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. The soup is also nice with grilled cheese on the grill.
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
Red Lentil Soup Recipe With Vegetables
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.
Hi if I was to make this in the pressure how long would you think 15mins. Would like to make this tonight?
Hi Roselyn. Yes, I think 15 minutes on high pressure in the instant pot with a natural release would be fine. Good luck.
We had it today. It was cold and rainy in Michigan and this was the perfect meal. We especially loved the lemon in it!
Thanks Tammy. Hard to believe it’s cold and rainy at the end of May. Here, too, in Toronto. Soup helps though.
Really delicious! The lemon really brought it together at the end. Who knew I was a good cook?!
Good for you- keep going! 👍
So delicious. I added kale at the end. Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome!
Yummy!
Glad you liked it Jaclyn. Thanks for leaving a comment. 🙂
this soup is very good. I only used 1/2 tsp cumin, and a pinch of coriander.
loved it.
Thanks so much for leaving a comment Carol. Glad you liked the soup!
I. LOVE. THIS. SOUP.
That is all. LOL!
Aww. Sweet. 😊
This is delicious. I too, added a can of tomatoes and will add a package of frozen spinach next time (I didn’t have any on hand). I used just cumin and a bit of chili powder. The lemon at the end makes all the difference. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thanks very much for leaving a comment. Glad you enjoyed the soup Debbie. Agree about the lemon!
Yes, just finished this and it was delicious. I left the veggies small & chunky, and added cumin AND curry powder. I also added a heaping teaspoon of black pepper, and I mixed in 2 handfuls of spinach at the end to add extra color. Really really yummy! Thank you!
Hi Tara. Glad you liked the soup! And love that you tweaked it to your taste. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Fantastic recipe! I added a bay leaf, and threw in a can of diced tomatoes and reduced the liquid accordingly, but other than that followed the recipe exactly. Love this soup, thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
Appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. Glad you liked the soup ?