A quick and easy, thick and hearty, Red Lentil Soup with Lemon. It's fragrant, super tasty, healthy, nourishing, simple, and versatile!
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FEATURED COMMENT
"Mel, you have a knack for flavor profiles! The soup is so balanced in flavor. The lemon is one of your great additions...We have made it multiple times and it will stay in our "much-used" recipes. Thank you!" - Stanzy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Things you need to know about this Red Lentil Soup with Lemon ... It is PACKED with flavor (yes throw out ALL of your lentil preconceptions), it's thick and hearty in an almost cross-between soup and stew kinda way, and it's lemony, garlicky, and fragrant, and packed with vegetables.
It's also super healthy and flexible, just like my vegan vegetable soup and chickpea curry soup. Not got one of the veggies? Leave it out or throw in whatever you do have. You can even omit the lemon and it still tastes amazing. I'll give some ideas for great subs and additions below.
It's savory, fresh, and bright whilst also being healthy, pantry-friendly, warm, and cozy.
Ingredients
It all starts with the usual vegan soup recipe gang ... onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and stock but then along to the party comes:
- Red lentils - I don't recommend using green or brown lentils in this recipe, but if you do you will need to reduce the liquid accordingly. They won't break down and thicken the soup like red lentils do.
- Potatoes - My go-to potato for soups is Yukon Gold. Red potatoes work well too. They both keep their shape. Starchier potatoes like russets will break down more.
- Dried herbs - Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence. Or you can use a couple of individual herbs like oregano, parsley, marjoram, or thyme.
- Kale - A good choice in soups because it keeps its shape and texture. Any other greens will work instead though. If using spinach bear in mind that it cooks very quickly so you should add it in the last couple of minutes.
- Lemon juice - We're talking excessive amounts for lots of zippy fresh citrus flavor.
- Sugar - This is used as a seasoning rather than a sweetener. It's just a small amount and makes a huge difference. It mellows the tartness of the acidic lemon, provides balance, and enhances all of the other flavors.
How To Make Red Lentil Soup
Can't wait to make it? The full printable recipe is below, but first, let me give you a quick walkthrough to set you up for success when it's your turn:
Step 1 - Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery (so important for amping up those flavors so don't rush them!)
Step 2 - Add the lentils, potatoes, garlic, herbs, and seasonings and cook a bit more.
Step 3 - Add the stock then bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the lentils and veggies are tender.
Step 4 - Add the greens and let them simmer for a few minutes then turn off the heat, add the lemon juice, stir, and serve.
Got an Instant Pot?
Give my Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup a try. It's the same as this red lentil soup recipe, just made Instant Pot-friendly!
Make It Your Own
This is a very flexible recipe and you can switch up most of the ingredients to suit what you have on hand. Here are some ideas:
- Use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.
- Use spinach (fresh or frozen), collard greens, or Swiss Chard instead of kale.
- Omit the greens completely.
- Omit the lemon.
- Add leftover cooked grains (like brown rice, sorghum, farro, or quinoa) at the end of cooking to make it even more thick and hearty.
- Add a teaspoon of ground turmeric or curry powder.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this Red Lentil Soup with my vegan feta cheese (the unbaked version) sprinkled all over. Its creamy, melty saltiness works well with the lemon and lentils. Vegan parmesan cheese works well too, and who could say no to some vegan croutons?
With all of those lentils and the potatoes, this is a seriously hearty soup, but it's also great ladled over some fluffy rice, and if you're anything like me and always need bread on the side of soup, then these are great options:
Storage Tips
Allow the soup to cool completely then store in the fridge for 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave. It does thicken a lot as it cools, so add additional stock or a bit of water as needed.
Recipes FAQs
Red lentils cook and break down very quickly so there is no need to soak them before using. Because they break down so quickly and easily they aren't a great choice for recipes where you need the lentils to retain their shape, but they are perfect for making soups, dhals, and stews.
Yes. I recommend sautéing as per the recipe for the very best flavor. Then put everything in the slow cooker (except the lemon and greens) and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 to 6 hours. Once everything is tender, add the greens and allow them to wilt down. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice and serve.
More Lentil Recipes
Recipe
Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , (use a few drops of water to sauté instead for oil-free)
- 1 large onion , diced
- 3 sticks celery , diced
- 2 large carrots , diced
- 5 cloves garlic , chopped finely
- 3 to 4 potatoes , diced
- 1½ cups (300 grams) dried split red lentils , sometimes labelled Masoor Dal
- 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs blend , such as Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 to 7 cups (1440 - 1680 mls) stock
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 fresh lemons
- 4 to 5 big handfuls chopped kale , or other greens of choice
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Warm a large soup pan or Dutch Oven over a medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Sauté the onion, celery and carrots together until turning golden. Don't rush them. It will take about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, potatoes, lentils, herbs, salt, and pepper and continue to cook for a few minutes.
- Add 6 cups of the stock and the sugar and stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender and the lentils have more or less broken down. It should take about 20 minutes. Check the thickness. If you prefer it thinner add the rest of the stock. (Remember that lemon juice goes in at the end and will thin it a little more).
