Seriously Easy Red Lentil Soup
I make this easy red lentil soup recipe at least once a week for my family – if you follow my stories on Instagram, you’re probably sick of my weekly soup night, sorry. I just can’t resist it – it’s so easy to make (only 5 ingredients!!). It’s also a great fridge clearer, as you can throw in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge, and it always turns out beautifully. So rich and creamy!
This red lentil soup is a really budget-friendly meal – plus, it’s an easy way to serve my kids vegetables that they wouldn’t eat in their non-blended form (i.e. most vegetables). When it’s all blended up together, the soup is smooth, creamy, and really tasty. We love it served with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top, and some garlic bread on the side for dipping!
🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- red lentils – You need to use the red ones. Brown and green lentils won’t work as well in this soup, as they don’t become as soft and creamy as red.
- vegetables – I used a couple of carrots and a bell pepper. I often add different veggies, depending on what I have in the fridge. I try to use fairly cheap vegetables for soup, like broccoli, carrots, or tomatoes – it seems a waste to blend up anything too expensive (unless it’s in dire need of being used!).
- vegetable stock – I use a stock cube, crumbled into the soup with some water. If you prefer to use liquid stock, you can use that instead of the equivalent amount of water (for example, the recipe calls for 6 cups of water, so if you have 4 cups of liquid vegetable broth, use that, plus an additional 2 cups of water).
- red pesto – This is my favourite way to add tons of flavour to my lentil soup! You could easily switch this for a dollop of curry paste, tomato sauce, or some dried herbs or spices (perhaps cumin or paprika) to give the soup a different vibe.
Optional garnishes:
- a dollop of Greek yogurt (I always add this for my kids, as it helps to cool the soup down!)
- grated cheese
- more red pesto (which looks so pretty)
- fresh herbs (fresh parsley, chives or basil would be tasty)
Becca’s Top Tip
I usually pre-boil the water in my electric kettle before pouring it into my saucepan, just to speed things along a bit. If you don’t have an electric kettle, you can just use cold water, but the soup will take a little longer to come to a simmer.
📹 Recipe Video
🔪 Equipment
Soup is always easiest to blend with a hand blender (immersion blender) – it means you don’t need to worry about transferring a hot pan of soup into a tabletop blender, which can be pretty terrifying. An immersion blender just goes straight into the saucepan, which is quicker, easier, and much safer.
My hand blender is nothing fancy, but it does the job perfectly. I’ve never found the expensive ones to be any better than a standard, cheap model. This one on Amazon US / Amazon UK (affiliate links) looks perfect, comes at a great price, and has really impressive reviews.
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🖨️ Printable Instructions
Seriously Easy Red Lentil Soup
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 1 bell pepper (I used orange)
- 2 medium carrots
- 400 g (~ 2 cups) dried red lentils
- 1 vegetable stock cube (I used low salt)
- 1 1/2 litres (~ 6 cups) water
- 1 Tbsp red pesto
Instructions
- Remove the stalk and seeds from the pepper, and the ends from the carrots (I don’t bother peeling mine). Chop both vegetables into chunks.
- Place the vegetables in a large saucepan, along with the red lentils.
- Add the crumbled vegetable stock cube and water (or use liquid stock instead, if you prefer). Stir thoroughly to loosen the lentils, and bring to a simmer over a medium heat.
- Stirring occasionally, cook until the vegetables are completely soft and the lentils are mushy – probably around 20 minutes (don’t worry if the lentils foam up a little bit as they cook, that’s totally normal! But if you find you sometimes get stomach pains after eating lentils, try skimming off the foam to help reduce gas). Add the red pesto.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed (I don't usually bother).
- Serve warm. I like it with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! The only ingredient that might not be vegan is the red pesto, but if you use a dairy-free pesto, it’s totally vegan.
We love this soup served with garlic bread for dipping. If you don’t fancy garlic bread, I also sometimes use crunchy croutons, strips of flatbread, or even just toast!
Any leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, and reheated thoroughly before serving.
Leftover soup can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. If using the microwave, make sure the soup is in a microwaveable tub or bowl, with a loosened lid. Microwave thoroughly until piping hot, stirring once or twice to ensure it heats evenly. If using the stovetop, transfer the soup to a pan, and heat gently over a low heat, until piping hot. You may need to add an extra splash of water if the soup has thickened up a lot.
If I have a portion of soup left over, which isn’t enough to make another whole meal, I’ll usually use it as pasta sauce! Just stir it through your favourite pasta shape (I love mafalde or farfalle), add some veggies, and you’ve made a whole new meal – lentil soup becomes lentil pasta.
Love this! Super simple, perfect to make a batch and have for lunch for the week or as a hearty dinner soup. This recipe inspired me to finally buy an immersion blender and I’m so glad I did! Another great recipe from the Easy Cheesy Vegetarian. :D
Haha thanks so much Erin! I bet the immersion blender was so much easier than using a tabletop one!
Day and night!!!
Hi Becca,
If you boil the red lentils first, then you can skim off the foam that rises to the top. This helps to avoid the gas that some suffer from when consuming lentils. Once the foam is gone, then you can add the other ingredients. Cheers.
Absolutely, good point! I never seem to get stomach issues from lentils but that’s a great tip for those that do :)