Main image of One-Pot Veggie Lentil Soup

View on phone

One-Pot Veggie Lentil Soup

30 min

Main

Soup

One-bowl / one-pot

Freezer-friendly

This hearty vegetable and protein-packed lentil soup is wonderfully inviting on cold, dark winter days. It's one of our favourite soups to make, considering how quickly it comes to gether, and how delicious the flavours are.

Servings

Total

30 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

Ingredients

  • 3 cups (576 g)
    dry brown lentils, soaked for at least 2 hours, drained
  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 2
    medium onions, diced
  • 3
    cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1
    red hot chili pepper, minced
  • 1 tsp (3 g)
    ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp (2 g)
    curry powder
  • 1 tsp (2 g)
  • ½ tsp
    salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ tsp
    ground black pepper
  • 5 cups (1200 mL)
    water
  • 2
    vegetable bouillon cubes, crushed
  • 2
    medium potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes
  • 2
    carrots, diced
  • ½
    medium broccoli, broken into bite-sized florets

Optional garnish

  • fresh cilantro
  • fresh parsley
  • lemon slice

Directions

  1. Add the oil to a large pot on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add splashes of water as needed to deglaze the pot.
  2. Add the garlic and red chilli, cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Add the spices and cook for 30 - 60 seconds, stirring throughout.
  4. Add the water, bouillon*, lentils, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially covered for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the carrots and cook for another 10 minutes.
  6. Optionally, blend half of the soup using an immersion blender to make it more creamy. Then add the broccoli and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
  7. Adjust salt and pepper to your liking, and enjoy!

Notes

  • When we have time, we like to soak our lentils for at least a couple of hours beforehand to help decrease the cooking time and to help increase nutrient absorption. Soaking, though, is not necessary for this recipe; if using unsoaked lentils, add an extra 15 minutes to the cooking time. Learn more about the benefits of soaking in our PUL article.
  • * In place of water and bouillon, you can add vegetable stock. In this case, you may need to add more salt to taste.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or the freezer for up to 2 months.

Let us know what you think

Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 19%

medium potato

Proteins 53%

dry brown lentils

Fruits & Veggies 28%

medium onion

clove garlic

red hot chili pepper

carrot

medium broccoli

Calcium
No significant sources of calcium
Fat

vegetable oil

Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

Show nutrition info  

Watch it step-by-step!

More for the eyes

image of image of image of

Discussion & Rating

Rate this post


Lorena - Feb. 21, 2024, 8:29 p.m.

Yet another amazing meal! Perfect for my sick kiddos right now. Thank you! ❤️


Elodie DULAC - Feb. 14, 2024, 12:28 a.m.

Amazing recipe as always! Easy to cook and delicious


Carmen - Jan. 28, 2024, 7:45 p.m.

Very tasty and the house smells so good! What a powerhouse food!


Virginie - Jan. 17, 2024, 9:23 p.m.

Very nice soup recipe for a winter dinner. The kids enjoyed it!


Lini - Jan. 14, 2024, 11:39 a.m.

Easy to make and the portion adjustment is fantastic! Comforting soup for cold nights!


Stephen Coward - Jan. 8, 2024, 10:17 p.m.

Is it 3 cups of dried lentils to be soaked? Or 3 cups of lentils after soaking? lol Because I now have 8 cups of soaked lentils!

PUL Team - Jan. 9, 2024, 9:44 p.m.

Hey there, Stephen, apologies for the confusion! It's 3 cups of dried lentils to be soaked. The lentils indeed expand when soaked so it works out to just over 1 cup of lentils per servings 😊


Mandy C - Dec. 28, 2023, 7:07 p.m.

This was very good. I added extra homemade veggie broth so I ended up having to add more of the seasoning. I also added both broccoli and cauliflower. Yummy!


Janelle - Dec. 24, 2023, 11:23 p.m.

Really good! I think the carrots are missing from the first step in the make step by step directions. I had to add more broth because my 3 cups of dried lentils yielded alot! Yummy though and we had leftovers for another meal. At least 7 servings for us and we are a family of four adults.

Janelle - Dec. 24, 2023, 11:24 p.m.

Also subbed cauliflower for broccoli. Worked out fine.

PUL Team - Dec. 26, 2023, 3:19 p.m.