- Add the greens, stir and allow to cook in the simmering soup for 5 minutes, unless you are using spinach, in which case it will be cooked more or less immediately once it's been stirred in.
- Turn off the heat. squeeze in the juice of the lemons, stir well. Taste to check seasoning and add more as necessary. Check the thickness again. Add some hot water from a kettle if you want to thin it down, then serve immediately.
NOTES
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Leslie says
This is an excellent recipe! I made it and have eaten it for the past week (I live alone), and it is STILL fantastic. I added paprika, oregano, basil, cumin in my spice mix and followed the recipe exactly (except I used a bouillion cube and the 6 cups of water). Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you. I'm really pleased you're enjoying it Leslie!
Sue Holland says
Just made this soup in the instant pot, absolutely delicious and so comforting. I used 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp garam masala, lots of black pepper & 2 small bay leaves instead of the dried herbs. The fresh lemon is a really nice addition. I used arugula (just chopped it up, tossed it in the bowl, poured the soup on top and mixed it in) I didn't have any kale. Great recipe, thanks
Cookie says
Would vegetable broth work the same as vegetable stock?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes it will be fine.
Cookie says
OUTSTANDING!! I added more vegetables, more broth, more lentils, replaced 2 potatoes for sweet pot... whoa!, the flavors ? I do recommend to add the lemon. It makes a big difference.
Thank you Mel
Courtney says
Made this tonight for dinner and had to sub veggie stock for mushroom. This is absolutely my new favourite lentil soup recipe. I used dried rosemary, basil, and dill, which I was a bit skeptical about, but it was so delicious. It was good as is, but with the fresh lemon juice it was even better. Thanks so much for this new weekly staple.
Cookie says
What do you mean when you say you substituted the vegetable stock for mushroom?
Staanzy Wagner says
Mel, you have a knack for flavor profiles! The soup is so balanced in flavor. The lemon is one of your great additions. We were looking for another use for our red lentils. We have made it multiple times and it will stay in our "much used" recipes. Thank you! You are now on our "Favorites" to search for recipes.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much! I'm really pleased you think so. It's one of our favourites too. It's dinner tonight actually!
Louise says
Great recipe. We will definitely make this dish again.
Jessica says
We are trying a plant based week and just had this for lunch - really delicious and satisfying, I only had half a lemon to squeeze and it ended up a little on the sweet side for my taste but my fiance loved it. I'm assuming the 2.5 lemons would balance it out more! Either way it will be made again :-)
Kim Arsenault says
I made this last night and it was really delicious. I found that the red lentils broke down to the point of being unrecognizable, as did some of the potatoes, so it looked a bit mushy. However, it still had the great taste and all the goodness of the ingredients. I will use Yukon Gold potatoes next time (I used russet) and perhaps whole red lentils instead of split? Either way, it was a great comfort food to have for dinner!
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Kim, the lentils are supposed to break down in this soup. That's what makes it nice and thick and almost stewy. You can use whole ones if you prefer it not so thick and stewy though or switch them for green or brown which wills tay more intact. If the potatoes broke down too though you probably overcooked it a little. Just cook it until the potatoes are fork tender. You're right though, Yukon Gold will be sturdier than russets. Glad you enjoyed it though!
Karen Haworth says
I made this over the weekend. It was a hit with the family! Thanks for another great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Karen and thanks so much for coming back to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
JustineCelina says
Another delicious recipe, Melanie! Just slurped down a bowl with some fresh homemade bread. Thank you!
Nic says
Made this tonight, super easy and full of flavor!! The squeeze of lemon at the end is fantastic!
Diana says
I made this today and it was great! My husband wanted to know the name of the soup so he can request I make it again. For the herb blend, I used Zhug seasoning from Stonehouse California Olive Oil. It has Chile, Garlic, coriander, cumin, cardamon, clove and cilantro. I really enjoyed the spice with the lemon. Thank you.
Janice says
Awesome soup, we are in 14 days old self isolation and this soup hit it out of the park!!!!!!! Best soup I’ve made in isolation.......and I make a lot of soup
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Janice!
Fiona says
I just used what I had in the fridge. Thankfully I had some lentils ;-)
I didn't have kale or spinach but used sambung that I had growing!
I didn't have carrots so I replaced with okra and zucchini.
I didn't have the amount of potatoes called for in the recipe so I used one sweet potato.
Thank you for this recipe. It was yummy!
Johanna says
Hi Fiona, when using the sweet potato, did you added it at the same time as the other potatoes? Or later
Debbie Bailey says
I made it tonight and it was a hit! I did it in my Instapot. Changes I made....I only had a russet potato and a sweet potato on hand so that is what I used, It was perfect. Thanks so much for the wonderful soup recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it Debbie!
Laura says
Do you think russet or yukon potatoes are better for this soup?
A Virtual Vegan says
My go to for almost everything including soup is Yukon Gold.