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Make this easy Red Lentil Soup in one pot in just 40 minutes. It’s a simple, satisfying recipe that’s perfect for an easy lunch or dinner.
Know Before You Scroll
What You’ll Need
Red lentils, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, stock, lemon, and fresh cilantro.
Flavor Profile
Savory and earthy with warm cumin, tender vegetables, fresh cilantro, and just enough lemon to brighten everything up.
Difficulty Level
Easy. Everything cooks in one pot, and there’s no blending required.
Equipment Needed
A large soup pot or Dutch oven. A food processor is optional but makes the prep especially quick.
Top Tip
Don’t judge the consistency too early. Red lentils thicken the soup as they soften, and it will thicken even more as it stands. Add extra stock at the end if you’d like it looser.
Time-Saving Tips
Pulse the onion, carrots, and celery in a food processor instead of chopping everything by hand. Finely chopped vegetables soften much faster as the soup cooks—a shortcut included in my original recipe that is still worth using.
Ingredient Swaps
Vegetable or chicken stock both work well. If you don’t like cilantro, fresh parsley can be used instead, although it will change the flavor.
Why I Love This Recipe
This easy Red Lentil Soup turns a handful of simple ingredients into a thick, hearty soup that’s full of flavor.
Red lentils cook quickly and naturally begin to break down as they simmer, which gives the broth a rich, almost creamy consistency without adding cream or getting out the blender.
I keep the seasoning simple with cumin, garlic, and tomato paste, then add fresh cilantro and lemon at the end. The lemon isn’t there to make this a lemony soup—it just brightens everything up and brings the other flavors to life.
Best of all, it’s made in one pot and ready in about 40 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
Red Lentils
Best Choice
Use dried red lentils. They cook quickly and break down enough to create the thick texture this soup needs.
Substitutions
Yellow lentils can work, although cooking time and finished texture may vary. I wouldn’t substitute green or brown lentils and expect the same result, they hold their shape much more readily.
Stock
Best Choice
Vegetable stock keeps the soup vegetarian and gives you control over the other flavors.
Substitutions
Chicken stock works perfectly well if the soup doesn’t need to be vegetarian.
Ground Cumin
Best Choice
Use fresh ground cumin rather than a jar that’s been sitting in the cupboard for years. You want warm, earthy flavor without overwhelming the lentils.
Substitutions
I wouldn’t replace the cumin if you want the soup to taste as intended. It’s one of the main seasonings in an otherwise very simple recipe.
Fresh Lemon
Best Choice
Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives you the cleanest flavor.
Substitutions
If you don’t have lemon, you can use a small amount of another mild acid, but add it gradually. The goal isn’t to make the soup sour—it’s simply to wake up the other flavors.
You can find the full, printable recipe at the top of this post, but you can read the detailed instructions with photos for each step below.
Step By Step Instructions
1
Start With The Vegetables
Cook the finely chopped onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil until they begin to soften.
The vegetables don’t need to brown. We’re building a savory base and giving them a head start before adding the lentils.
2
Build the flavor
Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
Then stir in the tomato paste and cumin and cook for about 2 minutes. Look for the tomato paste to deepen slightly in color and for the cumin to become noticeably fragrant.
This quick step develops much more flavor than simply stirring everything into the stock.
3
Add The Lentils & Stock
Stir in the red lentils and stock and bring everything to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered.
4
Cook Until Thick & Hearty
After about 30 minutes, the vegetables should be tender and the lentils should be very soft and beginning to break down.
You’re looking for a thick, spoonable soup with plenty of texture, not a completely smooth purée.
If it becomes thicker than you like, just add a little more stock.
5
Finish With Cilantro & Lemon
Stir in most of the cilantro and the lemon juice right at the end.
Taste before adding anything else. If the soup tastes flat, check the salt first and then try another small squeeze of lemon.
The lemon should make the soup taste brighter, not lemony.
FAQs
Do you need to soak red lentils before making soup?
No. Red lentils cook quickly and can go directly into the soup.
Should red lentil soup be blended?
Not this one. The lentils naturally soften and partially break down during cooking, giving the soup a thick consistency while retaining some texture.
Why is my red lentil soup so thick?
Red lentils absorb liquid and continue to thicken after cooking. Simply stir in additional stock until the soup reaches the consistency you like.
Why is my red lentil soup too thin?
Give it a little longer to simmer. As the lentils soften and break down, they’ll naturally thicken the broth.
Can I make red lentil soup ahead?
Absolutely. In fact, this is a great make-ahead soup. Just remember that it gets thicker as it sits, so you’ll probably need to add some stock when reheating.
Can I use green or brown lentils instead of red lentils?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this particular recipe. Green and brown lentils tend to hold their shape better, so you won’t get the same naturally thick texture.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 3 celery stalks (diced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ cups red lentils
- 6 cups vegetable stock (plus more as needed)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (divided)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables: Dice the onion, carrots, and celery by hand, or add them to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Build the flavor: Add the tomato paste and cumin. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the cumin smells fragrant.
- Simmer: Stir in the lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the lentils are very soft and beginning to break down.
- Adjust the consistency: If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in a little additional stock until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Finish and serve: Stir in the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of the cilantro. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed. The lemon should brighten the flavors without making the soup noticeably lemony. Serve topped with the remaining cilantro.
Tips
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