Lentil Tomato Soup is a comforting soup that mixes together sweet roasted red peppers, tomatoes and onions along with lentils and smoky chipotle chili powder. This soup is packed with flavor and makes a great freezer friendly meal.
You guys might know by now my love for lentil soups. We make so many throughout the cooler months of the year.
I love using lentils in soups because they are hearty and filling, healthy and can be pureed into a smooth creamy texture. They pair so nicely with fresh vegetables and warm spices. In today’s Lentil Tomato Soup red lentils are paired with roasted heirloom tomatoes, onion, bell peppers and garlic and paired with Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, turmeric and chipotle chili powder. This is one of my favorite soups. I love the smoky sweet flavors from the roasted vegetables and the chipotle chili powder and chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce.
I love to use chipotle chilies as they add a great smoky flavor, in soups, stews, dry rubs, the options are endless. Try them in my Vegetarian Chili, Albondigas en Chipotle, Grilled Flank Steak Dry Rub, and Chicken Tinga.
If you like vegan lentil soup try my Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Lemon Lentil Soup, Lebanese Lentil Soup or this Turkish Lentil Soup. If you like salads give my Mediterranean Lentil Salad a try!
Why You Will Love This Lentil Tomato Soup Recipe
- Hearty:This hearty soup is a vegan soup that is also gluten free and dairy free, packed with protein rich lentils which keep you feeling fuller and satisfied for longer.
- Make Ahead: This soup can be made earlier in the day, or the day before, then cooled and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to heat up and serve. In fact it will taste even better if left to sit as the flavors will meld together and intensify. It makes one of those easy weeknight dinners we all love!
- Great for Batch Cooking: This soup recipe is great for batch cooking. Double the recipe up, enjoy some now and freeze individual portions of the soup for a quick and easy meal another day.
Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Fresh Tomatoes – I prefer heirloom tomatoes for their rich, robust flavor, but any variety works. Firm vine or Roma tomatoes are great options. Canned tomatoes also work well—fire-roasted or crushed tomatoes add excellent depth.
- Peppers – I use a large red bell pepper for its natural sweetness, but yellow, orange, or green bell peppers are also suitable substitutes.
- Garlic – Roasting a whole head of garlic with the vegetables adds deep, savory flavor. For a milder garlic taste, use just a few cloves or omit entirely.
- Onion – White onion is my go-to, but red onion, sweet onion, or shallots are all good alternatives.
- Seasoning – A blend of Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, turmeric, and black pepper flavors the soup. You can also experiment with curry powder, cumin, or cayenne for a different spice profile.
- Chili – For heat and smokiness, I use both chipotle chili powder and two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Regular chili powder or a fresh chili pepper can be used instead.
- Lentils – Red lentils help thicken the soup while adding plant-based protein.
How to Make This Lentil and Tomato Soup
Step 1. Prepare the vegetables: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet, or two medium baking sheets with parchment paper.
Half the red peppers, and face them skin side up on the baking sheet. Quarter the onions and tomatoes and add them to the sheet as well.
Step 2. Add the spice and garlic: Mix all of the seasonings together in a small bowl. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables, and add half of the seasoning blend.
Coat the vegetables well. Slice about ½” off of the head of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Place the bulb in aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Step 3. Roast the vegetables: Place the baking sheet in the oven for 35 minutes, or until you start to see the skin of the bell pepper begin to char. Remove the vegetables from the oven.
Step 4. Make the soup: Heat a large Dutch oven or large soup pot on medium high heat. Once warmed, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining seasoning blend to toast for about a minute. Add the rinsed lentils and 4 cups of vegetable broth.
Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb, and add the remaining roasted vegetables to the pot. Stir everything together and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
Step 5. Puree the soup and serve: Once complete, use an immersion blender to purée the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup cool for about 10-15 minutes before adding it to a high speed blender to purée. If you desire a thinner soup, add some extra broth.
Garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh cilantro or parsley and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Recipe Tips & Modifications
- Lentils – I use dried red lentils in this soup, but for convenience, you can substitute with canned green, yellow, or brown lentils. Just be sure to drain and rinse them before adding.
- Vegetables – To make the soup heartier, add extra vegetables like diced carrots, celery, mushrooms, or zucchini.
- Citrus – A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens the flavor and helps balance the acidity of the soup.
- Chili – This recipe includes both chipotle chili powder and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for a smoky kick. Adjust the quantity to control the heat to your preference.
- Greens – Stir in leafy greens such as spinach, arugula, chard, or kale during the last 2–3 minutes of cooking so they wilt without overcooking.
- Puréeing – Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. If the texture is too thick, add additional vegetable broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Storage Tips
- Leftovers – once cooked and cooled, store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze – to freeze the soup make sure the soup is fulled cooled. Store the soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve with Tomato Lentil Soup
- This is a hearty and filling bowl of homemade soup so I tend to keep any additional sides simple. It’s great with some with crusty bread, or try my Homemade Pita Chips or Homemade Tortilla Chips.
- I also always love adding a salad alongside soups. Try this Mexican Street Corn Salad, Watermelon Arugula Salad, Lemon Arugula Pine Nut Salad, Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing, or this Jalapeño Coleslaw.
More Lentil Recipes
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Lentil Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
- 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, or tomatoes of your choice
- 1 large red peppers, halved, seeds removed
- 1 large bulb of garlic
- 2 medium white onions, quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, or you can use regular chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through for debris
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
- freshly chopped parsley or cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet, or two medium baking sheets with parchment paper. Half the red peppers, and face them skin side up on the baking sheet. Quarter the onions and tomatoes and add them to the sheet as well.
- Mix all of the seasonings together in a small bowl. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, and add half of the seasoning blend. Coat the vegetables well.
- Slice about ½” off of the head of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves. Place the bulb in aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven for 35 minutes, or until you start to see the skin of the bell pepper begin to char. Remove the vegetables from the oven.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot on medium heat. Once warmed, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining seasoning blend to toast for about a minute.
- Add the rinsed lentils and 4 cups of vegetable broth. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb, and add the remaining roasted vegetables to the pot. Stir everything together and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
- Once complete, use an immersion blender to purée the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender, let the soup cool for about 10-15 minutes before adding it to a high speed blender to purée in batches. If you desire a thinner soup, add some extra broth. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Notes
- Puree the soup – I puree the soup to smooth using a stick blender. If the soup is very thick you can add some extra vegetable broth to thin the soup down to the desired consistency.
- Leftovers – Once cooked and cooled, store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze – Once cooked and cooled, store the soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
