Lentil Vegetable Soup

A hearty vegan Lentil Vegetable Soup recipe that's easy to assemble and brimming with nourishing ingredients. Plus you can customize it with the season or swap in your own favorite veggies! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

This deliciously hearty lentil soup is filled with healthy ingredients to help nourish you. It's brimming with plant-based nutrients, protein, and fiber.

The best part? It's incredibly flexible with seasonal vegetables or whatever you have on hand! So you can follow the recipe or swap in your own favorites.

It's a great choice for meal prep or leftovers throughout the week because it stores and reheats wonderfully. Make a batch for dinner, then enjoy a bowl of leftovers later!

Ingredients for Lentil Vegetable Soup

For this recipe you will simmer in a large pot on the stovetop:

• Yellow onion: Or use white onion or sweet onion.
• Celery: We'll use two celery stalks, carrots, and onion for a flavorful mirepoix blend as the vegetable base.
• Carrot
• Mushroom: Most often I use cremini mushrooms, but any variety will work. Try white button, shiitake, portobello, oyster mushrooms, etc. If you're not a fan of mushrooms, simply omit. Or you could replace them with other veggies or more potato if desired.
• Potato: We'll use one medium potato, or about 8 ounces. I use russet, but you can use another white or gold potato instead. If buying organic, I leave the peels on to retain the nutrients. Otherwise I peel them.
• Fresh garlic cloves: I like the taste of fresh, but you can substitute a couple teaspoons dried garlic powder if desired.
• Canned diced tomatoes: Either regular, petite diced, or fire-roasted tomatoes work well. Most often I use fire-roasted.
• Vegetable broth: Be sure to use low sodium if desired.
• Green lentils or brown lentils: I like the earthy taste of green/brown lentils with this recipe, but you could also try red lentils, French lentils, or black lentils.
• Italian seasoning: Be sure your pantry spices are fresh (not expired) for best flavor.
• Fresh baby spinach: This is optional to stir into the pot at the end of cook time. Or you could use other greens or kale if desired.

Garnish it! Top your bowl with a tablespoon of fresh parsley or squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving.

Customizing

Veggies: Add other vegetables like zucchini, yellow summer squash, green peas, sweet corn, bell pepper, green beans, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, butternut squash, etc.

Herbs & spices: Change up the flavor with ground cumin, smoked paprika, basil, thyme, oregano, curry powder, etc. You could also add bay leaves to boil with the soup, then remove them at the end of cook time. A splash of red wine vinegar can add depth as well. I also like to add salt and black pepper to taste before serving.

Make it spicy: Add a small can of medium green chiles, cayenne pepper, chipotle in adobo, or medium fire-roasted tomatoes. Or simply add red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce to taste before serving.

Beans & grains: Stir in white beans, garbanzo beans, or cooked rice or quinoa to your bowl before serving.

Make it seasonal! This is a great soup to adapt with whatever vegetables are currently in season.

Storing

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I find they keep for about 4-5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy.

Freezing: I haven't tried freezing this recipe, but I'm guessing it'd work great. Just be sure to let the soup cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Then enjoy within 1-2 months.

For more inspiration, also browse all vegan lentil recipes or soup recipes.

Lentil Vegetable Soup (Easy!)

An easy lentil soup brimming with nourishing ingredients. Customize it with the season or swap in your own favorite veggies!

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 6

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large carrot (or 2 small)
• 5 oz. mushrooms
• 8 oz. white potato (about 1 medium)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (or fire-roasted)
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup green/brown lentils (uncooked)
• 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1-2 cups fresh baby spinach (optional)

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Instructions

• Dice onion, carrot, and celery. Dice mushrooms and potato. Set aside.
• In a stockpot over medium-high heat, add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for about 7-8 minutes. (I use 3 Tbsp. water/veggie broth for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
• Meanwhile, mince garlic.
• When onion is translucent, add garlic, mushrooms, potato, and Italian seasoning. Stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and lentils (rinsed and drained). Increase heat and bring to a light boil.
• Then reduce heat, cover, and lightly simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.
• Roughly chop spinach and stir in during the last couple minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

*Thickness: I enjoy dense soup but if you prefer yours thinner, reduce lentils to about 3/4 cup.

Vegetables: Change it up with green beans, broccoli, kale, corn, peas, cauliflower, cabbage, zucchini, etc.

Garnish: Add fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, or red pepper flakes before serving if desired.

Recipe originally published November 2016. Updated April 2023.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Lentil Vegetable Soup (Easy!)

Amount per Serving

Calories

190

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

1

g

2

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.1

g

1

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.3

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

0.1

g

Potassium

 

809

mg

23

%

Carbohydrates

 

37

g

12

%

Fiber

 

13

g

54

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

11

g

22

%

Vitamin A

 

2833

IU

57

%

Vitamin C

 

20

mg

24

%

Calcium

 

75

mg

8

%

Iron

 

4

mg

22

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Sodium: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.

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If you are enjoying this vegan vegetable lentil soup recipe, also check out:

• Lentil Cabbage Soup
• Rustic Lentil and Potato Soup
• Easy Vegan Lasagna with Chickpea Ricotta
• Vegan Broccoli Potato Soup

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