A Classic Lentil Soup with Vegetables for a Cozy Dinner

Green lentils simmer with onion, carrots, celery, and tomatoes for a cozy, vegetable-filled dinner seasoned with herbs and warm spices. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the soup, while chopped parsley adds a fresh finish when serving. The stovetop recipe takes 50 minutes from start to finish and makes six servings, so it’s a comforting option to share at the table or save for another meal.

What Makes This Lentil Soup a Cozy Dinner

Green lentils make this soup hearty, while onion, carrots, and celery bring familiar vegetable flavor to each bowl. Crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth simmer with the lentils, and Italian seasoning, paprika, cumin, and bay leaves add warmth. A little fresh lemon juice stirred in at the end brightens the savory broth, and chopped parsley provides a fresh garnish. Since everything cooks together on the stovetop, the soup comes together in 50 minutes, including simmering time. It makes six servings, so it’s a practical choice for a cozy dinner, with leftovers to enjoy later.

Ingredients for Lentil Soup

Vegetables and Aromatics

• 2 tablespoons olive oil: Used to sauté the vegetables and tomato paste at the start.
• 1 yellow onion, diced: Begins the vegetable base and cooks until softened slightly.
• 3 carrots, sliced: Add vegetable flavor and texture to the soup.
• 2 stalks celery, sliced: Cook with the carrots as part of the soup’s vegetable base.
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste: Stir into the sautéed vegetables before adding the liquids.
• 3 cloves garlic, minced: Added with the seasonings and briefly sautéed.

Lentils and Liquids

• 2 cups dry green lentils, sorted and rinsed: Rinse them before adding to the pot so they’re ready to simmer.
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes: Simmer with the lentils and broth.
• 4 cups vegetable broth: Forms the soup’s cooking liquid.
• 3 cups water, plus up to 1 additional cup: Add 3 cups at the start of simmering. The final cup is optional and can be added if you prefer a thinner soup.

Seasonings

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning: Adds herb seasoning to the pot.
• 1 teaspoon paprika: Toasts briefly with the garlic and other seasonings.
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin: Adds warm spice to the soup.
• 2 bay leaves: Simmer with the lentils, then remove and discard before serving.
• Black pepper, to taste: Add with the other seasonings before simmering.

Finishing Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice: Stir into the soup after removing the bay leaves.
• Salt and pepper, to taste: Season the finished soup before serving.
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley: Sprinkle over the soup as a garnish.

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How to Make Lentil Soup

Make this soup on the stovetop, cooking the vegetables and seasonings before adding the lentils and liquids. After bringing the pot to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender. The recipe starts with 3 cups of water; add the optional final cup if you prefer a thinner soup.

Sauté the Vegetables and Tomato Paste

Warm the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sliced carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomato paste and stir until it is evenly distributed among the vegetables. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, before adding the garlic and seasonings.

Toast the Garlic and Spices

Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, cumin, bay leaves, and black pepper to the pot. Stir well to combine them with the vegetables and tomato paste, then sauté for 1 minute. This brief cooking step toasts the spices before the liquids go in. Keep stirring so the seasonings are distributed through the mixture.

Simmer the Lentils

Stir in the sorted and rinsed green lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and 3 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender. Check the lentils as they cook, since the recipe’s simmer time is a range. If you prefer a thinner consistency, stir in some or all of the optional remaining cup of water.

Finish and Season the Soup

Once the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaves and discard them. Stir in the fresh lemon juice, then taste the soup and season with salt and additional pepper as needed. Add the lemon juice after cooking so it becomes part of the finished soup. The recipe calls for seasoning to taste, so adjust the salt and pepper to suit your preference.

Serve with Parsley

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve it warm. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top as a garnish. The recipe makes six servings, with the parsley added just before serving for a fresh finish.

Adjusting the Soup’s Thickness

The recipe begins with 3 cups of water added alongside the lentils, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Once the soup has simmered and the lentils are tender, you can adjust its thickness with the optional final cup of water. Add it as needed if you prefer a thinner soup, rather than pouring it in automatically; the recipe allows up to 1 additional cup for this adjustment. Stir the water into the soup and use only as much as you need to reach your preferred consistency. The amount you add is up to you, so the soup can be served as prepared or thinned with some or all of that final cup.

Is This Lentil Soup Vegan?

Yes. The recipe is identified as vegan, and it uses vegetable broth as the cooking liquid. Green lentils, vegetables, tomatoes, herbs, spices, olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley make up the rest of the listed ingredients. Follow the ingredient list and preparation as written for this vegan lentil soup.

Storing and Freezing Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover lentil soup for up to 5 days. This is a handy option for portions you plan to enjoy within that time. The recipe makes six servings, so you may have some left after dinner; keep the refrigerated storage limit in mind when deciding when to serve them.

For longer storage, freeze the soup for up to 2 months. Choose refrigeration for leftovers you expect to eat within 5 days, or freezing if you want to keep them beyond that period. Both options let you save extra servings rather than serving the entire batch at once.