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Looking for a meal that’s simple, nourishing, and totally satisfying? This Red Lentil Soup is the kind of recipe that builds confidence in the kitchen and comfort in your bowl. It’s made with pantry staples, minimal chopping, and big flavor—so whether you’re new to plant-based cooking or just craving something hearty and wholesome, this soup has your back.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love It
Okay, hear me out—you may not be totally sold on lentils, but this red lentil soup might just change your mind. It’s cozy, flavorful, and totally plant-based (you won’t miss the meat, promise). Plus, it checks all the boxes: easy, healthy, and super satisfying. Here’s why I think you should give it a try:
- It’s quick and so simple to make: Red lentils cook faster than most legumes—no soaking required and ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights or when you want a hearty meal without the wait.
- Packed with plant-based protein: This soup is naturally rich in protein and fiber, making it a filling, nourishing option for anyone looking to eat more plants and feel satisfied.
- Comfort food with clean ingredients: It delivers cozy, comfort food vibes without relying on heavy creams or processed ingredients—just simple, wholesome staples that taste amazing and fuel your body.
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Red Lentil Soup Ingredients
While this spiced lentil soup has a long-ish ingredient list, they all work together to produce a tasty result. Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on these rawkin’ fresh vegetables and vibrant spices.
- Coconut Oil: My favorite healthy fat to help sauté a few of the ingredients.
- Yellow Onions: My go-to onion for its buttery, mild flavor.
- Celery Stalks: An often hidden, yet necessary ingredient to make any soup a success. Pro tip: use the leafy ends of the celery in the soup if you can! They bring even more flavor.
- Garlic: I always mince fresh garlic for the most nutrition. Garlic is a powerful health booster.
- Fresh Ginger Root: This anti-inflammatory root packs a powerful punch, so a little goes a long way!
- Spices: I use a blend of cumin, turmeric and red pepper flakes to add warmth, earthiness and just a bit of heat.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: If you like depth that roasted brings, then these are a no-brainer! You can use regular diced tomatoes, too.
- Vegetable Stock: Homemade vegetable stock or store-bought, look for a one with real ingredients.
- Red Lentils: These have a less-earthy flavor than green lentils do. Red lentils also get softer during cooking, which is what I wanted for this soup. Look for dried lentils next to dried beans, or in the soup aisle.
- Spinach: I always add leafy green vegetables— our health is our wealth, right?
How to Make Red Lentil Soup
This soup does have a few more components than some, yet it’s 100% worth it at first bite. Here’s how I make my Red Lentil Soup:
Sauté the onion and celery in coconut oil (or the oil of your choice). This releases the flavors and adds a lovely warmth to your final product.
Sauté the garlic and ginger, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn (this can happen quickly!). Use fresh minced garlic for the best results.
Add spices and tomatoes, namely turmeric, cumin and fire-roasted tomatoes. Stir quickly to combine so that the spices don’t stick to the bottom.
Add vegetable stock and lentils and give the soup a few stirs to cover the lentils. Now all you need to do is allow the soup to simmer until the lentils are soft (no crunch!).
Add spinach and lemon juice once the soup is ready. Lemon juice is a game-changer so don’t omit!
Feel free to taste the spiced lentil soup and add in a bit of salt and pepper, or just let people add it to their own bowls after serving.
Red Lentil Soup Tips
- My number one tip for the best-tasting soup all the time is this sauté the aromatic ingredients. Whether you are slow-cooking your soup or just simmering on the stove top, taking a few minutes to sauté a few of the veggies first opens them up nicely. I want my soup to be as flavorful as possible and this is the way to do it.
- My second tip is to make extra! Whether you’re feeding one person or a family of five, make sure to have a few extra servings when you’re finished. This way you can freeze or refrigerate them to enjoy later in the week for quick lunches or dinners. No need to chop all that produce more than once.
- Finally, use what you have on hand. Soup often contains several ingredients, yet they can easily be swapped for something that’s easier for you to find or less expensive to purchase in your town. Living in Florida gives me access to a wide variety of produce that I know isn’t available all over the United States. If you ever need help with a swap, just drop a comment below and let me help!
More Soup Recipes
If you know me, you know I love soup. It’s a great way to pack in lots of different veggies at once. It also fills the whole house with amazing smells. Here are a few more vegetarian soup recipes I’ve created that have been hits on my blog:
Don’t forget to rate + review this Red Lentil Soup recipe once you’ve tried it. I can’t wait for your feedback!
Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, unrefined
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 8 garlic clove minced
- 2 tsp ginger root finely minced
- 1 tbsp ground cumin ground
- 1 tsp turmeric, ground ground
- 1 ½ cup fire-roasted tomatoes
- 4 cup vegetable stock
- 1 ½ cup red lentils uncooked
- 2 cup spinach roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juiced
Toppings
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ avocado diced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the cumin and turmeric. Stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and stir again.
- Add the vegetable stock and lentils. Lower heat to a simmer and partially cover the pan. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
- Stir in the spinach and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper.
- Top with cilantro avocado and red pepper flakes for serving.
Helpful Tools
Notes
- Crockpot: Put everything in the slow cooker and cook on low 6 hours or on high 2 1/2 hours. Check earlier in case lentils cook extra fast— you don’t want them too mushy.
- Swap ground turmeric with fresh turmeric root for even more anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Swap fresh ginger root with 1/8 tsp ground ginger, though this will eliminate some of the nutrition found in fresh ginger.
- Omit the red pepper flakes and use regular diced tomatoes for a less spicy result.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review for a chance to win signed copies of my cookbooks!Common Questions
Mine is! I use as many fresh, whole food ingredients as I can so that this soup nourishes and helps boost your immune system during cooler weather.
Not in my soup. I do rinse my lentils before adding them to the soup pot, but they will soften nicely inside the simmering stock without the need to soak beforehand.
You can, but the texture will change. Brown or green lentils take longer to cook and hold their shape, so the soup won’t be as creamy. Stick with red lentils for that smooth, hearty consistency.
It will keep for up to 4–5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It also freezes well—just let it cool completely, portion into freezer-safe containers, and reheat as needed.
Yum! Substituted baby kale for spinach, as local store didn’t have any. Added some red bell beeper with celery. Even hubby liked it and he’s not generally a fan of lentils!
I love using red lentils in soup. This was easy to prepare and tasty. Loved the addition of cilantro and avocado, two of my favorites!
I really enjoyed this soup. I usually prefer curry paste in my lentils, but I didn’t miss it with the combo of dried and fresh herbs. It is a nice, hearty dish with lots of protein, so I just served it with a small green salad.
I thought this soup was pretty tasty though could still use a bit more seasoning. I made it with canned lentils for ease of time and added rice as my kids needed more than what the serving provided. I served it with the cilantro and avocado which were wonderful additions.
Lentil soup was a staple in my Italian home when I was growing up and continued with my family. This one will be added to the list of my favorites. I used parsley instead of cilantro because I don’t care of cilantro. Using turmeric and ginger was new for me in a lentil soup as was topping with avocado.
Hearty and tasty! I didn’t use the ginger or red pepper flakes bc we have very wimpy palates for spice. It was just right for us without. Had to add some more broth. It got almost solid. Made 6-7 servings. ??? Froze some for later!
Another winner!
Very hearty and filling – will make a great soup for Winter!
Absolutely delicious soup! My entire family loved it. Easy to make; a keeper, for sure.
I was worried this would be too spicy, but it was great. (I didn’t add red pepper flakes). I don’t often cook with turmeric, so this was a great way to incorporate it without it being an overwhelming flavor. The cilantro and avocado toppings were delicious!
I loved this meal, it was easy, not time consuming, and tasted great. I did swap out the cilantro for parsley. Cilantro tastes like soap to me, it does that to some people and other just love it. You born with the gene that likes or or the gene it tastes like soap. True story. The meal was fabulous.
Loved this! My 5 yr old took it everyday for a week for lunch at school he couldn’t get enough!
Yum! We love this soup! Filling, nutritious, and delicious. We will definitely make this one again. I wish I had made a double batch so I could put some away in the freezer, but we ate every last bit.
I use the instructions for the indgredients but used an Instant Pot to cook. It was a tasty soup. I didn’t have any fresh cilantro and substituted dried cilantro and mixed it into the soup.
I love lentils but never had it as soup. This was good. Will use again.
I added the avocado and cilantro and LOVED the colors of this soup! Great recipe!
I am so happy I tried this recipe. The lentil soup was so delicious and nourishing. All of the ingredients are so healthy. I substituted fresh lime juice instead of lemon. It was delicious with the cilantro! This will be a go-to recipe for the fall and winter months.
Loved the lentil soup with lemon! Hearty and delicious.
Full of flavour and easy to prepare. Hearty and colourful.
Fantastic! Even my husband liked it. Filling and nutritious…the lemon takes it over the top!
Another delicious lentil recipe, lots of flavor and I had most things on hand from my garden! Yay!