Lentil Vegetable Soup
Lentil Vegetable Soup is the perfect weeknight meal with minimal prep time and budget-friendly ingredients, made with green lentils simmered in broth with hearty root vegetables and spices, ready in 45 minutes!
A really flavorful and hearty soup is the perfect dinner for cooler weather, keeping our family full and warm after a long day! For more great simple soup recipes, check out this Classic Potato Leek Soup, Tuscan White Bean Soup, and Slow Cooker Kale and White Bean Soup!
Lentil Vegetable Soup is easy to make and one of my family’s favorite healthy soups, ready in under an hour. It will definitely become a staple in your household this winter!
This hearty lentil soup is also really versatile, and a great way to use up fresh veggies in your pantry. Try making this with sweet potatoes, parsnips, butternut squash, kale, spinach, cabbage, or Brussels sprouts! The possibilities are endless. If you add leafy greens, put them in about 10 minutes before the soup is done. Root vegetables will need to cook for longer.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Lentils. If you are gluten free, make sure the lentils you buy are certified gluten free. Lentils are one of the crops that can be cross-contaminated with wheat or barley on a farm level, read more about it here. You can buy brands that take extra care to make sure the lentils are totally gluten free, similar to oats.
The type of lentil you use can change the texture, cook time, and flavor of this lentil vegetable soup. I like to use green lentils or brown lentils for this recipe, I don’t recommend switching them out for other types.
Olive Oil. This helps to brown the onions and the rest of the vegetables before adding the broth. Adding a little bit of extra virgin olive oil will also help keep the butter from burning at the higher temperature.
Butter. A little bit of unsalted butter will add flavor and some fat to the finished dish.
Fresh Garlic. For this recipe, I like to use fresh raw garlic because you get the best flavor this way. You can add more or less garlic, depending on your preferences. I use 3 cloves garlic, but I’ve also made this with as many as 5.
If you’re using garlic powder instead, use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder for every 1 garlic clove.
Carrots. These add nutrition, and also a small amount of sweetness to the dish to balance out the savory notes.
Leeks. In a dish that already has onions, leeks are a really good way to add in extra veggies. Leeks have a mild onion-like flavor and goes great in soups and stews.
Potatoes. I like to use Yukon gold potatoes. They are a combination of starchy and waxy, making them an all-purpose potato that works in most dishes. You can peel them or leave the peel on as long as they’re well cleaned beforehand.
Celery and Onion. This adds veggies, and is also very aromatic when cooking. You can use yellow onion, Vidalia onion, or white onion for this recipe.
Broth. I like to use chicken broth or vegetable broth for this dish. Just make sure it’s gluten free.
Spices. You can use the spice blend in this recipe, or keep it simple with garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Vegetable Lentil Soup
- In a dutch oven heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until just starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add all of the chopped vegetables and stir. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in all spices, lentils, and broth to the soup pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat to simmer and place the lid on the pot.
- Cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until lentils are soft. Remove the three bay leaves and discard. Season with salt and pepper to taste, top with fresh parsley or grated parmesan cheese, and serve with some gluten free crusty bread for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to soak these lentils before making soup, but you can if you’d like to make them less starchy and easy to digest. The important thing to remember is that lentils need to be rinsed before using as a general rule, to remove any dust.
This soup usually doesn’t need to be thickened, but you can if you’d prefer a different texture. Use an immersion blender, and blend about half of the soup. The texture will be similar to broccoli soup, leaving some of the lentil and veggies whole for presentation.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Cabbage Soup
- Ground Beef Soup
- Slow Cooker Kale Bean and Sausage Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Storage
Refrigerate Lentil Vegetable Soup for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
Freeze leftover soup for 2-3 months in an airtight container. You can also place this into freezer-safe bags and lay them flat in the freezer, to make it easier to store when trying to find valuable freezer space!
Place the frozen lentil vegetable soup into the refrigerator the night before to defrost before reheating.
Recipe Variations
- If you don’t have all of the spices in this lentil soup recipe, you can make this with just salt and black pepper to taste, or with some garlic and onion powder. Or try your favorite curry powder, or use Italian seasoning instead for some Italian flavors. You can also try some fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or fresh thyme.
- Add some more cayenne pepper, a dash of hot sauce, or red pepper flakes for heat. Or a splash of fresh lemon juice or lime juice for some fresh flavor.
- Make this lentil vegetable soup a vegan recipe by replacing the butter with more olive oil, and using vegetable broth only.
- You can easily add other vegetables to this lentil recipe. This is great for using up whatever is left in your pantry at the end of the week! Try green beans, fire-roasted tomatoes (or crushed canned tomatoes), a few extra celery stalks, bell pepper, curly kale, or whatever other fresh vegetables you have.
Cooking Tips
- When you reduce the heat, make sure you bring it to a simmer before placing the lid on the pot. The lid will trap some heat, keeping the cooking temperature steady.
- The vegetables and green lentils take about the same amount of time to cook. Any other root vegetables will take about the same amount of time, but more delicate veggies like spinach can be added at the end.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving, as these are not pleasant to chew! They are just for flavor and should be thrown away once the soup is done, before serving.
- If your lentil vegetable soup is too thick, add a bit of water or another 1-2 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock. Cook until warmed through.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Lentil Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium leeks, washed and chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 2 medium celery stalks , chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup green or brown lentils, gluten free certified, rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth, gluten free
- 3 medium bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
Instructions
- In a dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until just starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add all of the chopped vegetables and stir. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add all spices, lentils, and broth to the pot and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and place the lid on the pot.
- Cook for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until lentils are soft.
- Remove the three bay leaves and discard. Season with salt and pepper to taste, top with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- Remove the bay leaves before serving, as these are not pleasant to chew! They are just for flavor and should be thrown away once the soup is done, before serving.
- If your soup is too thick, add a bit of water or another 1-2 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock. Cook until warmed through.
- When you reduce the heat, make sure you bring it to a simmer before placing the lid on the pot.
Nutrition
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Lentils really are a great staple. This soup looks like a winner to me!! Hearty, delicious, healthy, and CHEAP!! Yaaaay!!! Haha.
This looks amazing! I love lentils and I have been wanting a new soup to try. Thanks!
I love lentil soups and I’m crazy about the colors you have going in this pot. Makes me wanna dive in and go back for seconds!
Any idea WHERE you can buy GF dried lentils? I’ve looked without success:(
Hi Karin! It can really depend on where you live, but if you can’t find them in your grocery store I would try online. I know of a brand called Edison Grainery that has the Certified Gluten Free logo on the bag (check for it before buying), and a few other little brands like that.
Is that yogurt or sour cream in the picture?
I like to use plain greek yogurt, but sour cream would work well, too.