Hearty Lentil Soup
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This is the best lentil soup recipe you’ll find—smoky, packed with veggies and hearty lentils for a satisfying, well-balanced meal. Add a slice of crusty bread and you’ve got comfort in a bowl.
Whether you’re trying to eat a little lighter or just want something warm and comforting, this hearty lentil soup really hits the spot. It starts with lots of vegetables and a bit of bacon for depth, but the real upgrade is using French green lentils (lentilles du Puy). Chefs love them for their earthy, peppery flavor and the way they hold their shape as they cook—they give the soup great texture without turning thick or mushy. (They’re also fantastic in lentil salads.)
French green lentils are easy to find in well-stocked grocery stores—places like Whole Foods usually carry them—or you can order them online. If you only have regular brown or green lentils, you can absolutely use them, but the French ones do take it to the next level.
“Husband is a big lentil soup fan, and said this was the best he’s ever had.”
What You’ll Need To Make Lentil Soup
- Bacon: Adds smoky depth to the soup. Freeze it for 15 minutes before chopping to make it easier to handle. For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and add a pinch of smoked paprika for that hint of smokiness.
- Onion, celery, carrots, garlic: The classic veggie base adds sweetness, depth, and aromatics to the soup.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Lend a slight acidity and richness, balancing the flavor of the soup.
- Chicken broth: Forms the base of the soup. Swap it with vegetable broth if you’re keeping it vegetarian.
- Lentils: Hearty, low in calories, and full of fiber, they thicken the soup and add texture and protein. While brown or green lentils work fine, French lentils are ideal for their peppery flavor and firm texture. No need to soak them—just pick out any damaged ones before cooking.
- Thyme and bay leaves: These fresh herbs give the soup delicious, earthy flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Crisp the bacon. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring often, until it’s crispy and the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes.
Step 2. Sauté the vegetables. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Pro Tip: Don’t rush this step — let the onions get fully translucent and the carrots start to soften before moving on. Those extra few minutes here mean deeper flavor later.
Step 3. Add the soup base. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 45 minutes (a bit less for common lentils).
Step 4. Partially purée. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup a little at a time until the broth thickens slightly, keeping most of the lentils intact. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend a few cups in a regular blender and stir it back in.
Step 5. Finish and serve. Season to taste and adjust the consistency if needed, adding a splash of water if it’s too thick (it tends to thicken as it sits). Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve. This soup keeps for 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge or can be frozen for longer storage.
Pro Tip: When garnishing with parsley, chop it close to serving time. Pre-chopped parsley oxidizes quickly and loses its fresh, grassy flavor.
More Cozy, Flavor-Packed Soups to try
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson
- 1 cup French lentils, lentilles du Puy or common brown or green lentils
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- A few tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce heat if necessary. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 45 to 50 minutes (see note on cooking time if using common brown or green lentils). Fish out the bay leaves and discard.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until the broth is slightly thickened, or to desired consistency. (Be careful not to purée too much or the soup will get too thick, and you'll lose the integrity of the lentils.) If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth, then return the blended soup to the pot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve. (Note: The soup may thicken as it sits; thin with a bit of water if necessary.)
Notes
- If using common brown or green lentils instead of French lentils, start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance, or frozen for up to 3 months for longer storage. To defrost, let the soup thaw in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until it's thoroughly hot. If you find the soup has thickened more than you'd like during its time in the fridge or freezer, simply stir in a little water or broth to reach your desired consistency.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Loved this soup. I blended it a little extra so it was all blended but still a little chunky. Lived in France as a kid and thought I was back there enjoying a great potage. The smokey bacon flavor made it that much better. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
I was looking up French Lentil Soup and saw you had one, so I had to use yours as most all your recipes are a 5 star. I double it and the only thing different is I add finely chopped kale and 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika and a 1/4 t of hot chile flakes. Now, remember I double this. Yes, this is a 10 star. I am making it for a friend who just came out of the hospital and made extra for my family and so glad I did.
Have made this so many times and now a family favourite. I leave out the bacon for a vegetarian version and it’s hearty and delicious, and a meal in itself with crusty bread. Thank you for the recipe!
Delicious! I have plenty of du puy lentils and have been wanting to put them to use. This soup was super easy to make and even though I couldn’t get my hands on celery or the bay leaves, it still turned out wonderfully.
5 Star Wonderful!
Can this recipe be made in the crockpot? How long would it take if using common lentils?
Hi Janet, I’m honestly not sure. I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share because I don’t have experience with a slow cooker, but these tips may help you convert the recipe. Hope you find them useful!
Thank you for the link—very helpful. We have made this recipe 2 or 3 times on the stove and once in the instant pot (not quite as good). This is a wonderful tasting recipe, simple, but it seems very gourmet. Whole family loves it. I want to see if I can make a crockpot version using the tips on the link you provided. Thanks again!
Could we use pork belly in place of bacon??
Hi Whitney, I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
I used about 200 g of Speck bacon
Added pasata instead of chopped tomato
Minus 1 cup broth
Added 1/4 tsp celery seed
Everything else as per recipe/method
But my twist was add 1 cup medium grain rice with 10 mins cooking time left.
The dish was transported to the inlaws for easter lunch and let me tell you it stole the show
Called it a french speck lentil risotto lol
The kids ate every last bit on their plates.
Great recipe that is very versatile .
Thank you
You literally saved my bacon on easter day !
🙂
Really easy and so good!!
Yumtastic. I had to make do with brown lentils but it was still a hit. (Already ordered les lentilles vertes du puy on Amazon for next time because yes, there will definitely be a next time.) The bacon fat and bay leaves knocked this one out of the park for us. Oven baked the bacon as I find it splatters a lot less and cooks more evenly. (Plus, the oven method doesn’t “baconize” our tiny one bedroom apartment lol.) Used slightly more lentils and slightly less broth as we like a high ratio of vegetables to broth in our soups. For anyone who has to go the common route, I found that 20 minutes of simmer time was ample. Skipped the immersion as we prefer brothy soups. Had a strong feeling we were really going to like this so made a double batch. So glad I did because now some can go into the freezer. Jenn, you’ve become my go-to source when I think “Hmm, I need a recipe for _______.”) I really appreciate your clear instructions and helpful photos. And your responsiveness to those who have questions is impressive. Thank you!
So glad this was a hit and always happy to help! 💗
This soup is ridiculously good! I used ordinary lentils and simmered it for about 25 minutes and I can’t stop eating it. Another great recipe from you. Thank you and keep them coming!