This simple blended Lentil Soup is velvety smooth, creamy, nourishing and only has 7 ingredients! Ready in less than 25 minutes.
This velvety lentil soup is bursting with nourishing ingredients (and only 7 of them!).
Lentil soup is simple, filling, and full of red lentils, onion, carrots, vegetable broth, and cumin.
With a quick simmer and a quick blend, the result is a creamy soup without adding cream.
The taste is earthy and slightly sweet from the carrots, with a warm background of cumin.
The red lentils break down quickly, so you get a velvety texture with very little effort.
It is also versatile. You can enjoy it on its own, with bread, as a starter, or as part of a meal. I love it with Irish quick Wheaten Bread or White Soda Bread - fresh soup and bread in 30 minutes.
When I make this lentil soup, I often prepare extra because it keeps well in the fridge and freezes beautifully. It is the kind of soup you can batch cook on a Sunday and enjoy all week long, or stock up the freezer.
I served it with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and some mixed seeds for texture, taste and extra goodness, but of course, soup toppings are optional!
Originally published January 14, 2019, republished with new text, images, and video on April 29, 2021. The recipe remains the same.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Lentil Soup is creamy, thick, filling and nourishing.
- Tastes delicious, with a hint of cumin that works beautifully with the lentils.
- Easy and quick to make.
- Only 7 simple ingredients.
- A creamy blended lentil soup.
- Healthy and nourishing.
- Dairy-free, vegan soup.
- One-pot recipe.
- Simple store cupboard ingredients.
- Great for meal prep and freezing.
Reader Testimonials
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is my family's absolute favorite soup recipe! I make it for them all the time and we all love it!" - Jessica
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is a keeper! This is the best soup I have ever had!!!!!! The flavour is divine. The texture is divine, nice and thick (despite the fact there's no cream needed) without being too heavy. " - Meghan
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ " So silky and nourishing. A great healthy soup for lunch." - Amanda
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ " This soup was so flavorful! Love that it's vegan too. I can't get my family to eat lentils usually but they enjoyed this." - Kristina
Ingredient List
- Olive oil. Adds richness and helps soften the onions. You can use butter or coconut oil instead.
- Onion. Gives depth of flavor. Shallots or leeks also work.
- Carrots. Add sweetness and color. Try sweet potato for a variation.
- Red lentils. Quick-cooking and creamy. Green or brown lentils won't soften the same way but can be used for texture.
- Vegetable stock. Provides flavor. You can use chicken stock if not cooking vegan.
- Milk or dairy free alternative. Adds creaminess. Coconut milk gives a richer result.
- Ground cumin. Warm spice that balances the sweetness. Try curry powder or smoked paprika for different flavors.
- Parsley, cumin, chili flakes. Optional garnish for freshness and heat.
Step by step tutorial
Here's a simple photo tutorial so you can see how easy it is to make this delicious homemade lentil soup from scratch. Scroll down for the full recipe.
1 - Saute the onion in oil for a few minutes until soft.
2 - Stir in the carrot, lentils, stock/broth, cumin and milk, and bring to the boil.
3 - Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft and cooked through. Puree with a blender, food processor or hand blender and serve.
Optional - serve topped with fresh herbs and seeds.
Variations
- Stir in chili paste for a spicy version.FAQs
- Use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a vegan twist.
- Add turmeric for color and extra warmth.
- Stir in spinach or kale for added greens.
- Use curry powder instead of cumin for a spiced version.
- Add fresh ginger for a zesty kick.
- Include diced tomatoes for a tangy flavor.
- Top with crispy chickpeas for texture.
- Add lemon juice before serving for brightness.
- Use smoked paprika for a deeper, smoky flavor.
- Make it chunky by skipping the blender step.
- Add potatoes for a heartier soup.
FAQs
How many calories in this recipe? 218 calories per bowl.
How much protein in this lentil soup? 11g per bowl.
How many carbs are in this recipe? 33g per bowl.
Can I cook this lentil soup in a crock pot or slow cooker? Yes! Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.
