This Vegan Lentil Soup recipe is THE BEST, ever! It’s an easy 1-pot recipe stuffed with potatoes, carrots, celery, and fresh greens.
Packed with plant-based protein and fiber, this lentil soup recipe is thick, hearty, filling, and so delicious. It’s the perfect meal prep idea or weekday meal.
I LOVE lentils. They’re meaty, filling, loaded with protein, and super low in fat. One of my “guilty” pleasures is a big bowl of lentils with some ketchup. Go ahead and mock if you must. But, don’t knock it ’til you try it.
But, if you need something a little more “normal” then I suggest you try this amazing vegan lentil soup. One bite and you’ll agree it could be the best lentil soup in the world. Yes, the entire world!
Well, maybe not the entire world. But, a fairly significant-sized geographical area.
What makes this lentil soup so special? I’m glad you asked. It’s…
- Perfect for meat-eaters and vegans
- Cost-efficient and budget-friendly
- Can be made on the stovetop, slow cooker, or Instant Pot
- Oil-free, heart-healthy, and essentially fat-free
- hearty, filling, thick, and full plant-based protein and fiber. So, it’s super nutritious.
Alright, let’s make some amazing Vegan Lentil Soup!
🥘 Ingredients
10 simple ingredients are all you need to make this hearty, healthy, and delicious soup.
- Lentils: A great source of plant-based protein and fiber. I love green lentils but you can use brown as well.
- Carrots, onion, & celery: A great base for any vegetable-based soup. Great for texture, flavor, and color.
- Potatoes: I prefer white, red, or Yukon gold potatoes. They hold up much better during the cooking process.
- Garlic: You can sub garlic powder if you prefer.
- Diced Tomatoes: Use fresh if you prefer. Also, organic canned tomatoes are lower in sodium than non-organic.
- Green Beans: I prefer no salt added canned green beans for convenience. But, you can use fresh if you prefer.
- Italian Seasoning: Use a store-bought brand or make your own with this recipe from the Vegan 8. Other spices like salt and pepper are optional.
- Liquid: Be sure and use a low-sodium brand. You may use water if you like, but vegetable broth adds to the flavor. If you wish, you can make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of my Vegetable Bouillon to 1 cup of warm water.
- Fresh Greens: I prefer spinach but kale or collards are great options as well.
🔪 Instructions
This is perfect when the weather gets cold or simply want a no-fuss meal. It’s excellent for reheating so it’s perfect for making ahead and eating throughout the week.
Oh, FYI, one serving has 15 grams of protein and over 12 grams of fiber! So, you’ll be strong and regular. Bonus!
You can make Vegan lentil soup on the stovetop, in your slow-cooker, or in your Instant Pot.
- Preheat a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Toss in the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft. You can add a little water if needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, lentils, Italian seasoning, and veggie broth. Stir well, bring to a boil, lower the heat, then cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- 2-3 minutes before the soup is ready to serve, add in the greens, stir, and let cook until the greens wilt. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper as needed.
- Enjoy as-is or serve with Brown Rice, Whole Wheat Beer Bread, or No-Yeast Bread.
Instant Pot: Add all of the ingredients, except for the spinach, to the pressure cooker. Lock the lid, set the valve to the "sealed" position, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the soup has finished cooking you can do a MANUAL release or allow the pressure to release naturally. Unlock the lid, add the greens, season with salt and pepper, stir, and serve.
Crock-Pot: Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker, except for the spinach, cover with the lid, and cook on high for 4 or on low for 8 hours. Once you are ready to serve, add your greens, season with salt and pepper, stir, and serve.
💭 Top Tips
- Only use brown or green lentils. Red and yellow lentils are too soft and will turn to mush as they cook.
- Feel free to switch up the veggies. You can also sub sweet potato, butternut squash, or other root vegetables.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice at the end to brighten up the flavor.
Vegan Lentil Soup FAQ
How To Store Leftovers
Leftovers will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. You can warm your leftovers in the microwave or on the stove. It’s an excellent recipe for meal-prep.
Can I freeze vegan lentil soup
Yes, absolutely! You can freeze vegan lentil soup for 3 months! Simple let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers or large ziplock bags.
What Do I Serve With Vegan Lentil Soup
This vegan lentil soup pairs excellently with bread. I like to serve it with my Whole Wheat Beer Bread, or No-Yeast Bread. It’s also great with Brown Rice.
And, it’s never a bad thing to add more greens. Try pairing it with my Apple Walnut Salad or something a little heartier like this Quinoa Black Bean Salad.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
If you try this vegan lentil soup recipe, let me know! I’d really appreciate it if you would leave a comment and rate it below.
Easy 1-Pot Vegan Lentil Soup
This Vegan Lentil Soup recipe is THE BEST, ever! It’s an easy 1-pot recipe stuffed with potatoes, carrots, celery, and fresh greens. Packed with plant-based protein and fiber, this lentil soup recipe is thick, hearty, filling, and so delicious. It’s the perfect meal prep idea or weekday meal.
