Lentil Soup

Yumna Jawad

Published Sep 08, 2025

5 from 3 votes

Basic lentil soup recipe with green lentils, carrots, onion, and celery simmered in a simple spice mix and vegetable broth.

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Comments
8

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Homemade lentil soup in a bowl with a lemon wedge on top.
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A simple Lentil SOup

I grew up eating lentil soup all the time, so it’s one of those recipes that just feels like comfort food to me. Over the years, I’ve tried it in lots of variations, but sometimes I just want a simple bowl that really lets the flavor and texture of the lentils “shine” for lack of a better word.

I have a lot of lentil soup recipes on my site (Crushed Lentil Soup, Lentil Kale Soup, Tomato Lentil Soup, Red Lentil Chicken Soup and Harira Soup made with lentils.) This lentil soup is the simplest version of all the ones on the site, made with basic ingredients like green lentils, onion, carrot, celery, and a squeeze of lemon at the end.

Happy Cooking!
– Yumna

Lentil Soup Ingredients

ingredients for recipe before prepping: oil, lemon, garlic, spices, broth, celery, carrots, onion, and green lentils.
  • Veggies: Onion, carrots, and celery. Dice them evenly so they cook at the same rate.
  • Seasoning: Garlic, cumin, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Use fresh garlic if possible, and don’t skip the squeeze of lemon at the end.
  • Lentils: Green lentils are what I use, but brown would work too. Red, I would avoid them, as they can get soggy quickly.
  • Broth: Low-sodium vegetable broth works best, so you can control the salt.

How to Make Lentil Soup

Onions, carrots and celery in pot after cooking with garlic added.
Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until they start to soften. Stir in the garlic and sauté for until fragrant.
Spices added to pot with cooked veggies.
Step 2: Add the cumin, thyme, salt, pepper, and stir until the vegetables are well coated with the spices.
Broth and dried lentils added to pot with cooked vegetables.
Step 3: Pour in the green lentils and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover.
After soup has simmered, lemon juice being added.
Step 4: Simmer until the lentils are tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Lentil soup recipe.

Lentil Soup Recipe

Author: Yumna Jawad
5 from 3 votes
Basic lentil soup recipe with green lentils, carrots, onion, and celery simmered in a simple spice mix and vegetable broth.
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Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Servings4 servings
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 celery stalks diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups green lentils rinsed
  • 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 lemon juiced, plus extra lemon wedges for serving
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, until they start to soften.
  • Stir in the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the cumin, thyme, salt, pepper and stir until the vegetables are well coated with the spices.
  • Pour in the green lentils and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30–35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
  • Serve warm with extra lemon wedges and a sprinkle of parsley, if you like.

Equipment

Notes

Storage: Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. When reheating, the lentils may thicken the broth a bit, so I usually stir in a splash of water or broth as it warms up. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between, until hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 612mg, Potassium: 891mg, Fiber: 26g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 5156IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Did You Make This Recipe?
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FAQs

How do I store and reheat Lentil Soup?

Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4–5 days. When reheating, the lentils may thicken the broth a bit, so I usually stir in a splash of water or broth as it warms up. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring in between, until hot.

Can I freeze Lentil Soup?

Yes, lentil soup freezes really well. Once cooled, portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop, adding a little broth or water if it seems too thick.

Pot of lentil soup with ladle dipped inside, garnished with fresh parsley with extra lemon wedges nearby.

More Vegetarian Soup Recipes:

5 from 3 votes

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Comments

  1. Karen says:

    This lentil soup is absolutely delicious!!!!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! So happy you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Rene says:

    This is delicious! I’ve made a few different lentil soups, and I must say this one is my favorite. I used marjoram instead of thyme, added 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika and 1 tsp. basil, in addition to the garlic cloves, cumin, salt and pepper. I also cut the pepper in half. My petite french green lentils cooked to the absolute perfect tenderness in 35 minutes. I didn’t use any lemon or parsley. The flavor is great, and the texture perfect. My husband and I both loved it, and look forward to leftovers tonight. Thanks for the great recipe.

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww, I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!! Love the tweaks you made. Thank you so much, Rene!

      Reply
  3. Nick Dacloush says:

    This is a super excellent tasting soup. My mother used to fix that same exact soup when we were children in Lebanon. Thank you Yumna, you are great too!๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww, that makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you, Nick! So glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  4. Pat says:

    Can I use brown or red lentils in this soup? I have plenty of them in my pantry!

    Reply
    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yes, brown lentils will work! Red lentils will get too soggy in this soup. Enjoy!!

      Reply