So glad the recipe was enjoyed Janelle! If you're in the step-by-step mode of the app, you'll see the carrots get added in step 5. Step 1 is for cooking the onions. In case it helps, you can also watch the accompanying video for this recipe at the 8 minute mark where you'll see the onions are added to the pot first, cooked, and then later the carrots are added in, though if you'd prefer to cook the carrots earlier that works as well ☺️

Janelle - Dec. 26, 2023, 4:50 p.m.

Oops, I meant in step 0 it doesn't include carrots in the list of ingredients to prep.

PUL Team - Dec. 27, 2023, 1:45 a.m.

Oh that absolutely right, thanks so much for sharing that Janelle! I've just added it to the prep page 🥰 thanks so much for helping us improve what we do!


Chris Jackson - Dec. 16, 2023, 12:38 a.m.

I made this recipe and it was delicious! I added half a block of extra firm tofu marinated with ginger/garlic/soy sauce when I added the broccoli. It added to it.


Erin Rappa - Dec. 13, 2023, 7:58 p.m.

Really enjoyed this recipe


Evelyn - Dec. 13, 2023, 3:01 a.m.

Such a great recipe! The soup was flavorful and perfect to have during this cool weather.


erica bulow - Nov. 28, 2023, 1:39 a.m.

Wasn't sure about the amount of lentils but worked out just fine. Substituted cauliflower for broccoli because it was what we had.


Angela R. - Nov. 11, 2023, 7:02 p.m.

Super tasty, easy to make. I added some lime. This will become a regular meal for me. Thank you. I am still super grateful for this app. I am not organized enough to use cook books but your app is so well made that I use it every week

PUL Team - Nov. 11, 2023, 11:14 p.m.

Oh we're incredibly grateful to hear, Angela 🥹 excited to continue our culinary journey together!


Karen Bryan - Oct. 22, 2023, 6:24 p.m.

Oh my goodness!!! I was looking for an easy lentil soup recipe and this was perfect. I’m a carnivore, so I used three Italian sausage links instead of the red chili peppers. I used low sodium chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth.
I added spinach instead of the broccoli. WOW!!! Home run and my first time cooking with lentils. I rinsed and soaked the lentils as suggested. I will definitely make this again.


Jasmin Grijalva - Sept. 5, 2023, 9:32 a.m.

Such a cozy soup! My grocery store didn’t have red chili pepper so I used a whole habanero. In hind sight, I could have just done half… it was spicy but not so much that it wasn’t enjoyable. Thank you for this recipe!!!


alex - Sept. 4, 2023, 7:38 p.m.

This was very taste, but it feels like the ratio of lentils to water was a bit off. I had very little broth left.

PUL Team - Sept. 5, 2023, 7 a.m.

Hey Alex, the ratio may vary if you soak the lentils and how long the soup is cooked for. You could always add more water to it if you think it needs it, and if you find that dilutes the taste, simply add a bit more crumbled bouillon to balance out the saltiness 😃


Daniela M - Aug. 24, 2023, 7:48 p.m.

Very nice! Me and my family enjoyed this nourishing filling meal! Very easy to make too!


Laura - Aug. 18, 2023, 1:06 p.m.

Ohhhh its so great 😄 so flavourful and colourful😍 a sip of it could heal any cold 🥶 a perfect meal for fall 🥳
Didn’t have garam masala so used nutmeg/ cardamon/ clove/cinnamon - some spices that have at home and is used in garam masala mix. Also had almond cream that softened the hotness🤩

PUL Team - Aug. 18, 2023, 4:23 p.m.

Mmm sounds delicious, Laura! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the lentil soup 🤗


Sally J - Aug. 16, 2023, 1:26 a.m.

Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for such a good recipe! Highly recommend!


Luci - Aug. 1, 2023, 4:50 a.m.

Hearty, balanced and delicious. Just a note - diced carrots should be added to the first step as well!


Nj - July 30, 2023, 3:30 a.m.

Delicious, simple, and savory!


Stacey💕 - July 20, 2023, 1:06 a.m.

First recipe I tried on the app! This recipe is so full of flavor! I will be hooked on plant-based eating if all recipes pop with this much goodness!

PUL Team - July 24, 2023, 5:09 p.m.

Woohoo! We're so thrilled to hear, Stacey, and hope to keep exceeding your expectations with our recipes 🤗🌱


Rachel S - July 10, 2023, 9:22 p.m.

A delicious recipe! I found that it needed a bit more water than it says.


Julie - June 27, 2023, 10:59 p.m.

Super easy and super delicious. Will make again.


Denisa - June 26, 2023, 4:06 p.m.


