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You are here: Home / Recipes / Lentil Soup

By Karina 41 Comments Filed Under: Recipes

Lentil Soup

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A Classic Lentil Soup recipe to warm your soul! Hearty and filling, this lentil soup is pure comfort in a bowl! Only 2 fat grams per serve!

Naturally thick and loaded with veggies, this lentil soup is so simple to make! Just dump ingredients into a pot and let the stove do the cooking for you!

Well, here we are again. Another new year, another resolution, and a warm and filling recipe to help us on our way. Because sometimes a classic recipe is all we need to fulfil our hearts and take us back to when things were simple and life was less complicated.

A classic hearty and filling lentil soup recipe to warm your soul! | cafedelites.com

LENTIL SOUP

This is THE lentil soup I grew up with. My mother would make this for us at least once a week, and she would add anything to it: pork, chicken or beef. Personally, the pork version is the one I crave til today, but for now, I’m keeping this lentil soup simple and leaving the meat/chicken/pork part up to you! And I’m not kidding when I say this soup is filling. I mean, FILLING. Fully loaded, you don’t need to serve this with anything else!

Lentil soup is simple soup to make! Just dump ingredients into a pot and let the stove do the cooking for you! | cafedelites.com

HOW TO MAKE LENTIL SOUP

One of the easiest soups you will ever make, guaranteed!

Cook your onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
Throw in lentils.
Add in tomatoes and potatoes.
Mix through remaining ingredients.
Simmer.

ADDING MEAT

You can most certainly add it in, like we did here in this Warm Chicken and Pumpkin Lentil Stew! When it comes to poultry in this soup, I prefer the darker meats such as thighs, as breasts tend to dry out. You can of course use breasts if you prefer!

These are my suggestions only, using 1 pound (or 500 grams) for boneless, and 2 pounds (1 kilo) for bone in meats:

  • Skinless bone-in chicken thighs
  • Diced chicken thigh fillets
  • Skinless chicken drumsticks or drumettes (you can either leave bones in once they have cooked in the soup, or remove them and shred the meat back into the soup).
  • Pork chops (bone-in ) — my favourite. Once they are cooked in the soup, remove the bones and shred the pork, then mix the meat through the soup. DELICIOUS.
  • Pulled pork (use this Carnitas recipe. Once pork is cooked, just add it into the soup.)
  • Bacon
  • Ground beef
  • Chuck steak cut into 1-inch pieces

All of these options can be added after step 1 in this recipe. Allow the meat to brown, then add in the lentils and continue the recipe from there!

The BEST lentil soup recipe is naturally thick and loaded with healthy veggies! | cafedelites.com

DO I HAVE TO SOAK LENTILS?

NO! Personally, I love the texture of this soup made from scratch. Lentil soup is delicious when the lentils are simmered from scratch in all of those flavours and develop a nice, creamy texture from the beans into the soup. You don’t need to pre soak them!

However, like this 10-Minute White Bean Parmesan Spinach Soup where we use canned beans as a time saving solution, you can use canned lentils if that’s all you have on hand. If using canned, add them in during the last 5 minutes of cooking. They don’t need long as they are pre-cooked.

Then of course, dip some bread into it like there’s no tomorrow. I made a batch of these Individual Garlic Breads to serve with ours!

Lentil soup and garlic bread its comfort in a bowl! | cafedelites.com

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Filling Lentil Soup | cafedelites.com

Best Lentil Soup

A classic hearty and filling lentil soup recipe to warm your soul! Pure comfort in a bowl. Naturally thick and loaded with healthy veggies, a simple soup to make! Just dump ingredients into a pot and let the stove do the cooking for you!
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Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 40 minutes mins
Total: 50 minutes mins
Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped (just over 1/2 cup)
  • 2 cups (13-14 ounces or 375-400 grams) dried green or brown lentils,
  • 3 large tomatoes (or 4 small tomatoes), diced
  • 2 medium-sized potatoes diced into 1-inch pieces, (Yukon gold if possible)
  • 2 quarts (litres) or 8 cups low sodium chicken stock (or broth), divided
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder (such as Vegeta) or beef/chicken bullion powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika sweet or mild (or 1 teaspoon smoky)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme (optional)
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large saucepan or pot over low-medium heat. Cook onion until transparent. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant (one minute). Add the carrot and celery and cook until softened (about 8 minutes).
    (If adding any meats, do so now and brown before continuing next step.)
  • Mix the lentils through the flavours in the pot, allowing them to cook for a couple of minutes, while stirring occasionally (add in 1 tablespoon of extra oil if needed).  
  • Add in the tomatoes and cook until soft, then add the potatoes and allow them to cook for further 4-5 minutes. 
  • Mix through all remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper. Increase heat; bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom. 
  • When the soup has been simmering for 2-3 minutes, reduce heat down to low, cover with a lid allow simmer for 40-50 minutes, while occasionally stirring, until lentils and potatoes are soft.
  • To thicken soup, use a potato masher, pressing down 3 or 4 times through the soup until reaching your desired thickness or consistency. (You can also use a stick blender: 2-3 quick pulses.)
  • Season with salt and pepper, to your tastes. Garnish with a little extra parsley (if you wish) and serve with garlic bread!

