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 Aug. 09, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

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

Recipe Facts

4.5

(4)

Active: 20 mins
Total: 0 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 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)
266 Calories
8g Fat
40g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 266
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 519mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 12g 44%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 25mg 125%
Calcium 104mg 8%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 959mg 20%
*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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