Red lentil soup with lemon (one pot, 35 minutes)

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 21 October 2026

Red lentil soup is the recipe I come back to from October to March. Red lentils need no soaking, fall apart on their own in about twenty minutes, and a squeeze of lemon at the end turns a plain pot into something you want a second bowl of. This is the Turkish and Levantine style: carrot, onion, cumin, a little tomato paste and lemon, with no cream and no stock cubes.

Portion: about 400 ml each · Difficulty: Easy, one pot · Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free

Red lentil soup with lemon

A thick, bright red lentil soup with carrot, cumin and lemon. One pot, 35 minutes, no soaking, vegan and gluten-free.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Soups

Servings 4 servings

Calories 351 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 250 g dried red lentils 1 1/4 cups, rinsed
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml, plus a little for serving
• 1 large onion about 150 g, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots about 150 g, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic 6 g, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste 15 g
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp chilli flakes optional
• 1.2 litres water 5 cups
• 1 tsp fine salt 5 g, or to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon about 40 ml, plus wedges to serve
• Black pepper
• To serve: chopped parsley or fresh mint a drizzle of olive oil

Instructions

 

• Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly and smells toasted.
• Add the rinsed lentils and the water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes. Skim any foam in the first few minutes. The lentils are done when they have collapsed and the soup looks thick and orange.
• Season with salt and pepper. Blend to your liking: a few pulses with a stick blender for a smooth-but-not-silky soup, or leave it as it is for texture.
• Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste: it should be bright, not sour. Add more lemon or salt if needed.
• Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil, herbs and a lemon wedge on the side.

Keyword autumn, budget, carrots, cumin, dairy-free, gluten-free, lemon, lentil soup, lentils, mediterranean diet, one pot, red lentils, soup, vegan, winter

Nutrition per serving

Per serving, 1/4 of the pot, calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient.

Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Lentils, pink or red, raw (FDC 174284); Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413); Onions, raw (FDC 170000); Carrots, raw (FDC 170393); Garlic, raw (FDC 169230); Tomato products, canned, paste, without salt added (FDC 170459); Lemon juice, raw (FDC 167747). Lentils are calculated on the dry weight. The salt line counts only the salt you add. Spices, herbs and the serving oil are not included. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.

Swaps and variations

• Potato instead of carrot: 150 g, diced, for a thicker, more filling soup.
• Vegetable stock instead of water: if you have it; reduce the salt.
• Turkish style: finish with a tablespoon of olive oil warmed with dried mint and a pinch of chilli, poured over each bowl.
• Add greens: two handfuls of spinach stirred in for the last 2 minutes.
• Extra protein: a spoon of Greek yogurt on top (no longer vegan).

Storage and reheating

Keeps 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. It thickens as it cools; loosen with a splash of water when reheating and add the lemon after warming, not before.

Related

• Recipes: Fasolada: Greek white bean soup · Chickpea and spinach stew · Pasta e ceci
• Encyclopedia: Lentils · Carrot · Extra virgin olive oil · Lemons
• Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan

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