Vegetarian Lentil Soup Recipe

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Lentil soup is one of those recipes that should be in every cook's repertoire. Lentils are available in most grocery stores and are high in protein, healthy, and very cheap. This vegetarian lentil soup recipe uses plenty of seasonings to perk up the soup, including thyme, bay leaves, and a bit of lemon juice to brighten all the flavors. Enjoy this traditional and warming dish!

I always recommend using sea salt or Kosher salt for the best flavor, and this recipe is no exception. Trust me, it makes a difference.

This lentil soup is vegetarian, vegan, low-calorie, and low-fat, and with all those lentils, it's also surprisingly high in protein, with nearly 19 grams per serving. It's the perfect vegetarian dinner idea.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup Recipe
The Spruce

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil (such as canola oil, sunflower oil, or any kind of cooking oil)

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 carrot, sliced

  • 4 cups vegetable broth, combination of water and vegetable bouillon cubes

  • 1 cup dry brown lentils

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 dash salt, or to taste

  • 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Vegetarian Lentil Soup ingredients
    The Spruce
  2. In a large pot, sauté the onions and carrot in the vegetable oil for 3 to 5 minutes until onions turn clear.

    sauté the onions and carrot
     The Spruce
  3. Add the vegetable broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, and a dash of sea salt or kosher salt and black pepper (you can always add more later when you taste the soup).

    Add the vegetable broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves
     The Spruce
  4. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook your soup until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes.

    Cover and cook
     The Spruce
  5. Remove bay leaves and stir in lemon juice before serving. The lemon juice is optional, but it just helps to bring out all the other flavors a bit more. 

    Remove bay leaves
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  6. Taste, and season with a bit more salt and pepper to taste, or, serve as is and allow everyone to season as they prefer.

    Vegetarian Lentil Soup Recipe
     The Spruce

Tip

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
100 Calories
2g Fat
17g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 100
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 720mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 5g 18%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 4mg 19%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 321mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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