Easy Vegan Lentil Soup is a filling, comforting dish thatās packed with flavor! Simple veggie soup made heartier with tender green lentils.
When the weather gets chilly, itās time to start making all your favorite Soup Recipes! This simple recipe swaps meat for buttery lentils for a protein-packed vegetarian soup that is hearty and delicious. If you love lentils, be sure to try my Red Lentil Stew too!
Table of contents
Sabrinaās Lentil Soup Recipe
This Vegan Lentil Soup is an easy recipe to add to your family dinner rotation. Itās made with green lentils, lots of fresh veggies, and spices for plenty of delicious flavor. You wonāt even miss the meat with this hearty and flavorful dish. This makes a great meal with some bread and a side salad, but you could also use it as a starter to a full dinner or pair it with a sandwich for a cafe-style lunch.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: For the vegetables, youāll need to prep 2 yellow onions, enough celery, and medium carrots to fill a cup each. The vegetables give the soup a richer flavor and add to the hearty texture. After cooking the veggies in oil, add salt and black pepper to season them.
- Herbs: I also use dried thyme to season the veggies. You can feel free to mix in other dry herbs as desired.
- Garlic: Add 6 cloves of garlic along with the veggies for a strong and fragrant taste.
- Tomatoes: To add rich and tangy tomato flavor to the vegetable broth, use tomato paste and diced Roma tomatoes.
- Green Lentils: Add lentils to the soup recipe when uncooked. The cooked lentils are tender and flavorful. Green lentils make the soup hearty and healthy with a distinct peppery flavor.
How to Make
Time needed:Ā 1 hour and 10 minutes.
- Cook vegetables:
Start by dicing 2 yellow onions. Then mince 1 cup stalks of celery and 1 cup carrots. Then add olive oil to a large soup pot and set the stovetop to medium heat to heat oil. Add the yellow onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Then cook for 5-7 minutes until the onions are translucent. Season the vegetables with thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir, and cook for another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
- Liquid ingredients:
Add the tomato paste and paprika to the pot and stir well. Cook the tomato paste for 1 minute. Then add the diced Roma tomatoes and stir well. Add green lentils and 8 cups of broth. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cooking time:
Cover and cook Lentil Soup for 50-60 minutes until the lentils are tender. After cooking, uncover the pot and ladle the Lentil Soup into bowls.
Recipe Card
IngredientsĀ
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 yellow onions , chopped
- 1 cup celery , finely minced
- 1 cup carrots , finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 roma tomatoes , finely diced
- 1 pound dry green lentils , use small lentils
- 8 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot and heat on medium heat.
- Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until onions are translucent for 5-7 minutes.
- Season with thyme, salt and pepper, add in garlic.
- Stir and cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the tomato paste and paprika and stir well, cooking for 1 minute.
- Add in the tomatoes and stir.
- Add in the lentils and vegetable broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook for 50-60 minutes, covered, until lentils are tender.
Nutrition
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Chefās Note: Cooking Green Lentils
There are a couple reasons I use green lentils in this recipe versus red lentils, like I use in my lentil stew. Since Iām using fresh tomatoes, I want the broth to simmer for at least 45 minutes to help break them down. Green lentils are more firm than other lentils so they will hold their shape better in the longer simmering time. A longer cooking time is needed for these lentils versus quicker cooking brown lentils, too. But the nice thing is once everything is in the pot, there isnāt any hands on time.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Lentil soup can be made beforehand, and it often tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld.
Cooking Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Donāt Overcook the Lentils: Watch the cooking time. Lentils should be tender but still hold their shape. Different types of lentils have varying cooking times.
- Taste as You Go: Always taste the soup before serving. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, or acidity (like lemon juice) to enhance the flavors.
- Garnish for Presentation: Top your soup with fresh herbs, a dollop of yogurt, or a drizzle of olive oil for a beautiful finish.
Ideas to Serve
You can serve this soup topped with some fresh herbs and crusty bread for an easy meat-free dinner. I like serving it with fresh baked Italian bread or an extra buttery Garlic Bread. Turn this rustic soup into an elegant meal, perfect for a special luncheon, by pairing it with a nice salad like my Beet Salad or Winter Pear Salad.
How to Store
- Serve: After cooking, donāt leave Lentil Soup out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: To keep leftovers, let the soup cool. Then transfer it to an airtight container to put in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: You can also put the soup in a freezer-safe container to keep frozen for 4-5 months.
Frequent Questions
Whether or not you blend the Lentil Soup is up to your own preference. I prefer to leave the lentils whole to add extra texture, and the tomato paste makes the broth pretty thick without blending. However, some people prefer to blend their lentil soup part or all of the way to thicken the recipe. Iād recommend using an immersion blender if you have one. Then blend to your preferred consistency.
To make Lentil Soup in the slow cooker, saute the vegetables on the stovetop. Then add the veggies, tomatoes, broth, and lentils to the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker, and turn to low heat for 7-8 hours of cooking time.
Variations
- Chicken Lentil Soup: This recipe is both vegetarian and vegan friendly. However, if youād like to add some meat, you can mix leftover Shredded Chicken into the soup and use chicken broth in place of veggie broth.
- Lentil Colors: Iāve made this recipe with green lentils. However, if you want a different color of lentils, you can use red or brown lentils. I would suggest using whole lentils so they donāt overcook.
- Pasta: Mixing pasta into your veggie soup is an easy addition to make. Cook egg noodles separately. Then add the noodles during the last few minutes of cooking.
- Vegetables: There are lots of fresh veggies that you could add to your soup. Try mixing in cubed potatoes or sweet potatoes in the beginning so they cook all the way. Add kale, fire-roasted tomatoes, or canned corn in the last 20 minutes.
- Flavor Additions: To add an extra layer of flavor, you can mix in spices or fresh herbs like red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, cumin, or rosemary. You could also add a bit of heat by mixing in a dash of hot sauce. Or, add some lemony flavor with a squeeze of lemon juice.
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