Vegan Freezer‑Friendly Lentil Soup

lentil soup is a super hearty and comforting, making it the perfect recipe to whip up in fall or winter. The best part is, it’s packed with plant-based protein.

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 35 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 6

Lentil Soup

This is a hearty, comforting hug in a bowl. While my mom prefers it chunky and simple (water only, no carrots), I’ve added shredded carrots for sweetness and chicken broth for depth. Feel free to stick to the vegan version if you prefer!

Ingredients

• 2–3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ large Yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp Fresh garlic, minced (approx. 3 cloves)
• 1–2 medium Carrots, peeled and grated (shredded)
• 2 cups Dried lentils (red or brown), rinsed
• 6–8 cups Chicken broth (or vegetable broth/water for vegan option)
• 1 tsp Ground cumin (plus more for garnish)
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes (plus more for garnish)
• 1 tsp Salt (adjust to taste; use less if using salted broth)
• For Serving: Fresh lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and toasted bread.

Instructions

1. Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and grated carrots. Sauté for about 5–7 minutes until the veggies have softened and are fragrant.
2. Add Lentils & Liquid: Add the rinsed lentils to the pot followed by the broth (or water).
3. Season: Stir in the black pepper, cumin, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. (If using water or unsalted broth, add the salt now. If using salty broth, wait until the end).
4. Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 30–35 minutes, or until the lentils are completely soft.
5. Texture Check: My mom likes it chunky, but if you prefer a smoother soup, you can use an immersion blender to puree it (fully or partially) at this stage.
6. Finish: Taste the soup. Adjust salt and spices if necessary.
7. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, fresh cilantro, a pinch of cumin, and extra red pepper flakes.

First Up: The Prep

We’re going to start off with our prep, which is super simple. You’ll need to thinly grate some carrots, finely dice a yellow onion, and mince some garlic cloves.

Let’s Get Cooking

Take it to the stove and preheat your pot over medium heat. Start by adding two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. My absolute favorite is Filippo Berio; it’s super rich and adds a beautiful, robust flavor to this soup.

Add the finely diced onion and minced garlic. We’ll also add those shredded carrots here. Once the veggies have softened up, we’re going to add our lentils and chicken broth.

Note on the liquid: My mom actually only uses water, but she told me I could use chicken broth as long as I monitor the salt a little more closely. If you want to keep this recipe vegan or vegetarian, I highly recommend just using water and seasoning a little bit more on the generous side, or using vegetable broth for extra flavor.

Seasoning & Simmering

Now it’s time to season. We’re going to use black pepper, cumin, turmeric, and a little bit of red pepper flakes.

Once you mix that all together, allow it to come to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. It’ll need to simmer for about 30 minutes—sometimes a little more, a little less—just until the lentils soften up.

The Final Touches

After about 35 minutes, the lentils should be super soft. My mom makes her soup on the chunky rather than smooth side, and I personally like that more too since it gives it some nice texture. However, if you prefer it smooth, you can definitely blend it.

Serve this with some red pepper flakes on top, a squeeze of lemon juice, some fresh cilantro, and a little sprinkle of cumin.

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The Coziest Lentil Soup

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: SoupsCuisine: ArabicDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

280

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

This is a hearty, comforting hug in a bowl. While my mom prefers it chunky and simple (water only, no carrots), I’ve added shredded carrots for sweetness and chicken broth for depth. Feel free to stick to the vegan version if you prefer!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (45ml)

• ½ large Yellow onion, finely diced (approx. 1 cup)

• 2 tsp Garlic, minced (approx. 3 cloves)

• 2 medium Carrots, peeled and grated (approx. 100g)

• 2 cups Dried lentils, red or brown, rinsed (400g)

• 7 cups Chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water (1.65 Liters)

• 1 tsp Ground cumin

• 1 tsp Ground turmeric

• ½ tsp Black pepper

• ¼ tsp Red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp Salt (to taste)

• 1 Lemon, juiced (for serving)

• ¼ cup Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Directions

• Prep Veggies: Finely dice the yellow onion, mince the garlic cloves, and grate (shred) the carrots using a box grater.
• Sauté: Place a large pot over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil. Once hot, add the onions, garlic, and carrots. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.
• Combine: Add the rinsed lentils and pour in the chicken broth (or water).
• Spice: Season with cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. If you are using water, add the teaspoon of salt now. If using broth, wait until the end to salt.
• Simmer: Increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are tender.
• Adjust Texture (Optional): The soup is naturally hearty and chunky. If you prefer a creamy texture, use an immersion blender to blend half or all of the soup.
• Serve: Remove from heat. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt. Garnish with fresh cilantro, a dash of cumin, and red pepper flakes before serving.

Notes

• Vegan/Vegetarian: Use water or vegetable broth. If using water, you will likely need to be more generous with the salt and spices to get that full flavor.
• Texture: Potatoes are common in lentil soup as a thickener, but I don't think this recipe needs it. The lentils provide plenty of thickness on their own—just monitor your liquid level.
• Pro Tip: Serve this with toasted bread. I brush bread slices with olive oil, broil them until golden, and then rub a fresh garlic clove over the hot bread.
• Variations: You can add celery, spinach, or zucchini to bulk this up with more veggies