This easy Lentil Soup Recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove top. Made with lentils, loads of vegetables, and plenty of leafy greens, this nourishing Vegan Lentil Soup recipe is the best way to fill up on a cold night.
Cozy up to my favorite lentil soup recipe
In our home, we have soup for dinner at least once a week in the colder months. It's a routine that works well for us because a) we always know what's for dinner, and b) soup freezes like a boss, so we only actually have to make soup every few weeks.
While I love all of my vegetarian soup recipes equally, this basic Lentil Soup Recipe is probably the one I make the most. Well, this and our community-fave Red Lentil Stew. I can practically make it with my eyes closed by now (though I do not recommend chopping vegetables with your eyes closed).
If you're looking for an easy lentil soup without a lot of bells and whistles, this is the one. As a nutritionist, I love that it's incredibly nourishing, with lentils bringing a ton of plant-based protein and dietary fiber to the table. It's loaded with veggies and leafy greens. And best of all, it's endlessly versatile.
I have included instructions for making this soup both on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot. Both ways turn out great, so choose your own adventure.
Let's make easy Lentil Soup together!
We're going to cover two ways to make Instant Soup - traditional stove top Lentil Soup, and also Instant Pot Lentil Soup. Options!
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
This is one of those glorious dump-and-set Instant Pot recipes. Basically, you chuck in all of the ingredients, seal it, and set it to high pressure on the manual setting for 10 minutes. It'll take about 15 minutes to come up to pressure.
Once the pressure cooking cycle is done, let the pressure release naturally for five minutes, and then flip the valve to "venting" and quick-release the rest of the steam.
Give yourself a high five, because your vegan lentil soup is done!
How to make Lentil Soup on the stovetop
I like to do this in a big heavy-bottomed pot on the stove top.
Start by sautéing your onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil. Add the carrots and celery, and sauté a few minutes more until the vegetables have softened.
Add the tomatoes, lentils, chili flakes, vegetable broth, and shredded kale. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender - this will probably take 20-30 minutes.
Done!
Lentil Soup Variations
One of the things I love about lentil soup is how endlessly versatile it is. Here are a few of the ways I love to mix things up.
- Use a different type of lentil. Brown, green, and black lentils are all great in this recipe.
- Mix up the greens. I use tuscan kale here because it's my favourite, but feel free to add spinach, swiss chard, or collard greens instead. Note that more tender greens like spinach should be stirred in at the end.
- Use your favourite veggies. I've used carrots and celery because I always have them on hand. Love peppers? Toss 'em in! Fennel? Zucchini? Baby tomatoes? Yes!
- Add diced potatoes for a heartier soup.
- Add a splash of coconut milk for a creamy soup.
- Blend a portion of your soup to make it silky smooth.
Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 large stalks celery diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1.5 cups lentils black, brown, or green lentils are all fine
- 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes including juices
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bunch Lacinato kale de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- salt and pepper
Instructions
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine garlic, onions, celery, carrots, spices, lentils, kale, and vegetable broth in the instant pot.1 large yellow onion, 3-4 cloves garlic, 2 medium carrots, 2 large stalks celery, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1.5 cups lentils, 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth, 1 bunch Lacinato kale
- Seal the lid and set to manual on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- At the end of the pressure cooking cycle allow the steam to vent naturally for 5 minutes, then flip the vent to quick release the rest of the way.
STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, then the onion.1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 large yellow onion
- Sauté the onion until it is starting to become golden, then add the garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes more until the garlic begins to brown as well.3-4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add the celery and carrots, and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly softened.2 medium carrots, 2 large stalks celery
- Now add the canned tomatoes with their juices, the vegetable broth, the lentils, and the kale.1.5 cups lentils, 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth, 1 bunch Lacinato kale
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes.
- Taste and decide whether you need a bit of salt and pepper, and season as you like. Let the soup meld together for a few minutes more, then you're ready to serve.salt and pepper
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only
Cristina says
Excellent recipe. Great depth of flavor and very flexible — it works beautifully with small variations. A keeper.
Katie Trant says
Yay, so glad you think so, Cristina!
Michele says
Hi! Just wondering what sauce you used to garnish this soup with? It looks delish. Thanks!
Michele says
I am planning to make this recipe but I’m wondering what you garnished the soup with? It looks delish and I would like to serve the soup with it as well! Thanks
Katie Trant says
That was a bit of yogurt mixed together with some adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilis. It was there purely to add a pop of colour, but was definitely delicious!
