Curry Lentil Soup

Curry lentil soup is a warming and comforting one-pot recipe. It consists of earthy lentils simmered with spices, tomatoes, and vegetables.

You can expect a bold and rich flavor, with earthy and aromatic notes and a creamy and chunky texture that’s deeply satisfying.

It’s perfect for fall and winter meals as a weeknight dinner or meal prep.

Our curry lentil soup is an Indian-inspired recipe.

The lentils are simmered in a rich tomato sauce enriched with spices and vegetables.

It’s similar to a lentil curry but more saucy, without the coconut milk and with more veggies.

Like our other one-pot lentil recipes, such as Italian lentil soup, lentil vegetable soup, Turkish lentil soup, Moroccan lentil soup, and lentil chili, this one is easy, tasty, and healthy.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Lentils

Use dried green lentils or dried brown lentils. Dried lentils don’t require soaking and can be cooked in about 30 minutes.

To learn more about lentils, check out our guide on how to cook lentils.

Substitute canned lentils for dry ones if you don’t have 30 minutes for them to cook.

If you want a recipe with yellow or red lentils, check out our red lentils soup.

Flavor base

We make the flavor base with olive oil, onion, carrots, garlic, and ginger.

Optionally, you can add bay leaves.

Substitute coconut oil or avocado oil for olive oil.

Spices

Curry powder, turmeric, ground cumin, and red pepper flakes are essential to flavor the curry lentil soup.

Other spices you can use are ground coriander and garam masala. Start with about a teaspoon each.

We don’t use curry leaves for this recipe as they are not a pantry staple and are hard to find where we live.

If you like to use them, add them to the pot with the hot oil and let them shimmer for a minute before adding the onion and the rest of the ingredients.

Vegetables

We recommend adding diced potatoes and chopped leafy greens such as kale, chard, bok choi, cabbage, or spinach.

You can substitute sweet potatoes for potatoes.

Crushed tomatoes

Canned crushed tomatoes are our favorite.

Substitute diced tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, or whole canned peeled tomatoes for crushed ones.

Vegetable broth

We prefer vegetable broth to chicken broth so that the recipe is vegetarian and everyone in our family can enjoy it.

Feel free to use your favorite broth.

Salt and black pepper

Sea salt or kosher salt and a few twists of black pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and carrot and sauté for 3 minutes.

Stir in grated garlic, grated ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and red pepper flakes and sauté for one more minute.

Add vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, rinsed dried lentils, peeled and diced potatoes, chopped kale, or your leafy greens of choice.

Season with salt and black pepper, then simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.

Stir occasionally.

Serving suggestions

Taste and adjust for salt and spices before serving.

Curry lentil soup is a nourishing and fulfilling main meal.

We recommend serving it with boiled brown rice, a dollop of Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt, quick pickled red onions, finely chopped scallions, and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Make ahead: Curry lentil soup is an excellent recipe for meal prep. Its flavor improves a day after it’s cooked and keeps well for days.

Refrigerator: Let the soup cool down, transfer it to an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freezer: This recipe is perfect for freezing. Let it cool down completely, transfer it to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw: Defrost curry lentil soup in the fridge over several hours or in the microwave with a thawing function.

Reheat: warm the soup in the microwave for a couple of minutes or in a saucepan. Add a dash of water if necessary.

Similar recipes

LENTILS: Lentil bolognese, lentil hummus, lentil patties, lentil sweet potato salad, cauliflower lentil salad, lentil salad, Mujadara, lentil loaf, lentil tabbouleh, lentil pasta, lentil carrot salad.

For even more lentil recipes, check out our lentil recipes collection.

SOUPS: Butternut squash soup, potato leek soup, kale soup, broccoli soup, black bean soup, cauliflower soup, Harira soup, chickpea soup, sweet potato soup.

For even more soup recipes, check out our healthy soup recipe compilation.

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Lentil Bolognese

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Lentil patties

30-Min Meals

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Soups

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