Storage and Freezing Tips
How long will it last? Store it for up to 5 days, covered, in the fridge.
Can I freeze this lentil soup? Yes. Freeze in single-serving portions for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tips
- For meal prep, divide into single-serve containers for easy reheating.
- Rinse the lentils before cooking to remove excess starch.
- Use a hand blender for convenience. A countertop blender also works.
- Taste and adjust seasoning at the end, since stock can vary in saltiness.
- Add more liquid if you prefer a thinner soup.
Soup
I tend to eat a lot of soup year-round.
It's such a great way to use up seasonal vegetables or any veggies that are getting past their best.
It's also super easy to make and there are myriad of flavours. And you can have pureed blended versions or hearty and chunky.
I usually have soup for lunch or dinner, but I'll even happily tuck into a bowl of breakfast soup too!
Some of my favourite soups are Kale Soup, Easy Tomato Soup, Vegan Laksa, Mexican Bean Soup, Cabbage Soup and Carrot Sweet Potato Soup.
They're all really easy to make, vegan, and full of tasty flavour. I also love this watercress soup from Jamie Oliver and this Black Bean Soup from Cookie and Kate which is another pureed soup.
Lentil Recipes
If you have leftover red lentils from making this lentil soup recipe, then use them up for dinner with my awesome (if I do say so myself!) Lentil Dahl recipe. Lentil hot dogs are great too.
If you're looking for more vegan soup recipes, be sure to check out my list of 25+ Vegan Soup Recipes!
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Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
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Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this food blog, sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes, vegetable cake recipes and also easy vegan desserts.
Kate x
📖 Recipe
Easy Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 medium carrots coarsely grated
- ¾ cup (140g) dried red lentils uncooked
- 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock/broth
- ½ cup (100ml) milk or dairy free vegan milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
To serve (optional)
- Chopped fresh parsley
- ground cumin and chili flakes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the carrots, lentils, stock, milk and cumin, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.
- Puree with a hand held blender or food processor. Add more water to thin, if desired.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and optionally serve with chopped fresh parsley and mixed seeds.
Video
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Stephanie Bell says
This was easy and amazingly delicious. It will become a staple!
Megan says
Oh my actual GOD! This is a keeper! This is the best soup I have ever had!!!!!! The flavour is divine (I missed out the onion as it triggers my acid reflux and it’s absolutely amazing without, so I can only imagine how good it is with). The texture is divine, nice and thick (despite the fact there’s no cream needed) without being too heavy. The best part - it’s vegan! I’m absolutely in love and will be making this til the day I die. Thank you!!!
Allie says
Holy cow this recipe is fantastic! I used the recipe as a base and just used what I had. Instead of olive oil, I used bacon grease that I saved from frying bacon earlier, used only 2 carrots because that is all I had on hand, added some garlic since I shove garlic into everything I cook :), used chicken stock instead of vegetable, used green lentils instead of red, and added some salt! Basically altered the entire recipe, but that is because that is what I had on hand. Nonetheless, I am sure the original is phenomenal, just gotta do what you gotta do when you have 3 littles at home with you! Thank you so much for helping me discover a new favorite soup recipe!
J says
Joan v.
Amanda R Pratt says
So silky and nourishing. A great healthy soup for lunch.
Stacey says
I made this for the family tonight and the adults loved it, kids did not. I appreciated how quick and easy it was to make. I added a clove of garlic. Next time i'll use coconut milk and pare back the flavour to get the little ones on board. It's so much less effort than a dhal.
Denise says
This recipe is simple yet very flavorful. I omitted the olive oil threw everything in the IP. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe.
UKlady657 says
This was really lovely. Wasn’t sure about cumin in it but it really works! Thank you for the recipe.
C says
I made this tonight for supper and cur the recipe in half since it was only me. I didn't have milk so I substituted with cream. I was a bit apprehensive about the cumin but...holy moly ... it was delicious. The tiny bit of cumin added a burst of flavour. I will definitely make this again.
