This healthy lentil soup is made with vegetables, green lentils, and a perfect blend of herbs, all simmered in a flavorful broth. An easy one pot dinner option that the whole family will love! (Vegan + Gluten Free)

In my opinion, you can never go wrong with soup. Whether it’s a classic chicken noodle soup or a savory stuffed pepper soup, it’s always a hit in my house. This lentil soup is full of flavor, color and texture and is a total crowd pleaser.

This healthy lentil soup recipe is one of the simplest, most flavorful lentil soups you can make (and it’s so easy!). It also just so happens to be jam packed with ingredients that are known to help detoxify the body; garlic, onions, and leafy greens just to name a few.

I try to incorporate lentils into my family’s diet when possible. Not only are lentils absolutely delicious, they are full of nutrition, inexpensive and packed with fiber, protein, and a good dose of folic acid. A veggie packed lentil soup is one of our favorite ways to enjoy lentils!

I was initially inspired by this recipe from Ina Garten (aka The Barefoot Contessa) and made some slight changes based on what I had on hand. Ina’s recipe calls for both onions and leeks, which I think is part of the reason this soup is so flavorful. I love the combination of the mild, fresh leeks with the depth of flavor from the more aggressive, yet sweet onions. I also couldn’t help but add some greens to this soup. They just seem to fit right in and give another layer of texture and flavor to this already delicious lentil soup.

How Do You Make Healthy Lentil Soup?

This soup starts with onions, leeks, and garlic to cook with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. The veggies are then combined with celery, carrots and collards and sauté for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock (or vegetable broth), water, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. The soup simmers until the lentils are tender, finish with sherry vinegar and then it’s time to eat!

Tips For Lentil Soup

I added my greens early, so they would have enough time to become tender, but if you are using a lighter green, like spinach or dandelions, I would wait and add them in right at the end.
This recipe calls for green lentils, which can be found in all grocery stores. If you prefer, you can use brown lentils. I wouldn’t use red lentils for this recipe, as they tend to get mushy.
This recipe makes a whole lot of soup, that just so happens to freeze really well, but if you aren’t looking to have 16 cups of lentil soup in your life you can easily cut the recipe in half.
To freeze: transfer soup to a resealable freezer bag or air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Lentil soup can also be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, so it’s perfect for meal prepping.
Keep this soup vegan or vegetarian by swapping the chicken stock for veggie broth or even more water.
Serve lentil soup with a side of bread, such as healthy skillet cornbread.

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

The slow cooker is a great method for cooking lentil soup. Simply sauté the vegetables, then place everything except for the sherry vinegar in a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or until lentils are tender. Stir in sherry vinegar once the soup is fully cooked.

Quick Question: Am I allowed to say that this is one of the best lentil soups I’ve ever had even if I made the recipe? Or is that too much like swearing that you have the cutest kid? Either way, I highly recommend you give it try!

LOVE LENTILS? TRY ONE OF THESE OTHER Favorite LENTIL RECIPES

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4.60 from 42 votes

Healthy Lentil Soup Recipe

This healthy lentil soup is made with vegetables, lentils, and a perfect blend of herbs, all simmered in a flavorful broth. An easy one pot dinner option that the whole family will love! (Vegan + Gluten Free)

Course: DIET, DINNER, LUNCH, soup + stew + chili

Cuisine: American, gluten free, kids, vegan, vegetarian

Author: Dani Spies

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 148kcal

Ingredients

1 pound green lentils
2 onions chopped (about 3 cups)
2 leeks chopped (about 2 cups)
6 cloves of chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 stalks of chopped celery about 3 cups
6 carrots chopped (about 3 cups)
1 bunch of collard greens stemmed and cut into ribbons
4 cups chicken stock use veggie broth to keep recipe 100% vegan
8 cups water
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are translucent and very tender.
Add the celery, carrots and collards and sauté for 10 more minutes.
Add the chicken stock, water, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Adjust the seasonings and finish with the sherry vinegar. Enjoy!

Notes

To freeze: transfer soup to a resealable freezer bag or air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Lentil soup can also be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, so it's perfect for meal prepping.
This soup makes a large amount. Feel free to cut the recipe in half, if you aren't wanting so much.

Nutrition