Nutrition

Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2030IU | Vitamin C: 19.8mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 5.7mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maggie says

    October 20, 2020 at 7:50 am

    5 stars
    One of the best soups I’ve ever made – and I cook a lot! Made some modifications. I added 3 carrots and 2 celery stalks (I love a lot of carrots in my soups!). When the mirepoix was tender I added about 2 tbsp of tomato paste along with the garlic. Instead of fresh tomatoes, added one 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes, and little cayenne along with the other spices. After the lentils had simmered for 45 mins, I took about 3 cups, put in the blender and added back in to make this more creamy. Finished it with about 2 cups of chopped kale that I had on hand. I am going to make this again and again.

    Reply
    • Maggie says

      October 20, 2020 at 7:53 am

      Oops, also subbed the yukon potatoes for 1 large sweet potato because its what I had!

      Reply
  2. Rachel says

    April 22, 2020 at 10:36 am

    5 stars
    Love! I did use canned diced tomatoes and I added frozen corn. The fresh parsley added at the end makes it spectacular! Made it 3 x already in 3 months.

    Reply
  3. Anne says

    March 24, 2020 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    Loved this! Just added half a tube of double strength tomato paste and seasoned the veggies while sautéing. I made it with the pork chops which I seasoned when I browned, it was delicious and hearty! My husband loved it even more the next day once it had thickened over rice.

    Reply
  4. Aimee says

    March 20, 2020 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    I just made the soup it it has turned out amazing, I highly recommend this receipt. I did add a little twist in the end by adding apple cider vinegar and it gives it that cutting boast.

    Reply
  5. Amateur top chef says

    March 11, 2020 at 4:40 am

    Amateur cook here,

    When do you add the chicken broth?
    It doesn’t say in the directions

    Reply
    • Andre Lindemann says

      April 07, 2020 at 8:36 pm

      Number 4 I would assume

      Reply
    • Jennifer says

      May 06, 2020 at 4:32 am

      Step #4, when it says.. Mix through all remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper.

      Reply
  6. Raye Duran says

    December 17, 2019 at 2:35 pm

    This recipe is so delicious! I made it for dinner tonight and it’s so simple to follow. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  7. Joan Kusich says

    June 09, 2019 at 10:37 pm

    I adore this recipe , only change instead of fresh tomatoes I use fire roasted canned tomatoes from Aldis.

    Reply
    • Amanda M Baker says

      January 09, 2020 at 7:43 am

      how many cans did you use????

      Reply
  8. Yolanda says

    May 01, 2019 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight, pretty much the way the recipe was written.. . It sounded so incredible and I had everything in my pantry so I thought “why not”?… I was so happy with the result that this is an instant classic in my kitchen! Thank you for the recipe. I look forward to making it again, maybe some tweaks the next time…. maybe ?

    Reply
  9. Raquel Lynch says

    March 13, 2019 at 7:50 am

    This was amazing! It’s a keeper for sure! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Gina says

    March 06, 2019 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    Yumm!

    Reply
  11. Phoebe says

    February 26, 2019 at 3:54 pm

    5 stars
    The best lentil soup ever!! Growing up in the West Indies I’m familiar with lentils. I was a little skeptical about this recipe and when I was cooking it, I wasn’t sure it would reduce. However it came out perfectly and tastes delicious. I ate it for 5 days straight and did not miss meat.

    Reply
  12. Christopher A says

    February 13, 2019 at 4:13 am

    Tried it, very nice and healthy. I used less water, added thyme powder instead of thyme and I used all Vegetarian stock instead of mixing with chicken stock. Cannot recommend enough. Thank you.

    Reply
  13. Sandra Amos says

    January 25, 2019 at 2:16 am

    Have just made this soup, it is really delicious!! I did add a few extras, half a red pepper and a chunk of celeriac along with the others as in the recipe. I used both dark lentils and butter beans, about 75 g of each, uncooked, lentils in with the soup to cook but soaked and precooked the butter beans before adding in once soup was cooked thru’. Spices, smoked paprika, ground cumin along with Italian seasoning. Once soup was cooked I drained about half of veggies, lentils and beans before blitzing the rest then put remainder back and just warmed thru gently before eating. The potatoes and beans make for a lovely creamy soup. Truly delicious. So nutritious too and wonderful ingredients.

