Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Best Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is a good bowl to linger over when you want a hearty meal. Potatoes and vegetables make it especially satisfying, with a thick broth worth catching in every spoonful.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 16 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beans & lentils
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Let carrot and celery soften
Give them their own cooking stage after the onion and garlic, before stirring in the lentils to coat in the aromatics.
2. Simmer until both parts are tender
Check that the lentils and potato pieces are fully tender during the covered low simmer before thickening the soup.
3. Thicken only as much as you want
Mash a portion with a potato masher or briefly use an immersion blender until the soup has the texture you like.
Get to know the ingredients
Green or brown lentils
Dried green lentils or brown lentils are included. Stir them through the softened aromatics before the tomato and potato stages.
Diced potato pieces
Cut the potatoes into the listed inch-sized pieces, adding them after the tomatoes begin breaking down in the pot.
Fresh parsley
Some parsley simmers with the soup, with extra kept for the fresh garnish once the seasoning is adjusted.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Best Lentil Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Mash, taste and garnish
Adjust the soup's thickness, season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley before serving hot with bread or garlic toast.
A little more help as you go
Watch the pot before adding broth
Stir occasionally during the tomato and potato stage to keep the mixture from sticking before the broth goes in.
A little oil is allowed if dry
If the lentils and aromatics look dry during their initial cook together, add the splash of oil allowed here.
A few questions you might have
Do the tomatoes go in with the broth?
They cook before the broth, first softening and breaking down, then cooking with the potatoes for a few minutes.
Is fresh thyme required?
The chopped fresh thyme is optional. If using it, add it with the broth, stock powder, paprika, cumin and parsley.
Can I keep some lentils whole?
Yes. Thicken by mashing or briefly blending only a portion, leaving the rest of the soup's texture intact as desired.
When do I add the stock powder?
It goes in with the broth and dry spices after the tomatoes and potatoes have had their initial cook.
Which onion texture am I aiming for?
Cook the chopped onion until translucent, then add garlic briefly before moving on to the carrot and celery.
Any more cooking tips?
If you’re adding meat to this soup, we prefer to use dark meats like chicken thighs!
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: cafedelites.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