Michele says
Ok - thanks so much. I have the soup simmering on the stove right now.
Michele says
Ok great - thanks so much. The soup is simmering on the stove....
Claire says
I made this over the weekend in my Instant Pot (it's pretty new to me, so I've been looking for opportunities to use it). In case people are curious, I found the start to finish warm up+cook at pressure+cool down and release time to be about 45 minutes. You could naturally release for a longer time if you wish; I don't think there would be any negative impact. I used 6 oz of pre-chopped curly kale instead of a bunch, which I found to be the perfect amount and it softened up fine (even the stems, which I chopped and threw in too). I used french green lentils instead of beluga and they worked beautifully. I've never used them before, so it was exciting to try something new! They held their shape perfectly. I'm excited to get my hands on some beluga lentils and try again. Overall I thought the recipe could use some seasoning beyond the red pepper flakes. I added another 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes and some smoked paprika at the end. Next time I'll add some Italian seasoning and up the red pepper flakes at the start. I also think I'll add about 2 cups more liquid as this came out very thick. I loved how veggie packed it was and appreciated it being a set it and forget it recipe!
Katie Trant says
Mmmmm, smoked paprika sounds fantastic! I think in most cases French green lentils and beluga lentils can be used more or less interchangeably, but it's always fun to try something new!
Louise says
I made this soup last night using the stovetop instructions and it was DELICIOUS!!!! My family loved it! I used French green lentils, as that is what I had on hand, and they maintained their shape and texture beautifully. This was my first time cooking with Lacinato kale; it was not tough at all and added some nice color to the dish. Next time I will try using the beluga lentils. Thank you, Katie, for another great recipe! 🙂
Katie Trant says
I'm so glad you enjoyed this soup, Louise! I love French green lentils as well, and they work great in this recipe.
foodaddictionrecovery says
This soup is freakin fantastic!!!
themuffinmyth says
So glad you like it! It's one of my favourites.
Alison says
I can't wait to make this. YUM.
Leanne says
What a thoughtful pre-birthday surprise! Glad y'all got to slow down and enjoy each other. I'm in a lentil soup rut, and this looks like a great way to un-stick and try something new. I'll have to make a batch this weekend, perfect for our cold weather. (Well, cold to us.)
themuffinmyth says
It is definitely a great cold weather soup, whatever cold weather means to you. It's all relative, right? This morning on the walk from the train to my class I was telling a colleague that I didn't think there was really much difference between -10 and -18 (which is how cold it was). And then about a minute later I could feel the cold in my sinuses from breathing it in, and recanted my statement. Soup for all!
project30in2012 says
This sounds delicious and filling! I've never made lentils before and I'm very excited to try 🙂
themuffinmyth says
Never made lentils?! Well I do hope you give it a try and let me know what you think of your first lentil experience 😉
Kathryn says
What a perfect & thoughtful weekend - all the more so for being a week early and therefore being that much more of a surprise for you. He's a definite catch.
This is one of my favourite soups to make (especially with a good dose of red pepper flakes & chilli) and I love the idea of using fresh ingredients in the summer.
kellie@foodtoglow says
Love to hear that your man has treated you so well over your birthday week. More thought and effort than a bought present. Of course I'm nosey as to what he made but you can keep that a mystery. I put together a very similar soup occasionally, but I add lemon (I put it in most things whether needed or not!) & kale, as that grows year- round here in Scotland. I have some kale in the garden even now. Lentil based soups satisfy a vegan or vegetarian soup like no other, especially the more toothsome Puy lentils. Yours looks very inviting with its little pile of brown rice 🙂 PS I haven't seen the smoked garlic again but when I do I'll buy you a pack.
themuffinmyth says
It was a nice dinner from one of our favourite Indian cookbooks. A chickpea cucumber salad thing, then spicy breaded tofu (recipe is for fish, but I don't eat fish) in a yoghurt curry. So yummy. And yes, more effort than going out for dinner or buying something 🙂
Jess says
Soup on Sundays?! Love that - I think we need to institute that around here too. This is a very welcome dinner idea for me this week - after a few days of attending events and eating out this week, I am so ready to curl up at home with something healthy and comforting.
themuffinmyth says
It's a great routine. We make soups for 3 or so weeks in a row, always stashing a bit away in the freezer. Then on busy weeks we have soup to pull from the freezer and dinner is easy.