    Reply
  14. Mariam says

    January 23, 2019 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    OMG I made this soup but instead of vegetable bouillon i put sazon, I added 1/2 teaspoon of coriander, 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom and ginger. It is AMAZING. The flavor is so full and beautiful. This recipe is wonderful I cannot wait to try more of yours.

    Reply
  15. Deb S says

    January 20, 2019 at 2:52 am

    This looks wonderful! I also love your tips for add-ins, thank you. I can’t eat tomatoes, is there anything that could be substituted for tomatoes? I hope so because I’d love to give this a try!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 20, 2019 at 9:37 am

      How about red peppers Deb?

      Reply
  16. Sheila Beam says

    January 11, 2019 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    Hi, this recipe looks good. I have a question, you say 8 cups broth, divided, but I am not sure why as the recipe doesn’t say. I would typically add the broth after sautéing the veggies, but not sure why dividing the broth, is it done in two stages while cooking? Thanks so much! sheila

    Reply
  17. Maejae says

    December 31, 2018 at 11:44 am

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe. It was so good! I just lessened the cumin a little. I would definitely keep this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
  18. Saundra says

    December 24, 2018 at 10:07 am

    5 stars
    We made this a few months ago and decided it would be good to make for Christmas Eve dinner with crusty bread!

    Reply
  19. Rebecca says

    October 31, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Added one diced Anaheim pepper and used 1 fat tomato. Love it! I didn’t make the garlic bread this evening, but I plan to try it with my leftovers tomorrow. Also loved the suggestion of adding pork carnitas.

    Reply
    • Karina says

      October 31, 2018 at 5:56 pm

      That sounds great! I am so glad that you made it your own. Thank you for sharing! XO

      Reply
  20. Alex says

    October 21, 2018 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    I substituted one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and 1/3 cup of water for the fresh tomatoes. Turned out great!

    Reply
  21. Judith Mayes says

    October 04, 2018 at 2:35 am

    I am looking at your recipe for lentil soup and the nutritional information says it has 38 gr of carbs per serving. However, there is nothing to tell us the size of the serving. I have seen soup serving sizes as small as a half a cup. My husband is diabetic and I need to know this information to judge the wisdom of making this for him. Lentils are a good thing for diabetics but I need the serving size please.

    Reply
    • Sabrina Mastrangelo says

      January 06, 2020 at 6:31 am

      It says it makes 8 portions so if you measure the final weight or volume of the soup and divide it by 8 you will get the serving size.

      Reply
  22. Helen Kozikowski says

    September 24, 2018 at 10:50 am

    I can not use bullion because of allergies. What should I use instead

    Reply
    • Lucy says

      December 16, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      Don’t know what you’re allergic to in bullion but you might want to check out the product Better Than Bouillon. It’s rich and flavorful and is available in chicken, beef and vegetable flavors.

      Reply
    • PK says

      September 14, 2019 at 2:57 pm

      Make bone broth. It’s so good for you with no gluten or chemicals. It’s very easy to do.

      Reply
  23. Kerry says

    May 31, 2018 at 8:50 am

    Hi Karina, love the idea of this recipe! Do you know how/if it would change if I used dried red lentils, rather than the green or brown you specified?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 05, 2018 at 11:07 pm

      Yes, of course! That sounds great! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  24. Paige says

    May 20, 2018 at 9:35 am

    Would this still be good without potatoes, or with sweet potatoes instead of regular?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      May 23, 2018 at 2:30 pm

      I am not sure about the sweet potatoes since they are a little bit softer than a regular potato. You can omit the potatoes if that is better for you. You are always welcome to change the recipes to your liking. Hope you enjoy your soup!

      Reply
    • Gwen says

      February 13, 2019 at 1:51 pm

      I used sweet potatoes. It was delicious.

      Reply
  25. Eleni says

    January 27, 2018 at 4:44 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious! I used a little less broth in mine and served it over a little bit of rice (with garlic bread on the side of course!) and it was so filling and satisfying!

    Reply
  26. Ursula says

    January 15, 2018 at 2:18 am

    Yes you can. That’s what the recipe actually calls for :
    2 cups(13-14 oz.or375-400grams)dried green or brown lentils.

    Reply
  27. Becca Hensel says

    January 10, 2018 at 11:04 am

    Is it possible to substitute canned tomatoes when fresh tomatoes are not in season?

    Reply
  28. Nancy says

    January 08, 2018 at 4:33 am

    Can I use dried red lentils?

    Reply
    • Siobhan says

      March 18, 2020 at 2:47 am

      5 stars
      So amazing. Just didn’t add parsley because I never have been a fan. No meat added but next time I will add some meat either pork or bacon. Maybe both lol.
      My husband and toddler ate it up! I’m stuffed. We served with homemade corn bread.

      Reply

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Welcome! My name is Karina and this is my internet kitchen hang-out. A self-confessed balanced foodie sharing some waistline friendly recipes that are full of flavour. Life is too short for bland and boring. …

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