Red Lentil Soup

Red lentil soup is a tasty, wholesome, and nutritious dish with an earthy and creamy texture and a rich, aromatic taste.

The recipe is easy to make in one pot in 30 minutes. It’s excellent as an easy weeknight dinner, meal-prep-friendly, and delicious with a thick slice of toasted bread.

This red lentil soup recipe is an excellent choice for autumn or winter weeknight dinners as it’s easy to make with a few pantry staples, and it only needs to simmer for about 20 minutes.

The red lentils cook fast and make the soup creamy, almost like a red lentil curry.

They are also very healthy, a superfood rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, wholesome plant protein, B vitamins, iron, and more.

We cook them in a soffritto or flavor base of olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots, then season them with bay leaves, rosemary, and cumin to bring out their earthy flavor.

The dish will remind you of our Italian lentils soup or lentil vegetable soup, but with red lentils instead of brown ones.

Serve this red lentil soup with a thick slice of toasted crusty bread brushed with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

Also, don’t forget to squeeze lemon juice to brighten things up and make those flavors pop.

PS. To learn more about lentils, check out our how to cook lentils and how to cook red lentils guides.

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

Red lentils

Red lentils are perfect for this soup because they cook fast, are tasty, and get creamy as they soften.

Substitute any other type of lentil, such as green, brown, and black, for red ones; however, you’ll have to extend the cooking time and add more vegetable broth.

You can also substitute canned chickpeas for red lentils.

Important: there are two types of red lentils: split red lentils (the bright-orange-colored ones you find in most western grocery stores) and whole red lentils (those are darker red and are whole, not split. They take a little longer to cook than red split lentils).

Flavor base

We gently sauté chopped celery, onion, carrots, and garlic in extra virgin olive oil to make a tasty flavor base that makes this red lentil soup recipe stand out.

Starting with a flavor base is common practice in some of the best cuisines in the world, from Italian to Asian cooking traditions. Optionally, you can add some fresh ginger, grated.

Aromatics

We use a sprig of fresh rosemary, a couple of bay leaves (optional), ground cumin or cumin seeds, and red pepper flakes (alsos chili powder or cayenne pepper).

Other spices that go well with lentils are curry powder and turmeric, but if you are thinking of adding these, we’d recommend you follow our red lentil curry recipe instead.

Vegetable broth

Vegetable broth is the primary liquid we use to cook red lentils. You can use store-bought broth or make it yourself.

Using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth or beef broth is an easy way to reduce meat consumption without realizing it.

Crushed tomatoes

You can use canned crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or tomato puree, and you can add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to make the soup richer, although that’s not necessary.

Substitute chopped fresh ripe tomatoes for canned ones.

Lemon

A squeeze of lemon juice on top of the red lentil soup before serving adds a touch of acidity that will make the other flavors stand out. If you love lemon, you can also add some grated lemon zest.

Salt and pepper

Use sea salt of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the soup.

Fresh herbs

Optionally, you can add a sprinkle of fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley) before serving. You can substitute fresh cilantro for parsley.

Cheese is not necessary for this recipe; however, if you do want to add some, we recommend crumbled feta cheese or non-dairy feta.

How to make red lentil soup

US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Finely chop celery, onion, and carrots. You can do so with a chef’s knife or a food processor.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven, add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot, and fry them on medium heat for 3 minutes. Stir often.

Add grated garlic, cumin seeds, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and bay leaves, and fry gently for another 2 minutes.

Rinse the red lentils under running water to wash away dust and impurities. Check for small stones hiding between the lentils.

Add the red lentils, canned tomatoes, and vegetable broth to the pot, then season with salt and black pepper.

Bring to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and you reach your desired consistency. Stir occasionally.

Note: you can make red lentil soup more or less liquid based on your preferences by adding more or less vegetable broth.

Tip: Blending the soup with an immersion blender is unnecessary to make it creamier because the red lentils are already soft and creamy.

Our favorite way of serving this soup is in bowls with thick slices of toasted or grilled crusty bread.

Brush the toasted bread with garlic, drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil, and serve alongside the soup.

You can also add freshly squeezed lemon juice, chopped parsley, and freshly ground black pepper.

If you want to add a side dish, then we can recommend our:

• Roasted eggplant: perfectly tender and with a brush of garlic marinade.
• Side salad with fresh and crunchy greens and a simple dressing.
• Green bean salad with crumbled feta and a creamy mustard dressing.
• Roasted broccoli with garlic and lemon marinade.

Sides

Roasted Eggplant

Salads

Fennel and Orange Salad

Salads

Green Bean Salad

Sides

Roasted Broccoli

You can also serve the soup with toppings, such as homemade croutons and slow-roasted tomatoes, or with a side of 10-minute oven-baked crostini to sop up the soup juices.

Red lentil soup with more veggies

You can veggie-pack your red lentil soup with even more veggies. Some delicious ones are:

• Fresh or frozen spinach (add them towards the end)
• Chard or Kale (add them with the lentils)
• Diced potatoes or sweet potatoes (add them with the lentils)

Red lentil soup in instant pot

Sauté chopped onion, celery, carrot, and garlic with a good olive oil in your instant pot for 5 minutes.

Add cumin, rosemary, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, red lentils, salt, and black pepper, then seal the lid and cook for 10 minutes.

Natural release the high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release.

Stir the cooked lentils well and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice, a thick slice of crusty bread, toasted and brushed with garlic.

Chickpea soup

Another earthy, easy, and delicious soup is our Italian-inspired chickpea soup.

It’s very similar to this red lentil soup recipe, and we make it with canned chickpeas so you can enjoy it as a simple everyday dinner.

Check out our chickpea soup recipe.

Make ahead: red lentil soup is an excellent recipe for meal prep because it keeps for days, and its flavor gets even better as it sits in the fridge.

Refrigerator: store leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or a saucepan with a dash of water.

Freezer: let the soup cool down completely at room temperature, then transfer it into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the refrigerator over several hours or in the microwave.

If you love homemade soups, get even more comforting soup recipes here. They’re veggie-packed, wholesome, and easy to make at home:

• Cauliflower soup with a cheesy flavor and velvety smooth texture
• Eggplant soup with tomatoes and fresh herbs, a one-pot soup recipe!
• Tuscan bean soup with leafy greens and authentic Italian flavor
• Butternut squash soup with our easy bake-and-blend soup technique

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Lentil Vegetable Soup