Very few things are better than a warm bowl of soup in fall or winter. This delicious Carrot and Lentil Soup is packed with nutrients, and has an amazing texture that you will love.
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👩🏻🍳 Why You'll Love This Recipe
This easy carrot and lentil soup is the perfect warming soup for fall. Perfect paired with my favorite Slow Cooker Olive Bread, it's creamy and delicious, and made with very affordable ingredients.
The addition of red lentils makes the soup more filling and rich in protein, and the lentils give the soup a lovely, rich texture without adding any dairy.
Carrot and lentil soup is also rich in nutrients, while being gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. It's an excellent dish that suits most dietary requirements.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
For a complete list of ingredients, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Carrots - Fresh or frozen, both work well.
- Red lentils - Red lentils are really thin, and cook very fast.
- Onion - A great flavor for any soup.
- Garlic - Added for flavor.
- Vegetable stock - Adds a lot of flavor. You can also use chicken stock.
- Red pepper flakes - Adds a little heat. Optional!
- Cumin & coriander - Season the soup.
🔪 Instructions
Please note: This is an overview of the instructions. You'll find the complete instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sauté diced onion in a little olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and seasoning, and sauté for another minute.
- Add the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, and leave the ingredients to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
- Use a blender or an immersion blender to blend the soup smooth. Season to taste, and serve.
👪 FAQs
No. Red lentils can be cooked without soaking them first.
To thicken carrot and lentil soup, you can add some cornstarch slurry, instant mashed potato powder, or a roux. This soup is naturally thick and creamy, so this should not be necessary.
If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add more vegetable stock after the soup is blended. Add a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
For another lentil soup option, check out this French lentil soup, comforting and hearty and ready in 40 minutes!
Or check out these great ideas for making all kinds of delicious soups on a budget that will help you learn the elements of making a great soup with what you have on hand!
🧊 Storage
Store leftover carrot and lentil soup in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the leftovers in a microwave or pot on the stove.
This soup is a fantastic freezer meal, and can be frozen for up to 6 months. Make sure to freeze it in freezer safe containers. I like to thaw soup in a refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat it in a microwave or in a pot on the stove top for a few minutes, and serve the soup hot.
💭 Helpful Tips
- Use fresh or frozen carrots - or a combination of the two.
- This soup is great as an appetizer if you serve smaller portions.
- Reduce the preparation time by buying chopped onions and sliced carrots.
- Serve the soup immediately, while it's warm.
- Garnish with Greek yogurt, cream, roasted pumpkin seeds, or cilantro.
- Use rinsed and drained canned lentils if you prefer.
- The soup can be made in advance, and reheated before serving.
This soup is more filling than you'd think due to the added protein from the lentils.
📖 Variations
- Add a little heavy cream if you want a super creamy and mild soup.
- Hide more vegetables in the soup! Add diced tomatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, peppers or cauliflower. They will be hidden when you blend the soup.
- You can also use brown lentils, however this will increase the required cooking time significantly.
- Omit the red pepper flakes to make a mild version.
🍞 Suggested Side Dishes
I love to serve creamy soups with some kind of bread. This Quick Parmesan Garlic Bread is perfect for the job! You can also top the soup with Chipotle Lime Roasted Peanuts for a little extra crunch, or serve it with Easy Drop Biscuits on the side.
🍲 Related Recipes
If you like this delicious carrot lentil soup, you might also love any of these other soup recipes:
- Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
- Zucchini Curry Lime Soup
- Carrot and Ginger Soup
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Soup
Carrot and Lentil Soup
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📋 Recipe Card
Carrot and Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Pot
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- ⅓ cup dried red lentils
- 1 pound carrots
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and slice the carrots into ¼-inch thick pieces.1 pound carrots
- Peel and dice the onion. Finely dice the garlic.1 onion, 2 garlic cloves
- Warm up the olive oil in a large pot on medium to high heat. Sauté the diced onion for a few minutes, or until it's soft and translucent.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the diced garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin and coriander to the onion, and sauté for another minute.1 teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- Then, add vegetable stock, dried red lentils, and sliced carrots.⅓ cup dried red lentils, 3 cups vegetable stock
- Bring the soup to a boil, and reduce to medium to low heat. Leave the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils and carrots are tender.
- Blend the soup smooth with an immersion blender. Alternatively, blend it in multiple batches using a regular blender.
- Add any additional seasoning like salt and pepper to taste, and optionally add more vegetable stock if you want to give the soup a thinner consistency.
- Serve the soup immediately while it's warm.
Notes
- Feel free to add more veggies to the soup. The vegetables will all be hidden when you blend the soup. This is a great way to use up leftovers from the back of your fridge!
- Omit the red pepper flakes if you're sensitive to hot spices.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Tonje is the owner of Hintofhealthy.com, where she shares easy and healthy everyday recipes. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram for more family friendly meal inspiration.
Beth says
Yummy! This looks and sounds so delicious! My family is going to love this comforting soup. Excited to try this!
Charla says
My favourite veggie combination. I don't even wait until the fall to have this, it's an annually thing for me!
Sara Welch says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit all around the table! Very easy and unexpected; my whole family loved it!
Sarah Baumeister says
I love your tip about thickening with mashed potato powder!
Anjali says
This soup was such a delicious and filling one pot meal!! Love how the lentils added protein and made it super creamy too. This one will be making a regular appearance at our dinner table for sure!