Red Lentil Soup
This red lentil soup recipe is both vegan and gluten-free! A healthy, low-fat soup that’s cozy and simple and packed with 18g of plant-based protein per serving.
Lentil Soup for the Soul. Do you remember those books? I don’t know if there was ever a Chicken Soup for the Vegetarian Soul edition, but if there was this red lentil soup would be on the cover.
If you have ever uttered the phrase “I want a big bowl of something comforting!” then this vegan lentil soup is your kinda meal.
I really feel like lentils could create world peace. There is nothing more soothing than sipping on an incredibly nourishing soup loaded with vegetables, lentils, and spices. After a bowl of this, I am ready to conquer the world! Well, at least conquer my to-do list.
A simple soup with a complex taste
While it’s pretty easy to put this red lentil soup together, the flavor is anything but simple. A boldly flavored soup seasoned with turmeric, ginger, and paprika! Since I crave lots of spice this time of year, I like to finish this off with a bit of cayenne pepper for an extra bonus kick, optional if you want it.
This soup has been getting me through our monsoon-like weather as of late. Since we’ve been in a drought for the past several years, I’m trying hard to enjoy all of the rain and am using the wet weather as an excuse to stay in bed a bit longer or curl up with a book and a mug of this soup.
Ingredients for Vegan Red Lentil Soup
As with most soup recipes, this one relies heavy on pantry staples and a bit of spices.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Celery
- Potato; a sweet potato also works
- Spices like cumin, turmeric, ginger, paprika and salt and pepper
- Vegetable broth
- Red lentils
- Large can of diced tomatoes
- Fresh chopped parsley or cilantro
- Lemon juice
How to Make this Lentil Soup {Step-by-Step Instructions}
Heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add in the vegetables, like garlic, celery and potato and sauté until very tender.
Stir in the ground spices: cumin, turmeric, ginger, paprika and salt and pepper. Add the vegetable broth, lentils and tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils have cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Remove half of the soup and puree using either a blender or immersion blender. Blend together the pureed soup with the cooked lentils and add the fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Can you sub in other types of lentils?
If you haven’t had red lentils before, they behave completely different than brown or green lentils. Once cooked, they lose their shape and become porridge-like in texture. Perfect for a thick, stick-to-your-ribs soup without using butter, cream, or cheese.
How to freeze this soup
Since we don’t use any dairy in this red lentil soup recipe, this creamy soup freezes beautifully! Make a batch, eat what you can, and then freeze the rest in an airtight container or bag. container.
Whenever you’re in need of a little pick me up this winter, remove from the freezer and thaw in the fridge or defrost in the microwave, then heat and serve.
Is this soup healthy?
Though I’m a dietitian, I’m not big on numbers. I rarely look at calories and instead focus on the quality of my overall diet. What I eat is way more important to me than how many calories or fat grams it contains. A big bowl of this lentil soup is packed with all of the foods I want us to eat more of: antioxidant-rich spices, lentils and vegetables.
Each serving of this soup also contains 18g of protein and 10g fiber, a one-two punch of satisfying and satiating.
More Vegan Lentil Soups:
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
Tuscan Lentil Soup
Lemon Lentil Soup
Turmeric Red Lentil Soup
If you try this red lentil soup recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- Large baking potato, chopped
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- pinch salt/pepper
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- First, heat 1 tsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan.
- Next, add the onion and let cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- Then, add the garlic, celery, and potato chunks. After that, cook until soft and lightly browned, another 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the cumin, turmeric, ground ginger, paprika and salt/pepper and stir until fragrant.
- Add the vegetable broth, lentils, and canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
- Then, cover and cook for 20 minutes and cook until lentils are tender.
- Remove from heat and puree 1/2 of the soup using either a blender or immersion blender.
- Next, add back in the 1/2 of the soup and stir in the herbs and lemon juice.
- Finally, season to taste with salt/pepper if needed and serve.
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted in 2014 and updated in 2021.