Indi - May 6, 2023, 12:49 a.m.

I sweated the carrot onion and added celery(love the flavor) added a heaped tbsp of tomato purée with the spices (for colour) and instead adding the potato with the lentils I added chopped pumpkin … puréed and then added the potatoes but skipped the broccoli… I did take some creative liberties but I customized it for the flavor colour and texture that i love… used some bone broth as well 😃

It was delish and plenty left to go in the freezer.


Martyna - April 10, 2023, 3:01 p.m.

I've made this soup a few times now & it's always a winner! My one piece of advice is don't overcook the veggies (potatoes/carrots) - a lot of recipes online underestimate how long it will take for veggies to cook but this is not one of them. I do like to cook my onions for a bit longer in the beginning but that's because I can't dice my onions fine enough.

Highly recommend!

PUL Team - April 10, 2023, 6:59 p.m.

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the recipe, Martyna! 🤗


Martunia - March 25, 2023, 5:59 p.m.

I batch made this soup this weekend and froze some of it for later. It's very tasty and a great idea for a comforting dinner.

PUL Team - March 26, 2023, 9 p.m.

We're so happy the soup is being enjoyed, Martunia - thank you!


Clare - March 24, 2023, 1:50 p.m.

Totally delicious! So quick and easy to make. A new favorite


Nicole - March 18, 2023, 2:10 p.m.

We just made this for lunch and it’s been delicious!!


Rachael - March 12, 2023, 6:50 p.m.

So excited to try this recipe. What can I substitute for the chili? Or can I leave it out with no substitution? I have ulcers and have been looking for recipes to help keep the acids down.

PUL Team - March 13, 2023, 5:58 a.m.

Hey Rachael, you can remove the chili for a less spicy soup or replace it with another pepper such as bell peppers or jalapeño 🙂


Jacie - Feb. 25, 2023, 3:24 a.m.

I just made this for dinner and it is delicious!


Erika - Feb. 19, 2023, 4:35 a.m.

One of my faves. I prepared to my sister and she love it 🥰


Puja - Feb. 1, 2023, 10:24 p.m.

I absolutely loved this recipe. Only thing I changed in this recipe is add water instead of veg bullion cude or veggi stock. But it just remind me of missal pav . Thanks for all the amazing recipes PUL team.

PUL Team - Feb. 4, 2023, 3:14 a.m.

A lovely modification, Puja! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with it 🤗


Alex McConnon (she/her/hers) - Jan. 28, 2023, 10:12 p.m.

YUM!

Nourishing, delicious, and comforting! My fiancé and I loved it and lapped it up with bread at the end! Thank you!

PUL Team - Jan. 30, 2023, 6:56 a.m.

We're so glad to hear, Alex - thank you!


Marie - Jan. 23, 2023, 4:16 p.m.

DE LI CI OUS!
comforting, nourishing, full of taste. Ill keep the receipe for post partum as well, so YUMMY

PUL Team - Jan. 23, 2023, 6:15 p.m.

Woohoo! Thank you, Marie 😃


Carmen - Jan. 21, 2023, 6:33 p.m.

This soup is my favorite. IT IS DELICIOUS!


Sari - Jan. 18, 2023, 1:59 p.m.

I loved this soup, it's full of warm flavors. I made it for six people according to the instructions. However, I put clearly less lentils than in the instructions and a little more water. Very good soup and easy to prepare, I will definitely make it again!


Ruby - Nov. 28, 2022, 9:35 a.m.

Made this recipe so much I have it memorised. A really flexible dish which can be easily altered depending on what veg I have in - very useful for keeping to the limited student budget!

PUL Team - Nov. 28, 2022, 5:30 p.m.

So happy to hear, Ruby, thank you!


Kimberly - Nov. 7, 2022, 4:25 a.m.

So good!!


Veronica Filiberti - Oct. 15, 2022, 12:54 p.m.

Delicious and so easy to make!
Thank you so much😍

PUL Team - Oct. 16, 2022, 7:07 p.m.

We're so glad the lentil soup is being enjoyed, Veronica!


Max - Sept. 28, 2022, 8:51 a.m.

Perfect for autumn, our family loved it! Thank you!

PUL Team - Sept. 28, 2022, 9:02 p.m.

Woohoo! Thanks, Max 😃


Julie - Sept. 13, 2022, 9:01 a.m.

