My Spicy Lentil Soup is a hearty, vegetable-packed dish that is both wholesome and satisfying. Made with a handful of fresh ingredients and pantry staples, this soup comes together effortlessly. The perfect dinner for those busy days and cold cosy nights. With rich flavours and a subtle spice, this soup never fails to hit the spot!
Recipe Overview: Spicy Lentil Soup
- ✅ Recipe Name: Spicy Lentil Soup
- 🕐 Ready In: 40 minutes
- 🧑🧑🧒 Serves: 4 people
- 💕 Perfect For: Winter dinner, quick dinner idea.
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Red lentils, mirepoix, spices, tomatoes.
- 📖 Flavor Profile: Hearty, spicy, earthy, warming.
- 😊 Difficulty: Easy!
- 💡 Quick Tip: Serve with olive bread and a glass of wine!
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON
Like my Easy Minestrone Soup, this is one of those soup recipes I always come back to! Hearty, warming and cosy, this is a great vegetarian option when you need a quick, healthy and easy dinner on the table in less than 45 minutes.
Lentils are such an easy way to add extra protein to your dish. They're super versatile and give dishes a nutty and earthy flavour. I love brown lentils for my Halloumi Salad, whilst red lentils are a staple in our household for my Red Lentil Dal and Vegetable Coconut Curry.
This lentil soup is seriously cosy. Pair with some crusty olive bread and a glass of red wine, and you've got yourself the ultimate comfort meal. Add in my Easy Rhubarb Crumble, and you've got yourself a dinner party-worthy meal!
Jump to:
Why We Love this Recipe
- Cozy and Comforting - this soup is hearty, warming and healthy and not too overpowered by chill powder. A perfectly balanced soup!
- Fresh Ingredients & Pantry Staples - if you've got a tin of tomatoes, some chili powder, a packet of red lentils and some simple veggies you can make this soup! It's that easy.
- Versatile - have it for an easy weeknight meal, or jazz it up for a dinner party! It's a great option if you're hosting vegetarian guests.
❄️ Hosting a Winter Dinner party? Start with my Oven-Baked Brie for an appetiser, then serve this Spicy Lentil Soup alongside a simple Beetroot Feta Salad. Finish with some Chocolate Ginger Cookies and some German Mulled Wine for dessert.❄️
What Readers are Saying
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟I just made this for the first time and omg it is good. So simple but super delish - Petra
Key Ingredients
Dried Red Lentils - these make the base (or the oomph as I like to say) of this spicy lentil soup. You can find dried red lentils in most supermarkets. There is no need to rinse or do anything fancy. They are added to the soup as is.
Aromatics - aka the spices, garlic and ginger. I use freshly grated garlic, and grated frozen ginger. A quick tip - always store your fresh ginger in the freezer - way easier to grate!
Spicy Lentil Soup Step by Step Instructions
- Cook off the mirepoix in some olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the spices, ginger and garlic and stir for 30 seconds before adding the red lentils.
- Add the liquids and tomatoes and stir. Bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are tender and the liquid has reduced.
Expert Tip 👩🍳
Use a large, heavy-based saucepan for this soup. Cast-iron pans like Dutch ovens, are not good for this type of soup, as the lentils stick to the bottom too much and burn. Keep stirring every so often to ensure the lentils aren't sticking.
Spicy Lentil Soup FAQs
To serve this lentil soup, I love adding a good dollop of Greek Yogurt and some coriander/cilantro. The combination of the yogurt and coriander balance out the spiciness of the soup and cool it down a little bit.
I always serve soup with a loaf of crusty white bread as well with a slathering of butter! To make this recipe vegan, simple omit the greek yogurt.
The biggest mistake I used to make was not stirring the soup regularly when it was simmering. Lentils have the tendency to stick so give it a stir every so often to avoid burnt lentils.
No, not for this recipe. The dried red lentils can be added straight from the packet to the soup.
It's probably because you haven't added enough salt. Lentils absorb salt, so add a bit of salt before simmering your soup, then add some more at the end to taste. You can also add a squeeze of lemon at the end to brighten the flavour.
Other Suggested Lentil Recipes
If you tried this Spicy Lentil Soup or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below to let me know how it went. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan (non-stick)
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Wooden Spoon or equivelant
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 celery sticks diced
- 1 yellow/brown onions finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely diced or minced
- ½ cup dried red lentils note 1
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 2 teaspoon ground garam masala
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion, carrot and celery and fry until onion is soft - about 5 minutes.
- Next, add the spices, garlic, ginger and lentils, and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the tin of tomatoes and water, and salt and pepper.
- Bring soup to the boil, then simmer on low-medium, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until thick.
- Season with extra salt and pepper and serve.
Petra Ohmstedt says
I just made this for the first time and omg it is good. So simple but super delish. My only quibble is, I ate the whole thing! Thought I'd have leftovers, but couldn't stop eating bc, again, so good. Thank you so much for posting the recipe!
Georgie says
Thanks so much Petra! I'm so glad you enjoyed it thanks for the feedback!
Linda says
Can this soup be frozen?
Georgie says
I haven't tried freezing but I;m not sure it would freeze well with the lentils.
Mairead says
Warming soups are so comforting when the weather turns colder. This lentil soup looks delicious and I love how lentils add protein to a dish. Thanks for a great recipe.
Georgie says
thanks Mairead!
Elle @ Spice and Life says
Fantastic recipe - with the cold weather coming up, I shall bookmark this page and give it a go soon. Thank you for sharing!
Georgie says
perfect for those cold winter days thanks Elle
Jeannette says
This is fantastic for dinner. So healthy and wholesome - perfect for an easy soup! Love the yoghurt on top for that extra something 😉
Georgie says
Thanks Jeanette, it's definitely a favourite!
Beth says
This was so delicious and full of so much flavor! We just loved all the flavors and the kick added to it! I’ll definitely be putting this on the rotation list!
Georgie says
thanks Beth - so glad you loved it!
veenaazmanov says
A comforting soup for the winters. Lentils sounds healthier too.
Georgie says
thank you glad you liked it! its so healthy as well I love it
Jenny says
So good. This lentil soup is effortless but so delicious. Love the spiciness, it takes the soup to another level. ! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Georgie says
Thanks Jenny glad you loved it, its so easy!
Natalia says
This is calling my name! I love lentils and I love soup, what a tasty and delicious combination! Definitely going to give this recipe a go, thank you so much for the recipe!
Georgie says
thanks Natalia its so good and so healthy I love the kick of spice too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Sounds perfectly cozy and delicious, girl! Love the garam masala!
Georgie says
thanks Rebecca! it's def a goodie! perfect for the miserable weather we are having here!
Ashley @ The Small Town Foodie says
I've tried so many healthy and "weird" foods, but I just tried lentils for the first time the other day! Kind of hard to believe haha. This soup looks absolutely delicious!
I'm planning to do a soup recipe round-up on my blog in November. Could I include this one? I'll just use one photo and link back to your blog, of course.
Georgie says
Hey Ashley! We love lentils - now that we are trying to be a little more vegetarian we are eating them all the time! For sure, I'd love to collab with you - I'd love to return the favour too - collabing something would be great! our email is on our Insta page, we should talk about it 🙂