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield6 servings 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- 3 large carrots, sliced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 cups of potatoes cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 can organic diced tomatoes
- 1 can low-sodium or no salt added green beans
- 1 ½ cups of dry green or brown lentils
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 6 cups of water or low-sodium vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2–3 handfuls of spinach or kale
Instructions
- Preheat a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Toss in the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are soft. You can add a little water if needed to prevent sticking if needed.
- Add the potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, lentils, Italian seasoning, and veggie broth. Stir well, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- 2-3 minutes before the soup is ready to serve, add in the greens, stir, and let cook until the greens wilt. Taste and adjust flavor with salt and pepper as needed.
- Enjoy as-is or serve with Brown Rice or hearty Whole Wheat Beer Bread.
Notes
Instant Pot: Add all of the ingredients, except for the spinach, to the pressure cooker. Lock the lid, set the valve to the “sealed” position, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the soup has finished cooking you can do a MANUAL release or allow the pressure to release naturally. Unlock the lid, add the greens, season with salt and pepper, stir, and serve.
Slow Cooker: Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker, except for the spinach, cover with the lid, and cook on high for 4 or on low for 8 hours. Once you are ready to serve, add your greens, season with salt and pepper, stir, and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 30 mins.
- Category: Vegan Soups & Stews
- Method: 1-Pot
- Cuisine: Vegan, GF
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 210.1 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 57.1 g
- Fiber: 12.5 g
- Protein: 14.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I didn’t have any potatoes, but the soup was still delicious and filling without them. While I am not vegan, I eat that way 4-5 days a week, and I’m healthier. I love your recipes. Next up, carrot cake. Thanks, Shane!
My neighbor brought this to me to try while I’m trying to recover from sciatica nerve pain. It is delicious! I definitely will be making it! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes! Yes, I would definitely purchase your book! Blessings!
Thank you, Martha! I hope you get to feeling better and recovery is going well for you.
I added some frozen corn, that made it for me.
Another delicious IP saver, Shane! I’m 5 mos into WFPB and just got my IP for a present and love experimenting. Thank you for what you put together!
Very tasty, Thanks
Thank you1
Once again!!! My family just loves this flavorful soup and any leftovers make a fantastic lunch.
Love your recipes. Looking forward to making this tomorrow, planning to sub butternut squash for the potatoes. What size can of diced tomatoes do you recommend?
1 15-ounce can of tomatoes should be fine.
I’ve made many lentil soups and this one is definitely the best! Love the potato in it. I have already packed some up to take to school with me. Thank you!
Rochelle, that’s so very kind. Thank you!
This was my first recipe of yours! Loved it!!!! I also loved how easy it was to make,
and I didn’t even have to go to the store. Thank you!
Wow, thank you so much, Jill!
This was delicious. Just what I needed on a wet and windy day here in Scotland.
Thanks Shane
Awww, thanks so much!
Love all your recipes, Shane! Have a (silly) question about this one – what size can of tomatoes? I have the 28 oz size on hand, which I guess is too large. I’ll probably use half. Thanks for all your posts.
There’s no such thing as to much tomato:)
I made this last week in the instant pot and it came out great! Another excellent recipe you’ve come up with, Shane. I added 2 frozen basil cubes in the batch that’s cooking right now. I hope it’s a good addition.
Basil is never a bad option:)
My husband raved about this soup! His definite favorite so far. He had several bowls, and couldn’t say enough good things about it.
Hi Shane! I made this for dinner tonight and I love it!! It’s amazing. I am following the Starch Solution by Dr. John McDougall. It fits the plan well. I will definitely make it again. If you publish a book, I will definitely buy it! Love your blog!
Absolutely delicious! Hearty and tasty and so easy to make. Thank you Shane for such great recipes. This is honestly my favorite WFPB blog and I’m ready to buy a cookbook from you!
Thank you so much! Hopefully the book won’t be long…hopefully.
Very tasty recipe and easy to put together, I like the common ingredients. We enjoyed it with toast, as suggested. I warmed it in the microwave, on a bed of cooked oatmeal for breakfast this morning. A hearty meal enjoyed by hubby as well. Thank you Shane
Thank you, Kim!!!
This soup is delicious and super filling. I will definitely make it again.
Thank you, Claire!
Thank you!!!
Made this today and just loved it! So simple and so good, and good for you. I really enjoy so many of your recipes. It’s generally the first place I look when I want to try something new. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Sandy! It’s an honor and I really appreciate the kind words. Blessings.
Turned out great. Very hearty and nutritious. I seasoned it up a bit with salt and pepper at the end and even added a tiny bit of maple syrup. Tasted wonderful with bread.
Thank you, Melissa! So glad you enjoyed it.
This Vegan Lentil Soup recipe is THE BEST, ever! It’s an easy 1-pot recipe stuffed with potatoes, carrots, celery, and fresh greens. Packed with plant-based protein and fiber, this lentil soup recipe is thick, hearty, filling, and so delicious. It’s the perfect meal prep idea or weekday meal.
Amazing! This soup is so easy to make and absolutely delicious!!!