This Lemon Lentil Soup Recipe is a zesty, flavorful lentil soup that is filled with protein. If you are looking for more vegan recipes this one is for you. I like to make a big batch of this soup and freeze half for later. Pair it with crusty bread and a light side salad for a full meal. 

LEMON LENTIL SOUP RECIPE 

I know many of you love lentil soups as much as I do. If you have been around here for any period of time you probably know I make a lot of different soups using lentils.

Lentils are one of the pantry staples I keep on hand.

I love how filling lentils are and that they are a great option when making a vegetarian meal. 

Today’s Lemon Lentil Soup Recipe is for the lemon lover.

Some of my most popular recipes are lentil soups like this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Lebanese Lentil Soup and this Moroccan Red Lentil Soup.

Lentils are a great meatless protein that offers many healthy benefits and help you feel full. 

I personally am a big fan of red lentils which you will find in today’s Lemon Lentil Soup Recipe. 

This easy lentil soup recipe is bursting with zesty, lemon flavor which is a personal favorite of mine. You can add more or less depending on your love of lemons.

Lentils and pulses are a large part of the Mediterranean diet and something I encourage everyone to incorporate into their diets. 

Some other lentil recipes that you might like are this Red Lentil Curry, Mediterranean Lentil Salad, Lentil Mushroom Stew, Lentil Sweet Potato Stew or this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup.

You can also check out this post on 20 Recipes to Make With a Bag of Lentils for Other Ideas. 

Recipe Ingredients in this Lemon Lentil Soup

• Red Lentils
• Fresh Vegetables: onion, carrots and celery
• Garlic
• Spices: cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, curry powder and cayenne red pepper
• Vegetable Broth
• Lemon Juice and Zest
• Fresh Herbs: fresh dill and cilantro

How do you Make This Easy Lemon Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is easy to make and is perfect for meal-prep. 

1. Sauté: Heat a large pot, large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat and sauté the onions and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes. Then add the spices and continue to sauté for about 4 minutes.

2. Add Vegetables: Add the carrots and celery and sauté until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Simmer: Add the vegetable broth and lentils and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in the lemon juice.

4. Puree: You can eat the soup as is with the chunks of carrots, celery and lentils or you can use a hand blender or traditional blender to create a creamy soup. Sometimes I blend half and keep half chunky.

Garnish the soup with fresh dill and parsley, crushed red pepper and lemon wedges for serving. I also really like to serve pita bread or crusty bread on the side to soak up that delicious lentil soup. 

Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

How Can I Modify This Lemony Lentil Soup

• Bean: You can add additional protein to the soup by adding chickpeas or white beans. 
• Vegetables: I enjoy extra vegetables in this soup like cauliflower, jalapeños for spice, potatoes, bell peppers or sweet potatoes.
• Garnishes: 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 {once again not vegan}.
• Meat: For those that want to add meat to the soup try adding sausage, shredded chicken, ground pork or even some crispy bacon. 
• Lentils: I like red lentils because they break down and become soft. With this soup I blend it, or at least half of it, but you can easily eat this soup as is. If you have brown or green lentils on hand you can swap those in or use half red and half brown or green. Some people prefer the texture of the green or brown-so that is totally up to you! 
• Spices: You can add red pepper flakes, chili powder, garam masala, curry powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper or dill.
• Citrus: You can add extra fresh lemon juice if you like an even more lemony flavor. You also could add some lemon zest.
• Grain: Sometimes I like to add a grain to my soups. You can try brown rice, white rice or quinoa. 
• Thickening: You can use tomato paste to help thicken this soup. 

What Should I Serve with this Soup

A lot of times when I eat this soup it stands great on its own. I will often warm up a piece of pita or naan to go with it and make a simple salad. Here are some other ideas:

• Vegetables: I like to add vegetables on the side to this soup. Some sides that would be nice are these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Mediterranean Bean Salad, Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts and this Summer Orzo Pasta Salad. 
• Potatoes: Another thing I like to pair with lentil soup is potatoes. Try these Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes, Paprika Roasted Potatoes, Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes and these Gouda Smashed Potatoes. 
• Dips: I am big fan of dips on the side of soups. I especially like this Baba Ghanoush, Lebanese Hummus or this Lemon Whipped Feta Dip.

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