Easy Lentil Vegetable Soup – Comforting, Healthy, and Weeknight-Friendly

This Easy Lentil Vegetable Soup is the kind of meal you make once and crave again and again. It’s hearty without being heavy, packed with vegetables, and comes together with pantry staples. No fancy techniques, no long simmer—just honest, nourishing flavor.

It’s also flexible, so you can use whatever veggies you have on hand. Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a family, this soup makes weeknights feel simpler.

Easy Lentil Vegetable Soup - Comforting, Healthy, and Weeknight-Friendly

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

• Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
• Yellow onion – 1 medium, diced
• Carrots – 2 medium, diced
• Celery – 2 stalks, diced
• Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
• Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
• Crushed tomatoes – 1 cup (or diced tomatoes, with juices)
• Brown or green lentils – 1 cup, rinsed
• Vegetable broth – 6 cups (or water with bouillon)
• Bay leaf – 1
• Dried thyme or Italian seasoning – 1 teaspoon
• Smoked paprika – 1/2 teaspoon (optional but recommended)
• Potato – 1 medium, peeled and diced (optional for extra heartiness)
• Zucchini – 1 small, diced (or 1 cup chopped seasonal veggies)
• Spinach or kale – 2 cups, chopped
• Lemon juice or red wine vinegar – 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Salt and black pepper – to taste
• Fresh parsley – a handful, chopped (for serving)
• Red pepper flakes – a pinch (optional)

Instructions

 

• Prep the produce. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery. Mince the garlic. Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and pick out any debris.
• Sweat the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables soften.
• Build the base. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute to caramelize it slightly. Sprinkle in thyme (or Italian seasoning) and smoked paprika.
• Add tomatoes and lentils. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add lentils, bay leaf, and broth. Increase heat to bring to a boil.
• Simmer gently. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the lentils from sticking at the bottom.
• Add hearty vegetables. Stir in the diced potato and zucchini (or other firm vegetables). Continue simmering 10–15 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are tender but not mushy.
• Finish with greens. Stir in spinach or kale and cook 2–3 minutes, just until wilted. Remove the bay leaf.
• Brighten and season. Add lemon juice (or vinegar). Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.
• Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or a simple salad.

Why This Recipe Works

This soup relies on a few smart steps to build flavor quickly. Sautéed aromatics—onion, carrot, celery, garlic—create a savory base that tastes like it cooked all day.

Lentils simmer directly in the broth, releasing starches that naturally thicken the soup without cream or flour. A mix of tomatoes, herbs, and a finishing splash of lemon keeps everything bright and balanced. Plus, it’s designed for flexibility, so substitutions won’t throw it off.

Ingredients

• Olive oil – 2 tablespoons
• Yellow onion – 1 medium, diced
• Carrots – 2 medium, diced
• Celery – 2 stalks, diced
• Garlic – 3 cloves, minced
• Tomato paste – 1 tablespoon
• Crushed tomatoes – 1 cup (or diced tomatoes, with juices)
• Brown or green lentils – 1 cup, rinsed
• Vegetable broth – 6 cups (or water with bouillon)
• Bay leaf – 1
• Dried thyme or Italian seasoning – 1 teaspoon
• Smoked paprika – 1/2 teaspoon (optional but recommended)
• Potato – 1 medium, peeled and diced (optional for extra heartiness)
• Zucchini – 1 small, diced (or 1 cup chopped seasonal veggies)
• Spinach or kale – 2 cups, chopped
• Lemon juice or red wine vinegar – 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Salt and black pepper – to taste
• Fresh parsley – a handful, chopped (for serving)
• Red pepper flakes – a pinch (optional)

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep the produce. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery.

   Mince the garlic. Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer and pick out any debris.

2. Sweat the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery with a pinch of salt.

   Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables soften.

3. Build the base. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute to caramelize it slightly. Sprinkle in thyme (or Italian seasoning) and smoked paprika.
4. Add tomatoes and lentils. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine.

   Add lentils, bay leaf, and broth. Increase heat to bring to a boil.

5. Simmer gently. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the lentils from sticking at the bottom.
6. Add hearty vegetables. Stir in the diced potato and zucchini (or other firm vegetables).

   Continue simmering 10–15 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are tender but not mushy.

7. Finish with greens. Stir in spinach or kale and cook 2–3 minutes, just until wilted. Remove the bay leaf.
8. Brighten and season. Add lemon juice (or vinegar). Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper.

   Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.

9. Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or a simple salad.

Keeping It Fresh

This soup keeps well, and the flavors deepen overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before freezing, and leave a little headspace in the container. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, and add a splash of water or broth if it thickens in the fridge.

Benefits of This Recipe

• Nutrient-dense. Lentils bring protein, fiber, and iron.

  The mixed vegetables add vitamins, minerals, and color.

• Budget-friendly. Most ingredients are pantry staples. Lentils are affordable and go a long way.
• Quick and flexible. Ready in about 40 minutes, with plenty of room to swap ingredients based on what you have.
• Great for meal prep. Makes a generous pot that reheats well for lunches and busy nights.
• Comforting, not heavy. The broth stays light while still feeling satisfying and cozy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the sauté. Those first few minutes of cooking the aromatics are where flavor starts. Don’t rush it.
• Using red lentils. Red lentils break down quickly and are better for pureed soups.

  Choose brown or green for texture.

• Boiling too hard. A rolling boil can split lentils and make the soup cloudy. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
• Adding greens too early. They’ll overcook and lose color. Stir them in at the end.
• Under-seasoning. Lentils need salt to taste their best.

  Season in layers and finish with acid to brighten.