Quick-cooking red lentils are simmered in a mild turmeric and cumin-infused broth until they are tender (NOT mushy), for a cozy, brothy red lentil soup with enough carrot, onion and spinach to call it a one pot meal, perfect for when you don’t have a lot of energy to cook!
Simple yet flavourful, this brothy red lentil soup is simmered with carrots, onion and cumin for a cozy, nourishing meal.
At the end of a tough day, curling up with a really good homemade soup can lift my spirits in a way that little else can…well, that and maybe also rewatching The Office or Emily in Paris. Some sort of alchemy happens in a soup pot that makes them so so comforting, whether you’re into pureed soups, like my carrot, lentil and ginger soup or something brothy and light like my green cabbage soup with potato.
And this brothy red lentil soup makes me feel good on a whole bunch of levels: it’s flavorful and satisfying, packed with high fibre, high protein red lentils and enough veggies that my inner dietitian will happily declare it a complete one pot meal…although it’s nice with some crusty sourdough or whole grain pita on the side!
But one of the things I love MOST about this soup is that it’s super low effort: 10 basic pantry ingredients and like 15 minutes of hands-on time. It’s the perfect way to save money and avoid the takeout trap on those nights where there isn’t much in the fridge and you don’t feel like cooking.
The flavours here are inspired by Shorbet Adas, a Lebanese lentil soup, but my version is brothy, not blended. There is a little bit of magic in the red lentils here: no soaking necessary, and they do NOT turn to mush like red lentils normally do. How? A couple of tricks…one, that the broth is well salted which helps them hold their shape (yes, they still soften), and then cooking until they are just tender, about 15-18 minutes.
This red lentil soup is naturally vegan and gluten free, so more people can enjoy it…and it’s richly flavoured while still being kid friendly (although my youngest prefers I dish her portion out before I add the spinach, ha!).
Love a good soup? My bestselling plant-based cookbook, Plant Magic, has a whole chapter devoted to soups and stews, from a corn and jalapeño chowder to a cream of wild mushroom soup!
How to make this cozy red lentil soup
First things first: grab your ingredients! Especially when you’re making a new recipe for the first time, it’s so helpful to measure everything out, mise-en-place style, before you start cooking so you don’t end up in a pinch. Full disclosure: I actually do this EVERY time I cook because I am, ahem, perpetually distracted, especially when I’m tired at the end of the day!
For this soup, you’ve probably already got these 10 ingredients (plus oil and salt!) in your cupboards: dry red lentils, carrots, onion, garlic, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, Better than Bouillon veggie chicken concentrate, spinach and a lemon.
Take the time to dice your onion and carrot fine, so they cook quickly.
I like to cook the onion and carrot until they’re just beginning to soften, so we leave some texture in the soup!
Step One: Cook the onion and carrot in oil over medium heat, until beginning to soften, about 5-7 minutes. I like to keep some texture here.
Step Two: Add the garlic and spices, stirring constantly for one minute, then pour in the water and bouillon concentrate and bring to a boil.
Cook the spices with the garlic to help bring out their flavour.
I like to use a combo of water and bouillon concentrate, but homemade stock would work too!
Step Three: Add the red lentils, return it to the boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook until the lentils are tender, about 15-18 minutes. Stir occasionally, as lentils like to stick. You want gentle bubbling; if it’s boiling too furiously, just lower the heat slightly.
Step Four: Wilt in the chopped spinach and add the lemon juice. Taste, and adjust salt, garlic powder or cumin to your taste.
The red lentils keep their shape because the broth is well salted, and we cook them just enough.
Oh, and that lemon juice at the end? Not optional! The reason for this is that the acid in lemon juice really helps perk up the flavour of the soup. You can try using a tiny amount of apple cider vinegar instead (1-2 tsp max) if you don’t have lemons…but you need some acid.
PSA: you might not want to swap different kinds of lentils for red lentils in recipes
Unlike green or brown lentils, which are super swappable, red lentils are really in a category of their own. The main reason for this is that red lentils are SUPER quick cooking…other lentils will typically take 2-3 times as long to cook.
But flavorwise, red lentils are also a lot milder than other lentil varieties, more sweet and not so earthy. So swapping in other lentils will make for a much stronger lentil flavour. You can do it, but you’re gonna have to adjust the time and seasonings accordingly.
While we’re at it, if you’ve made blah lentil soups or lentil salads in the past, you’ll know that lentils tend to suck up a LOT of flavour. So to make up for it, you’ve got to throw a lot of aromatics, spices and yep, salt at them. I always use Better Than Bouillon veggie broth concentrates because they pack a lot more umami than regular broth. They’re low waste too. And then I pile on the umami with onion powder and plenty of sauteed garlic and onions.
Why red lentils are so, so good for you…
A staple the world over, red lentils are incredibly budget-friendly and nutritious…making them a perfect addition to plant-based recipes.
Just ¼ cup dry red lentils contains 12 grams of plant-based protein, in addition to 5 grams of tummy-friendly fibre. This makes lentils a more filling, satisfying, blood-sugar friendly choice.
Red lentils also contain microbiome-boosting prebiotics called GOS…making them a wonderful gut health food (but not a good choice if you’re currently low FODMAP!).
Red lentils are also rich in vitamins and minerals, like iron (a whopping 3.75mg per dry ¼ cup!), potassium (338 mg) as well as zinc, copper, and folate.
More delicious (naturally vegan!) lentil soup recipes
Easy Lentil Vegetable Soup Recipe
Creamy Curried Lentil, Tomato and Coconut Soup
Vegan Carrot, Lentil and Fresh Ginger Soup with Coconut Milk
Brothy Red Lentil Soup with Carrots
Quick-cooking red lentils are simmered in a mild turmeric and cumin-infused broth until they are tender (NOT mushy), for a cozy, brothy red lentil soup with enough carrot, onion and spinach to call it a one pot meal, perfect for when you don’t have a lot of energy to cook
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 yellow onion diced3 medium carrots trimmed and diced4 cloves garlic chopped2 teaspoons onion powder1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon turmeric1 ½ quarts water1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Chicken Concentrate1 cup dry red lentils2 cups baby spinach finely chopped2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice about half a lemon
Imperial – Metric
Instructions
Warm oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic, onion powder, cumin, and turmeric, salt and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minutes.
Pour in the water and add the bouillon concentrate. Bring to a boil on high heat.
Add the lentils, return to the boil, then turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally so lentils don’t stick, until lentils are tender, about 15-18 minutes.
Wilt in the spinach, about a minute, and add the lemon juice and stir through. Turn off heat, taste and adjust salt (or Better than Bouillon, garlic powder and/or cumin!) to your taste.
Notes
The soup will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days, just add a bit of extra water or broth to reheat.
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
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