It’s true - this really is The Best Lentil Soup you’ll ever make! It’s all whipped up in one pot with simple and inexpensive ingredients like fresh veggies, bold spices, and of course plenty of lentils.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT45M
Rating
4.96 stars (216 reviews)
Keywords
vegan lentil soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
14- ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
2 cups dry green or brown lentils
7 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3 cups baby spinach, sliced into ribbons (or kale)
1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
Categories
Soup
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes.
Now add the can of tomatoes (with juices), lentils, vegetable broth, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika. Stir to incorporate everything.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened. For a creamier texture, use an immersion blender to blend a few times in the pot. Alternatively, add 1-2 cups of the soup to a regular blender, blend until smooth and then return to the pot.
Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. It will only take a minute for the spinach to wilt. Season with salt to taste.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 236 kcal
Carbohydrates: 38 g
Protein: 13 g
Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Sodium: 610 mg
Sugar: 7 g
Reviews
Robin on 2026-05-05 (5 stars): Simple fast, tasty, freezable for a quick meal at a later time. Thank you!
Candis on 2026-04-25 (5 stars): My family loves this soup we make it 1-2 times a month. Thank you. So good
Sara on 2026-03-17 (5 stars): Just at the end, see step 4. The spinach will over cook and the lemon lose its brightness if you add it at the beginning.
Meesh on 2026-03-15 (5 stars): This recipe gets even better when it sits!! I was asked to make it, and of course I took credit like it’s my recipe!! Lol, so let me give credit where it’s due!!!
Matthew on 2026-02-13 (5 stars): Love this recipe. I'm sure I've made it dozens of times over the years. This time I'm adding butter beans and other seasonings such as bay leaves, thyme and oregano as well as fresh dill to finish with the lemon.
Thanks so much, Nora! You're usually my first go-to for recipes.
Donna Kirby on 2026-02-13 (5 stars): Love this recipe! Plot Twist: I just threw everything into my Crock Pot, and let it cook for a few hours while I worked. Came out great! Thanks for the recipe, Nora!! 🎉
Melody on 2026-02-09 (5 stars): Wow - this is a delicious lentil soup and really hits the spot. I didn't have any lemons so I substituted lime juice. The brightness the citrus adds is delightful. Thanks, Nora!
Becky Plante on 2026-02-01 (5 stars): This is a favorite but my lentils always take too long to cook. How can I adjust the broth amount accomodate using cooked/canned lentils??
Kimberly Zielinski on 2026-01-26 (5 stars): The recipe was great! I wanted to make this a meal with more protein, so I added 2 lbs of mild Italian sausage and used fresh kale instead of spinach. We garnished it with shredded Parmesan cheese and cilantro. Spices were increased to 1 tsp of cumin and coriander. Chicken broth was used instead of vegetable broth (next time, I'll reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp with the chicken broth).
