Vegan Lemon Lentil Soup

Inspired by Lebanese and Turkish cuisine, this lemon lentil soup recipe features fresh garlic, hearty lentils, carrot, turmeric and plenty of lemon for a delicious zesty flavor.

The hearty soup is wonderfully rich and creamy, yet made without cream and completely dairy-free. It’s also easy to make with just a few simple steps and everyday ingredients for quick one-pot meal.

For more red lentil recipes, this Coconut Red Lentil Dahl, Vegan Slow Cooker Red Lentil Chili and Easy Vegan Red Lentil Tomato Soup are all easy and delicious too. For a Greek-inspired lemon soup, this Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup is amazing.

Ingredient Notes

• Olive Oil: Substitute with avocado or use water or broth for an oil-free recipe.
• Vegetable Stock: Any homemade vegetable broth or stock, or store-bought carton broth or bouillon cubes/powder works. Brands and varieties will vary in sodium content, so adjust the salt level in the recipe accordingly to suit your tastes.
• Lentils: This recipe is best with red lentils due to their soft texture when cooked. You can use green or brown lentils but the soup will have a different texture (and colour) and will require a longer cooking time (20-30 minutes simmer time). Give the lentils a good rinse before use.
• Onion: White or yellow onion is suitable.
• Turmeric: Can be substituted with yellow curry powder in a pinch. It’s really lovely with turmeric though!

Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

Variations

This recipe is flexible as far as additional ingredients. Here are a few ways to adapt it:

• Stir in a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach or kale after blending.
• Add up to 1/2 cup celery along with the carrot, onion and garlic.
• Add up to 1 cup cubed sweet potatoes, potato or squash when you add the lentils.
• Stir in up to 1 cup cooked orzo or chickpeas after blending or serve with roasted chickpeas.
• If you’d like to add a bit of heat, add up to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper along with the other spices.
• This soup makes a hearty meal on its own but can also be served as a side with fried rice and lentils, a green salad, roasted vegetable salad, quinoa beet burger or a chickpea wrap.
• Also amazing served with crusty bread, pita or naan for dipping!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat then add the chopped onion, garlic and carrot with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook them for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until softened.

Step 2: Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, paprika and turmeric and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Step 3: Add the red lentils, broth and another pinch of salt and pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer lightly for 15-18 minutes until the lentils are tender.

Step 4: Either use an immersion blender in the pot or transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree.

Return the blended soup to the pot if you used a regular blender.

Step 5: Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice, taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Quick Tip: If you don’t have a citrus planer to make the zest, grate the lemon peel until you have 1 tsp or slice off some of the peel with a sharp knife and finely chop. Be sure to avoid the white pith as it has a bitter flavor.