Just made this and it was wholesome and comforting! I blended half of it which gave it a lovely texture. I have a feeling this recipe will become a staple in our home :)

PUL Team - Sept. 14, 2022, 7:03 p.m.

Love the idea of blending half! Thanks for the kind words, Julie 🤩


Maya - Sept. 1, 2022, 3:22 p.m.

We just made this dish (without the broccoli and chili but with some diced bell paprika instead)
It was such a nice turn to our typical german Lentilsoup. Thanks for sharing this one!

PUL Team - Sept. 2, 2022, 4:43 a.m.

Mmm that sounds lovely, Maya, and we're so glad it was enjoyed 😊


Jen - Feb. 3, 2022, 2:35 a.m.

Easy to make, affordable & accessible ingredients, comforting, and yummy! Perfect while we are under the weather this week. Thank you for this gem!

PUL Team - Feb. 3, 2022, 5:43 a.m.

So happy it's being enjoyed, Jen, thanks a bunch ✨😊


Tereza - Feb. 2, 2022, 11:40 p.m.

Delicious, thank you so much for this! :-))


Constanze - Jan. 28, 2022, 6:49 p.m.

A truly warming and comforting soup 😊 I ended up adding some more vegetable broth at the end of the cooking time since a lot of liquid had been absorbed (by the lentils I guess). I’ll surely make this again.

PUL Team - Jan. 28, 2022, 6:52 p.m.

Hey Constanze, thanks for sharing your experience with this one. It's super appreciated to help us improve. We're glad it was enjoyed with the additional broth :)


Michaela - Jan. 27, 2022, 9:41 p.m.

very delicious, but i made it a couple of times and the water are always not enough. its not so watery like in the pictures here🤔. But tasty, so🤷‍♀️🤣

PUL Team - Jan. 28, 2022, 6:28 p.m.

Hey Michaela, so happy it's being enjoyed! Are the same type of lentils being used each time and are they soaked? We suspect it may be due to the type of lentils or soak time if all other steps are being followed. If using unsoaked lentils, we recommend adding an extra 15 minutes to the cooking time and this will help reduce some of the extra liquid 🙂


Tomoko - Jan. 14, 2022, 10:52 p.m.

Wow. Another great recipe. How can you come up with something so easy and tasty? This would be something I will repeat. I am bringing your soups to my work for my lunch. They keep me warm and happy! Thank you for sharing this.

PUL Team - Jan. 15, 2022, 12:29 a.m.

Oh, Tomoko, we're so happy to hear - thank YOU 🥰


Miranda B - Jan. 3, 2022, 1:45 a.m.

Love all of your content, Sadia and I think you are wonderful. However, this was not a great soup. I felt the soup was lacking in flavor and didn’t have enough soupy liquid to feel like I was eating a soup. I made the soup as written and wasn’t super thrilled so ended up adding a can of coconut milk which I think helped a bit. I did serve with lemon and cilantro. I love a lot of your recipes but won’t be making this one again. Thanks for all of your hard work though; I think you are a great creator!!

PUL Team - Jan. 3, 2022, 6:51 a.m.

Hi Miranda, thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your very kind words and constructive feedback with us! It's so appreciated to help PUL grow and improve. This soup is indeed a little less liquidy than others, but we're glad the addition of coconut milk was helpful! We find this one flavourful with fresh spices and the optional garnish, although we've taken note of the feedback to consider for future content. It means so much that our other recipes are being enjoyed in the meantime. In case you're interested and haven't already seen it yet, our Creamy Coconut Paprika Zucchini soup is one of my favourites and also features coconut milk (plus it's more liquidy than this recipe): https://www.pickuplimes.com/r…. Thank you again, Miranda 😊


Erika - Dec. 20, 2021, 6:36 a.m.

Love the recipe


Alyssa - Dec. 19, 2021, 1:55 p.m.

Can you use green lentils instead of brown? I wasn’t sure if the green lentils would hold up the same way we couldn’t seem to find brown in the store.

Regardless, I can’t wait to try this recipe it looks so hearty and yummy! Perfect for winter ☃️

PUL Team - Dec. 21, 2021, 5:07 a.m.

Hey Alyssa, feel free to use green lentils if they're more accessible 🙂 We hope you enjoy it!

Tereza - Feb. 2, 2022, 11:42 p.m.

I just made it with green lentils and it was awesome 🙂


Vir - Dec. 10, 2021, 10:43 p.m.

I made this today and it was so good! Comforting and perfect for rainy weather. It tastes like a fresher version of Amy’s lentil vegetable soup!

