AHearty Lentil Soupthat is simple, healthy, and filling – the trifecta! It’s made from pantry staples like onions, carrots, and celery and cooked in broth with some tomatoes and spices that add delicious flavor.

Round wooden platter with a pot and two bowls of vegetarian lentil soup and French bread on the side.

Whether you are trying to cook lighter or just warm up on a cold night – vegetarian lentil soup is for you. Sometimes the most basic recipes turn out to be the best. Plus, it’s a winning combination of being healthy and still tasting amazing.

This soup is perfect with a slice ofRustic Breadand asimple Chef Salad. And if you want to incorporate more lentils into your life, you must trySpicy Lentils with Sausage,Lentil Tacos, andLentil Curry with Butternut Squash.

Vegetarian lentil soup topped with parsley in a white bowl with a spoon in it.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s a soup that issuper easy to make.
The ingredients arebudget friendly.
It’spacked with proteinthanks to simple lentils.
Is asdelicious as leftoversthe next day.

Recipe Ingredients

Olive oil
Onion, carrots, and celery:Or look for a package of mirepoix at your local grocery store.
Garlic
Vegetable broth
Lentils:Either brown or green work the best in this recipe.
Can of crushed tomatoes
Cumin, paprika, dried thyme, dried bay leaves
Lemon juice
Salt
Fresh parsley:Optional as a garnish on top of a bowl of the soup.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Popular Substitutions and Variations

Feel free to play with the spices to make this dish your own, it’s a great one to play with. It’s hard to mess up because Hearty Lentil Soup is SO flexible!

If you like a little lemon in it, add some of the lemon zest and additional lemon juice before serving (it gives the soup a nice bright flavor).
You can add greens like spinach or kale just before serving so that they wilt just a bit.
Vegetable, beef, chicken, or turkey broth all work well in this soup.
You can use curry powder for the paprika to change up the flavor.

How to Make Hearty Lentil Soup

Step #1.Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion, carrots, and celery when the oil is hot. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Step #2.Add the garlic to the pot and stir it for about 30 seconds or until it’s fragrant.
Step #3.Put the broth in the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot.
Step #4.Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Recipe FAQs

What kind of lentils should I use?

For this particular soup, I recommend using green or brown lentils. These will hold their shape well even after being cooked. Red lentils break down a little too much for this recipe.

Can I use chicken broth in this soup?

Yep! This lentil soup is really flexible. If you don’t need the soup to be vegetarian, you can use any kind of broth or stock. It turns out great every time regardless of whether you use vegetable, chicken, or beef broth as the base.

Do the lentils need to be soaked?

Lentils don’t need to be soaked but you should rinse them to get rid of anything that might be on them and check through them for any small rocks.

Are lentils good for you?

There are many health benefits to eating lentils. They are high in protein, rich in fiber, and low in calories. They also contain folate, iron, phosphorus and potassium. I think they are definitely an underrated food and I love using them!

Vegetarian lentil soup in large pot with wood spoon in it.

Expert Tips

Tothicken this soup, pulse an immersion blender in the soup pot a few times or until it reaches your desired thickness.
Feel free toplay with the flavorof this soup by adding some lemon zest and more juice before serving or switch out the paprika for curry powder.
Freeze the leftoversin containers as individual servings so you have easy lunches. This soup makes a big batch.