Sony says
This lentil soup was delicious! I added mushroom powder for the protein and health boost
Kristina says
This soup was so flavorful! Love that it's vegan too. I can't get my family to eat lentils usually but they enjoyed this.
Kate says
Wonderful soup. I will making this again and again.
Mairead says
I made this lentil soup frequently. I love this simple nutritious soup. The addition of cumin is perfect. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe.
Jac says
Made this for lunch and it was delicious. Love the cumin flavour. Thanks!
Ally says
Thank you so much for this super delicious soup recipe! It is so easy to make too! Surely will do it again!
Lentil says
Love this vegan soup! Simple and super delicious plus mega nutritious. Thank you for posting it! 😀
Jessica Form says
This is my family's absolute favorite soup recipe! I make it for them all the time and we all love it!
Yesu says
Yet another excellent soup recipe. As I had organic whole brown lentils to spare, I used it instead of split red de-husked lentils. It does need a couple of washes, and soaking overnight OR two hours after which it cooks easily. After boil, plus 20 minutes simmer, covered, on very low heat, it was very soft and the blending was literally a quick whiz. Added a generous dollop of butter. Best thing about this recipe, personally, was that my son who normally dislikes lentils, ate it to the last spoonful! And so did I. Super soup.
Dawn Gray-Thom says
Wow! I truly love this lentil soup. I will definitely be making it at a lot more especially during da festivities. Perfect with the toppings to, which I would never have thought about using mixed seeds.
Mirlene says
This soup is AMAZING! full of flavor. Delicious. Rich. and perfect for the cold season.
Erika says
This lentil soup is so delicious. I love that it's healthy too.
Ashley says
This soup is simmering on the stovetop right now - and I can't wait to enjoy it!! It's pouring rain here in NC, and this is will be a warm pick-me-up!
Chrissie Baker says
Oh my word, this soup is divine! So gorgeous and colorful!
susan wooler says
Made this today, its soooo yummy BUT I had to boil for 45 mins as the lentils did not soften, could have done with even longer, as after pureeing there are still crunchy bits of lentil, have I done something wrong ?
Kate Hackworthy says
Hi, perhaps it was the lentils you used? What type were they? I'm glad you like it but shame it took longer!
susan wooler says
Thank you Kate, I think I may have used Yellow Lentils rather than red and they were ones I 'found' in the cupboard. I have brought some red lentils so will try again BUT it did taste delish other then having crunchy bits of lentil in which didn't appear to cook properly even after 45 mins Lol 🙂
Yesu says
I'd suggest you wash, and soak the red lentils for a couple of hours in cold water. It softens the daal prior to cooking and therefore takes lesser time to tenderise. No crunchy soup, only smooth and delish!
Sal says
This is delicious!! Works great served with buttered multi grain toast on the side. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
fujrfh says
lentils can be like that for a variety of reasons, like the type of lentils you use,if they are expiared or not cooked properly.
Natalie says
What a delicious soup. I love how nutritious and creamy this soup is. Just yummy! I must give it a try asap. I bet my family will love it to.
Neha says
A creamy and heart warming soup recipe! Loving this one.
Zoe says
Really good! I've made this like 10 times already in the last few months. Healthy and tastes really good.
Wilhelmina says
This soup looks so delicious ! I can't wait to try this recipe !
Chichi says
This recipe is easy to make and perfect for the weather. Yum
Kristina says
Love how creamy and packed full of nutrients this is! So simple to make!
Molly Kumar says
Love how delicious and quick the soup is. Nothing like a big batch of homemade soup on a cold day.
Andrea Metlika says
Looks so warm and delicious. Definitely putting this on my to make list.
Tisha says
This just looks so creamy and smooth!
kimberley says
I love having soup for lunch especially during the winter months. I normally used a tinned soup but this looks so easy to make. I will have to try it.
Joan says
So good and so healthy! I added a little ginger and curry. Then finished it with a little lemon. Fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
vicky hallnewman says
This looks so easy to make, It make so much difference when you want to rustle up a fast lunch.