Red Lentil Soup is a savory soup filled with aromatic spices and beautiful color. An easy soup recipe that will ‘wow’ your family and friends by how delicious it tastes and hide the nutrient rich red lentils.

What are Red Lentils?
Lentils are a legume that come in a lens shape. In many areas they are referred to as dal. Red lentils are nutty and and sweeter than green lentils or brown lentils. Dried lentils take considerably less time to cook than other legumes, so they are always a winner in my book.
They also tend to get mushy when cooked, so they are perfect for making stews and soups. In fact, they are even used just to thicken sauces in some areas.
There are many ways to cook lentil soup. You can use a slow cooker, a large pot, or a dutch oven. I prefer to cook my red lentil soup in a dutch oven. Dutch ovens help to keep a consistent temperature throughout the entire contents of the pot.
Gather This
With a handful of basic ingredients from your fridge or pantry, you’re well on your way to making this red lentil soup. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Red lentils – Red lentils are the softest lentils in the family, making them great for blending into soups and stews. Bonus- they give this vibrant color!
- Unsalted butter
- White onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Plum tomatoes
- Ground cumin
- Ground coriander
- Ancho chile powder
- Vegetable stock
- Lemons
- Tzatziki sauce
- Fine sea salt
Make it A Meal
Honestly, I don’t know why I don’t make red lentil soup more often. I think of it as an appetizer or light entree, but this lentil soup, especially with tzatziki topping, is just as filling and satisfying as many other entrees.
Because it’s packed with good-for-you ingredients, it’s super easy to make this soup your main meal. If you feel the need to add protein, you could add chicken, shrimp or even scallops.
If serving as a side dish or appetizer, it would taste great alongside most seafood dishes. It would also be a great accompaniment to a steak or chicken dinner.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – I use unsalted butter and low sodium stock in order to control the salt content of this soup. Then I can add fine sea salt to bring out the other flavors.
- Seasonings – To make this soup a little more herbaceous, try adding some fresh herbs like thyme, oregano fresh parsley or rosemary.
- Swaps – Adding a few shrimp, scallops or even bacon is a great way to give this soup some protein. You can also add sweet potatoes or brown rice for some substance.
- Senses – Red lentil soup is warm and velvety, with earthy aromas, gentle spices, and a creamy texture that melts on the tongue, leaving a hint of garlic and lemon on the finish.
Red Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium white onion , chopped
- 3 carrots , chopped
- 3 celery ribs , chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 plum tomatoes , stems removed cut into qaurters
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 2 cups red lentils
- 8 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 lemons , wedged
- 1 cup tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- In dutch oven, melt the 4 tablespoons unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped 1 medium white onion, 3 carrots, 3 celery ribs, 4 garlic cloves and 3 plum tomatoes. Saute over medium heat, stirring as necessary until ingredients soften, approximately 10 minutes.
- Stir in the 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander and 3/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder, cook until fragrant, 3 minutes.
- Stir in the dry 2 cups red lentils and 8 cups low-sodium vegetable stock. Simmer over moderately low heat until the lentils are very soft, approximately 30 minutes. Stir 2-3 times to prevent lentils from sticking together.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture directly in the Dutch oven. Season with 1 cup tzatziki sauce1 teaspoon coarse sea salt.
- Serve in a small soup bowl with a dollop of cold tzatziki sauce in the center and fresh lemon wedges. Squeeze lemon juice onto soup right before eating.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us now how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage and Freezing
You can store any leftover red lentil soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to five days.
You can make lentil soup in advance, but similar to freezing it, correct salt and acid seasonings before serving. Chilling mutes flavors in soup considerably so while it was fine before you refrigerate it, it will dull.
Yes! Cook it and place it in an airtight container. It will stay good for up to 4 months. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper and citrus after thawing and right before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but be mindful that red lentils are the softest in the family, so the texture will most likely change. You also need to cook green lentils for longer than brown or red. We have more recipes that use lentils if you want them!
This is a gluten free lentil soup recipe. But if using another recipe, double check that it is also gluten free.
You can use chicken broth instead. I hesitate to use plain water because this is the base and you won’t have much flavor.
You can! I prefer butter for the creamy factor, but you can substitute a good quality olive oil. You can also give your finished bowl of soup a drizzle.
More Easy Soup Recipes
I crave easy soup recipes this time of year. They truly warm the soul- here are a few more to check out.
Beautiful 🙂
Thank you Nizz!