Vegan Lentil Soup Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 09, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

A super simple lentil soup with a bright, balanced flavor.

Recipe Details

Vegan Lentil Soup Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 75 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 80 mins
Serves 3 to 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)

  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 1 cup)

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 1 pound dried brown lentils, picked over

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 quarts water or vegetable broth

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or lemon juice (from 1 whole lemon)

  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add lentils and stir to combine. Add bay leaf, water (or broth) and a large pinch kosher salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover with lid slightly cracked, and cook until lentils are completely tender and falling apart, about 1 hour total, adding water as necessary (lentils should be completely covered at all times).

  2. Using a hand blender, blend soup until as smooth as desired. Alternatively, transfer half of soup to a standing blender, blend until smooth, and fold back into remaining soup. Whisk in vinegar or lemon juice to taste, along with parsley (reserving some parsley for garnish). Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
537 Calories
8g Fat
90g Carbs
30g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 537
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 519mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 90g 33%
Dietary Fiber 15g 55%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 29mg 144%
Calcium 122mg 9%
Iron 9mg 49%
Potassium 1312mg 28%
*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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