soup recipe
• Wedding soup recipe with zest
• Sausage and bean soup
• Vegetable bean and barley soup
• Root vegetable soup with barley
• Instant pot French onion soup

How to make this red lentil soup recipe

Ingredients: Red Lentils, lemon, carrots, celery, onions, broth, garlic, potato, seasonings, tomato paste

Chop veggies in food processor.

Saute veggies in pot. Add seasonings and tomato sauce.

Add broth and lentils. Cook until tender.

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4.58 from 21 votes

Red Lentil Soup Recipe With Vegetables

This red lentil soup recipe with vegetables is a healthy, hearty, satisfying meal in a bowl. Perfect for a weeknight meal served with crusty bread.

Prep Time7 mins

Cook Time38 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Middle East

Servings: 5

1x2x3x

Author: Cheryl

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 potato, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin or curry powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• Optional: pinch of cayenne, chili powder and/or coriander seed
• 4 cup vegetable or chicken broth (1 box)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 large lemon, zest and juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions

• PREPARE THE VEGETABLES: Dice carrots, onion, celery, potato.

  Shortcut: Cut vegetables into large chunks, put in food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
• SAUTE VEGETABLES, GARLIC: In a medium-large pot, heat oil to medium high. Add vegetables and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and saute another minute or two.
• ADD SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS: Add tomato paste, cumin or curry powder, salt and pepper (and optional seasonings if using). Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water and lentils.
• COOK: Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Cover partially and cook for 30 minutes or until lentils and vegetables are tender.
• FINISH THE SOUP AND SERVE: Add lemon juice, zest and parsley (or cilantro). Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil on top and additional lemon wedges if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead: Red lentil and vegetable soup can be frozen for a couple of months. We like to freeze it in smaller lunch-size portions.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Red Lentil Soup Recipe With Vegetables

Amount Per Serving

Calories 273 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 1074mg47%

Potassium 773mg22%

Carbohydrates 38g13%

Fiber 14g58%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 6879IU138%

Vitamin C 22mg27%

Calcium 65mg7%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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