PUL Team - Dec. 11, 2021, 10:28 p.m.

So glad the lentil soup was enjoyed, Vir!


Hilary - Nov. 22, 2021, 5:44 p.m.

This soup is so creamy and delicious and a perfect way to use up the basics I always have in my kitchen. It was also super simple to prepare. You need to make this soup!

PUL Team - Nov. 22, 2021, 8:55 p.m.

Awe we're so happy to hear, Hilary, thank you for taking the time to share the glowing review ✨


Susan - Oct. 7, 2021, 8:30 p.m.

Loved your peanut coconut curry soup recipe ! About to try this lentil recipe...what do you suggest to substitute the red hot chili pepper? Chili flakes?

PUL Team - Oct. 9, 2021, 8:28 p.m.

Hey there, Susan! Thanks for the question and patience as we're catching up on questions 😊 The red hot chili could be omitted for less spice. Alternatively, another pepper of choice or chili flakes to taste would work well as a substitute. We hope you enjoy the soup!


Leonie - Oct. 6, 2021, 3:49 p.m.

Absolutely loved it! So tasteful and so easy to make. This one is a keeper :)


Nisha - Aug. 24, 2021, 1:18 a.m.

I absolutely loved this recipe! I didn’t have curry powder, garam masala, or red chilles on hand so I instead used cumin, coriander, chili powder and rasam powder and it was delicious. I also added in a green bell pepper and a jalapeño because we had them in the fridge.
This recipe is a new favorite of mine and is a great way to use up some veggies in the fridge in a healthy way!

PUL Team - Aug. 25, 2021, 7:26 a.m.

We appreciate this so much, Nisha, thank you for sharing your experience with this one!


Didi - Aug. 11, 2021, 5:58 p.m.

He hecho esta receta hoy y ha quedado espectacular. Es la primera receta que hago de Pick Up Limes y no va a ser la última. Felicidades por vuestro gran trabajo, los videos son fantásticos!


Djurdjica Despotovic - July 31, 2021, 9:30 p.m.

I tried lentils for the first time with this recipe, and now I don't want to eat them any other way! Such a delicious and definitely a comfort meal for me. Sending love!

PUL Team - Aug. 1, 2021, 9:05 a.m.

Aw so happy the lentil soup was enjoyed! Lots of love to you, Djurdjica 🥰


Torri - July 24, 2021, 6:34 p.m.

My husband and I love this lentil soup! We make it for dinner every Sunday, and we eat it throughout the rest of the week for lunch. Everyone I have given it to has loved it as well. Our grocery store never has red chilis, so we use one jalapeño and it works perfectly! It goes wonderfully with some naan bread!

PUL Team - July 26, 2021, 1:44 a.m.

So thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the lentil soup, Torri, thanks for sharing!


Maria Mifsud - May 17, 2021, 2:17 p.m.

Made this lentil soup but without the Chilly and some Spices. I love lentils so any dish with them l love l grow up eating lentils being greek they are so delicious cant wait to have a few days with my lunch.

PUL Team - May 19, 2021, 6:32 p.m.

We're so happy to hear this, Maria, enjoy your lunches! 😃


Youstina Bebawy - April 21, 2021, 6:50 a.m.

I love this meal! It's a great hot soup to have when you are feeling under the weather. I have added cumin to it and it was a real kick 😋

PUL Team - April 22, 2021, 3:04 a.m.

Mmm cumin sounds great, Youstina!


Victoria - April 7, 2021, 1:01 p.m.

This soup is delicious! The broccoli fits perfectly there😋
All recipes I’ve tried so far from you have been amazing, thank you so much for what you do.
Sending love from Slovakia❤️

PUL Team - April 8, 2021, 6:35 a.m.

Thank YOU, Victoria, for all of the support! Sending lots of love to Slovakia 💖


Ana - April 7, 2021, 12:35 a.m.

Hi! Today I cooked this recipe, I have been on a strict diet for the last few weeks and I really needed to eat something delicious and this was easy and perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe! Greetings from Guatemala :)

PUL Team - April 7, 2021, 6:21 a.m.

So glad you enjoyed the lentil soup, Ana! Sending lots of love to Guatemala 🥰

Jeanie pickard - March 29, 2023, 2:08 a.m.

I always had Polska kielbasa in mind cuz we like the meat and when it's almost done I had the meat to it plus some spinach and also some kale chopped up real fine delicious and very healthy