How to Make Lentil Soup – Easy and Quick Recipe

Lentils are packed with protein and fiber, making them a healthy addition to any meal. And the best part? You can easily skip or substitute ingredients. As always, I'll provide you with all the alternatives and optional ingredients to make your lentil soup quick and easy to prepare.

Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Anyone can cook!

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils (red, green, or brown), rinsed

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 2 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

• 1 can (12 oz) diced tomatoes

• 6 cups vegetable broth (or water)

• 1-2 cups fresh spinach or kale (optional)

• Juice of 1 lemon

Before We Start

Use Broth for Flavor: Vegetable broth enhances the soup’s flavor more than water, but using water is okay if you’re unfamiliar with broth (it's vegetable-flavored water).

Blending Option: For a creamy texture, blend part of the soup with an immersion blender.

Add Protein: Toss in cooked chicken, tofu, or chickpeas for extra protein.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for 2-3 months.

Garnish: Sprinkle with fresh parsley or a dollop of yogurt for added freshness.

Optional: Turmeric is optional for color and flavor, but many lentil soups contain it and it tastes good. I recommend trying it. Spinach is a good source of protein and is optional for a vegan option—don’t skip it if you're using it.

Saute: Use garlic-ginger paste or 3 minced cloves instead of just garlic.

Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes work fine, but I’ll use fresh diced tomatoes.

Instructions

Prep the Veggies
Step 1: Wash vegetables well. On a cutting board with a sharp knife, dice the medium onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and mince the garlic.

Saute
Step 2: Heat a large pot with oil over medium flame. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Then add minced garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp paprika. Stir well.

Add Lentils and Broth/Water
Step 3: Add lentils, diced tomatoes (can), and 6 cups of broth/water to the sauteed veggies and spices. Keep it on medium flame, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender.

Season
Step 4: Add salt to taste, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. (If using spinach or kale, add it now.) Stir well and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Lastly
Step 5: Ladle the soup into a bowl and serve warm. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley.

Have a healthy, hearty soup and enjoy!

How to Serve?

• Use a serving tray with a classic bowl and plate.

• Pour the soup into the bowl.

• Place crusty bread, garlic bread, or pita bread on the plate.

• Garnish the soup with parsley and chopped green onions on top.

Storage
It’s a store-friendly meal! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or frozen for 2-3 months.

How to Make Red Lentil Soup?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)

• 1 onion (diced)

• 2 carrots (diced)

• 2 garlic cloves (minced)

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

• Juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

1. Dice all vegetables (onion, carrot).

2. Heat a pan with oil, add diced vegetables, and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add spices (cumin powder, paprika, black pepper) and mix well.

4. Add red lentils, canned tomatoes, and enough water to stir smoothly. Cover the lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the lentils are tender.

5. Once tender, remove the lid, add salt, a bit of black pepper, and squeeze lemon juice. Stir well and leave for another 5 minutes.

6. Serve with parsley and chopped green onion for garnish.

Enjoy your hearty red lentil soup!

How to Make Turkish Lentil Soup?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils (rinsed)

• 1 onion (diced)

• 1 carrot (diced)

• 1 potato (peeled and diced)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 tsp cumin powder

• 1/2 tsp paprika

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth

• Lemon wedges (for serving)

• Fresh parsley (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Dice all vegetables (onion, carrot, peeled potatoes).

2. Heat a pot with oil, add veggies, and cook for a couple of minutes.

3. Add spices (cumin powder, paprika, black pepper) and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add 1 tbsp tomato paste, lentils, and broth. Stir gently. Cover the lid and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes.

5. Once tender, remove the lid, add salt, a sprinkle of black pepper, and squeeze lemon juice. Stir well and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

6. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy your warm and flavorful Turkish lentil soup!

Conclusion

How to make tasty, quick lentil soup

1. Dice the vegetables (onion, carrots, celery).

2. Heat a pot with olive oil. Add diced onion and other vegetables. Sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Add cumin, paprika, black pepper, and turmeric. Mix well.

4. Add diced tomatoes, rinsed lentils, and broth/water to the pot. Stir, reduce the flame, cover, and let it simmer for 20–25 minutes until lentils are tender.

5. Remove the lid, add salt to taste, a little more black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

6. Serve warm in a bowl, garnished with chopped green onions and parsley.

Enjoy your tasty, healthy, and hearty soup with friends and family! Let me know how it turns out when you try it. Thank you for staying tuned till the end!

For more recipes, check out:

• How to Make Soup Without Chicken

• How to Make Vegetable Broth with Flavor

• How to Make Vegetable Rice

• How to Make Easy Vegetable Lasagna in Many Ways

P.S. Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for more recipes, tips, and ideas! 🌿

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