Lebanese Lentil Soup is rich, warming soup that combines red lentils, vegetables, curry powder, cumin and lemon juice. This soup naturally gluten-free and vegan, is easy to make and freezes well for later! Your family will love warming up to this soup in the cold months! 

LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP

The farmers market where I live has a vendor that sells Lebanese food.

Of course every trip I make to the farmers market I have to stop at their booth and pick up some of their hummus, tabbouleh and their lentil soup.

I have become slightly obsessed with their lentil soup and new I hard to share this since it has quickly become a favorite lebanese recipe. 

I have a few lentil soup recipes on my site, including this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Moroccan Red Lentil Soup and this Red Lentil Coconut Soup but nothing like theirs. All of these are variations of a vegan lentil soup.

I started working on a recipe that tastes similar to their soup and came pretty close to creating a soup that tastes like theirs.

The difference between my other lentil soups and this Lebanese Lentil Soup are the spices that I use.

This Lebanese Lentil Soup uses curry powder and cumin which I think add so much warm flavor. 

It works really nicely with the lemon juice. If you are looking for a healthy soup this is the one for you. It is naturally gluten-free and vegan. 

What Ingredients are in This Lebanese Red Lentil Soup

RED LENTILS

VEGETABLES: ONION, GARLIC, CARROTS, CELERY

SPICES: CURMIN AND CURRY 

VEGETABLE BROTH {or you can use chicken stock for a non-vegetarian version}

LEMON JUICE 

Cooking Tips and Variations for This Lebanese Lentil Soup

BEANS: Try adding beans to accompany the lentils in this soup. Two options I love to use are chickpeas or white beans.  

GREENS: You can add swiss chard, spinach or kale to this soup. 

VEGETABLES: You can add additional vegetables to this soup too. Some options are bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapeños for spice, zucchini, potatoes or sweet potatoes.

GARNISH: Garnishes are always a great way to take a soup to the next level.

Some garnishes I love in this lentil soup is feta cheese {of course the soup won’t be vegan if you use feta}, fresh cilantro and parsley, Greek or plain yogurt swirled in to create a thicker, creamier soup.

GRAIN: Sometimes I like to add a grain to my soups. You can try brown rice, white rice or quinoa. 

MEAT: If you want to add meat to your soup try adding sausage, diced chicken, ground pork or even some crispy bacon. 

BLEND: I like red lentils because they break down and become soft.

With this soup I blend it with a hand held immersion blender or a high speed blender so it becomes a creamy soup. I blend all of the soup but some people prefer to just blend half of the soup.

How to Make Lebanese Lentil Soup

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

1. SAUTE THE VEGETABLES: Sauté the onion and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes then add the spices and continue to sauté about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and sauté until carrots are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add the celery and sauté another 2 minutes.

2. ADD THE BROTH: Add the vegetable broth and lentils and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.

3. ADD LEMON JUICE: Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

4. PUREE SOUP: Use an immersion blender and blend the soup to your liking.

Serve the soup with fresh cilantro, cayenne pepper and fresh lemon juice.

How to Make Lebanese Lentil Soup in the Crockpot

I give instructions on making this soup on the stove below in the recipe card.

Here are the instructions in case you want to make it in the crockpot: 

1. ADD INGREDIENTS TO CROCKPOT: Add all ingredients into the slow cooker except the lemon juice and stir to mix well.

2. COOK ON LOW: Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or until the lentils are soft or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

3. PUREE SOUP: When the soup is finished cooking puree the soup in portions if you would like a creamier soup.

3. I use a handheld immersion blender, but you can use a regular blender.

4. Add the soup back to the pot, add the lemon juice and mix well.

5. GARNISH SOUP: Serve warm lemon wedges and fresh parsley and pita bread on the side. 

I also have a Moroccan Red Lentil Soup that I make in the instant pot.

How Do You Make Arabic Lentil Soup in the Instant Pot?

It is easy and that same technique can be used for today’s Lebanese Lentil Soup. 

1. SAUTE THE VEGETABLES: You start this soup by sautéing the vegetables and spices in your pressure cooker for about 6 minutes.

2. ADD LENTILS AND TOMATOES: You add the red lentils, diced tomatoes and broth and set your pressure cooker to manual high for 3 minutes. Once it is done cooking you use the quick release valve to release the pressure.

3. PUREE THE SOUP: You then can puree a portion of the soup with a hand blender, all of it or leave it chunky. It tastes great any way you like it. The garnishes I like to add to my soup are fresh cilantro, a dollop of yogurt and crushed red pepper and crusty bread.

What Lentils Work Best in This Easy Lentil Soup?

I prefer to use red lentils {they look orange} when I make this soup but you can also use yellow lentils if you have those on hand.

Both of those lentils have a softer texture once cooked which I think works nicely in soups. You could also use brown lentils or green lentils if that is all you have.

How Do I Freeze This Lebanese Lentil Soup Recipe?

Curry Lentil Soup freezes well for up to several months in a freezer-safe container. I like to make a batch of this soup and freeze half for later.

It makes a nice, quick meal when you need to put a healthy meal on the table.

Make sure you cool your soup completely in the fridge before you put it in the freezer.

When you are ready to reheat the soup, you can thaw it on the counter and then reheat or thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Other Soup Recipes You Might Like:

WHITE BEAN SOUP

INSTANT POT BEEF STEW RECIPE

INSTANT POT BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

TORTELLINI SAUSAGE SOUP

ZESTY BEAN POSOLE SOUP

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP