Lentil Soup
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Brimming with a wholesome mix of veggies, lentils, and just the right amount of bacon, this hearty lentil soup is the perfect antidote to a chilly day.
Whether you’re looking to eat healthier or beat the cold weather doldrums, this smoky lentil soup teeming with vegetables is just the ticket. It’s a bit more sophisticated than your standard lentil soup, thanks to the addition of bacon and the use of French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy. While common brown or green lentils will work, French lentils are loved by chefs for their earthy, peppery flavor and sturdy texture. They hold their shape when cooked, thickening the soup without turning it to sludge. If you’ve ever had lentil soup so thick you could stand a spoon in it, you will appreciate the difference! (They are also wonderful when used in lentil salad.)
A bit of bacon infuses the soup with smoky depth, but if you don’t eat pork or would like to make the soup vegetarian, it’s easy to omit. Just add a pinch of smoked paprika at the end for hint of smoky flavor. Either way, you’re in for a bowl of pure comfort.
Table of Contents
“This is a go-to winter recipe. Hearty, but elegant. Add crusty bread and it’s amazing–even better the next day.”
What You’ll Need To Make Lentil Soup
- Bacon: Adds a smoky depth to the soup’s flavor. To make the bacon easy to chop, wrap the slices in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes. They will be a bit stiffer when you remove them and much easier easier to cut.
- Onion, celery, carrots, garlic: The classic vegetable base provides sweetness, depth, and aromatics to the soup.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Introduce a slight acidity and richness, balancing the overall flavor of the soup.
- Chicken broth: Serves as the liquid foundation of the soup, offering a rich, savory background. For a vegetarian option, vegetable broth can be used instead.
- Lentils: The star of the soup, lentils are nutritious and hearty, thickening the soup while adding texture and protein. While common brown or green lentils will work, French lentils are preferred for their peppery flavor and firm texture that holds up well during cooking. Unlike dried beans, lentils don’t require pre-soaking prior to being cooked; simply pick over the little legumes, remove any that look broken or damaged, and cook.
- Thyme and bay leaves: These herbs infuse the soup with aromatic, earthy flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step 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 until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 45 to 50 minutes (less for common lentils).
Using an immersion blender, purée the soup a little bit at a time until the broth is slightly thickened. Go easy—if you purée the soup too much, it will get too thick and you’ll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.
Season to taste and adjust the consistency if necessary (the soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add some water).
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.
Frequently Asked Questions
While you can use any type of lentils to make lentil soup, I prefer French green lentils, or lentilles du Puy. Prized by chefs for their earthy, peppery flavor and sturdy texture, these small lentils hold their shape when cooked. You can find them in many supermarkets—I usually get them at Whole Foods or Wegman’s—or order them online. They work beautifully in soups as well as lentil salad. If you’d prefer to use common green or brown lentils, that’s fine. Just watch the cooking time carefully as they can get mushy if overcooked.
Yes, this soup can easily be made vegetarian without sacrificing flavor. Simply increase the olive oil slightly to compensate for the absence of rendered bacon fat. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to keep the soup base vegetarian-friendly. To mimic the smoky depth that bacon adds, add a pinch of smoked paprika or a dash of liquid smoke.
Absolutely! The soup can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Keep it stored in the refrigerator and when you’re ready to enjoy it, reheat on the stovetop over medium heat. If the soup has thickened in the fridge, add a little water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
Yes, lentil soup freezes well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the soup in the refrigerator overnight. Then, reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. If necessary, add a bit of water to thin it out if it has become too thick during freezing.
Lentil Soup Video Tutorial
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Lentil Soup
Brimming with a wholesome mix of veggies, lentils, and just the right amount of bacon, this hearty lentil soup is the perfect antidote to a chilly day.
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 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.)
- Note: If using common brown or green lentils instead of French lentils, start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: You can prepare this soup up to 3 days in advance, or freeze it 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.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: about 1 3/4 cups each
- Calories: 318
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 17g
- Sodium: 878mg
- Cholesterol: 17mg
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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This recipe is perfect, the only change I made is to omit the salt, i use Better than Bouillon chicken broth and it was salty enough. Excellent soup that s very filling!
that would be a good replacement for the bacon to make this recipe vegan?
Hi Alex, It’s fine to just leave it out but you’ll need to use a bit more oil. Enjoy!
While lentil is my soup of choice, I did not care for the flavor of bacon with the lentils nor the texture of the bacon after simmering in the soup. The one substitution I made was to use a sweet potato in place of carrots. I freeze several jars of soup to have on hand for quick soup and sammie dinners. A note for those who freeze soup: the bacon did not freeze well. Upon reheating it floated limply on the top. I prepare this soup several times a month minus the bacon and find it to be delish.
I have similar feelings about the texture of crisped bacon that is then simmered or braised, but have had a lot of success removing the cooked bacon when it’s crisp and using as a garnish when serving the soup. You get the lovely smoky flavor of the bacon fat for sauteeing the vegetables and preserve the texture of the bacon.
This is a hearty soup, but we made this tonight as a starter to mushroom risotto, seared scallop and pancetta, and tender sugar snap peas. Delicious!!! We’ve never had lentil soup before; not sure why not. But based on the reviews I could not resist trying this soup recipe. I’m so glad I did! We’ll be eating this soup all the weekend long in-between our outdoor winter activities. Every recipe of yours I try, Jenn, makes me that much more excited for your recipe book!
😊
I really enjoyed this recipe. I used a double smoked bacon and found that Canadian lentils work just fine (they do not go mushy). Other tweaks were a couple of splashes of scotch bonnet sauce and a teaspoon of anchovy sauce; both to further enhance flavour!
This was the best lentil soup I’ve ever had! My whole family loved it. I didn’t have chicken broth, but beef tasted great, too.
Thanks for another delicious winter supper idea!
For those of us that don’t eat pork, how might you modify this recipe, so we don’t loose the flavor provided by the bacon? Thanks so much!
Hi Danielle, you can use turkey bacon or just omit the bacon. It’ll still be delicious!
Hi do you typically prefer to use the long carrots or the smaller baby carrots?
Hi Kim, I prefer long carrots. Enjoy!
My husband’s Italian Nonna does not speak English but she taught me to make her lenticchia soup years ago, she did not measure anything though (of course) and I wish I took better notes. I tried this recipe and it’s definitely close, a little different but I finally have clear instructions to follow for something similar. This is a delicious soup, another great recipe from this site. I modified slightly only to make it a little more like Nonna’s version: I blended the tomatoes mostly at the thickening step because she used a smooth tomato sauce, I used thick cut bacon and more of it, and instead of garnishing with parsley, I garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan – all minor adjustments. Make sure to serve this one with a delicious crusty bread. When reheating leftovers, add a little water and olive oil. And, if you like this one, you have to try Jenn’s Pasta e Fagioli – my husband constantly requests it, I’m making it for the hundredth time tomorrow night. Buon appetito!
This soup is absolutely soul warming goodness. Nothing would be better on a chilly night. The only changes I made were to add a can of fire roasted tomatoes and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme because I had them on hand. Thank you again Jenn!
My husband thought he didn’t like lentils until I fed him this soup. Now it’s one of our go-to light meals. It’s perfect as is…I serve with crusty French bread and a pear/walnut/feta cheese salad.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!!
Another smash hit. I was craving lentil soup (it’s getting cold here on the east coast) and made this exactly as the recipe said. Out of this world delicious.
My husband and my 94 yo neighbor loved this soup! Thank you.
Best lentil soup recipe ever …..and I have made many. Easy recipe, healthy and extremely flavorful! If you like a little kick grind some pepper flakes. Recipe is wonderful just the way it is written. Thanks Jenn
This soup converted me into a lentil lover!
I’ve made it several time since first encountering it here. Now I make sure to have a serving or two stached away in zip-lock freezer bags in my freezer for emergency meals–it freezes and re-heats wonderfully. I did not ‘tweak’ it in any way–just too good to fool with!
This soup is happily simmering away right now as I’m writing. Smells wonderful, and I”m sure it will be delicious! (as we’ve found every one of your recipes to be!)
I have a question – I bought stock instead of broth, and didn’t realize it til I started making the soup. Is there a reason for using one over the other? Any changes I should be making? Thanks, Jenn!
Stock should be perfectly fine; no changes necessary. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Thanks, Jen! And YES, it was delicious! I froze the leftovers in two containers, and we’re having the last container tonight. Another recipe I’ll be repeating for sure and thinking about adding some extra chunks of veggies.
Thanks again!
Forgot to say that I had doubled the recipe. Your recipes are all so delicious that I knew we’d be wanting more! Love having enough to freeze and then enjoy a couple of weeks later. A nice glass or two of wine, a crusty baguette, your soup, and it’s like eating at a French bistro. ?
Very easy to make. I added a bit more streaky bacon and instead of puy lentils, I used half & half brown lentils and toor dal.
I have tried several lentil soup recipes, in an attempt to find one similar to my favorite restaurant’s version. This is IT!! The key ingredient that separates it from all the rest that I have tried is the bacon. The soup is not too thick, not too thin, hearty enough to be a meal and light enough to be a side dish or starter. Its delicious. As I like extra veggies, I used 3 large carrots, and 1 medium potato, finely diced. excellent recipe, thank you for sharing!
I love this, soup however I’m carb conscience, try to limit carb intake to 25 to 20 carbs per day. The carb drivers in this soup are the broth, 2 carbs per cup, the canned tomatoes, the carrots and the lentils. Any idea what the net carb count is for 1 serving?? Thank you.
Hi Jane, if you scroll down beneath the recipe you’ll see all the nutritional information. Each serving of this soup has 35 g of carbohydrates (per 1 3/4 cup serving).
From someone who’s made this soup for years, here’s my review of making it with pancetta instead of bacon:
Both versions are tasty, BUT: using pancetta instead of bacon looses a lot of flavor. I only tried it once, because I was so disappointed in how much different it tasted. So I’ll never skip the bacon again. Tip: to make “chopping” the bacon easier and faster, for me anyway, I use scissors.
Outstanding soup. I swap pancetta for the bacon and double the recipe. So easy and healthy too.
I made this recipe for the first time recently. Not only it is hearty, earthy, and delicious, but the recipe is easy! The only change I made out of sheer laziness was to use already cubed pancetta instead of bacon. I also used shallots instead of onions because I can’t eat onions. This soup was even better the second day of heating it up. The flavors and textures were so hearty. I am making it again already. I was unable to find french green lentils in the grocery store here locally, so ordered them from amazon. Perfect!
I absolutely love this site! all of the recipes are so easy and the directions are written clearly. This lentil soup is now my go to soup! I followed the directions as written, no changes were necessary and it turned out great and so easy to make. The bacon gave it a wonderful flavor.
This is a good standard hearty winter soup – it cooks up quick because of the lentils and tastes better than most lentil soups because the bacon adds great flavor. It also uses ingredients I’m likely to have on hand and doesn’t require an extra trip to the store in cold weather. A definite keeper.
This was so good exactly as written and very comforting on a cold blustery day! I did go in search of the specific recommended lentils at my local Whole Foods and found them in the bulk section. I also used a pre-prepped mire poix so it came together very quickly. If you do it that way, the pay off is considerable given how easy this goes together – just be sure to adjust your proportions. Sometimes you get too many carrots with a prepped mire poix and that can make dishes overly sweet.
I pretty much always love lentil soup, but the bacon in this recipe adds a nice, hearty touch that I think will appeal to those folks who just “have to” have meat for dinner. Even my legume-rejecting son enjoyed this soup! I made it with the pairing suggestion (Arugula, Apples & Manchego in Cider Vinaigrette), which was absolutely perfect. Thank you, Jenn, for another wonderful recipe.
The French lentil soup was amazing. I did not have leftovers and I almost feel like I should have made double. Loved it. Thank you
I don’t know why, but adding a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to the pot of lentil soup really brings out the taste of the lentils.
This soup is seriously so good! I added some crumbled lamb sausage to entice my boyfriend who was convinced that soup could never be dinner. Served with some warm crusty bread, now he’s a total convert! Love it.
So do you drain the bacon fat? I imagine you’d have a layer of oil at the top of the soup otherwise?
Hi Jenny, as the recipe is written, the fat isn’t drained. It’s delicious for cooking the vegetables and helps give the soup a nice smoky flavor. (Feel free to drain it, though, if you’d prefer.)
I have made this soup countless times, and it never fails to impress.
However, this time I made it vegan by omitting the animal products and adding a pinch of smoked paprika. AMAZING!!
Just made this today – amazingly delicious, thank you for the recipe! One small change I made was instead of starting with bacon I used finely diced chorizo, that beautiful paprika flavour was something else. It’s going into the permanent recipe book, wonderful soup.
Delicious soup – I used lots of fresh thyme and added a Parmesan rind while simmering. Garnished with shredded Parmesan and crumbled bacon. Was perfect for a blustery December lunch.
Since discovering your site, have made this soup several times. As suggested by another reviewer, I omit the bacon and add a good pinch of Herbs de Provence. Absolutely delicious!
Hi Jenn, I’m a real fan of your recipes and the lentil soup is no exception. I do have a question about the French puy lentils: the last few times I’ve made the soup, the French puy lentils (which I purchase in bulk foods at local supermarket, don’t soften as they should, even after an hour of simmering. What’s your guess on what is causing this? I really do not care for al dente lentils. Thanks, Vicki
Hi Vicki, The only possibility that I can think of is that the lentils you are buying are old so they’re not softening up as they should. Perhaps the next time you try this, avoid the bulk lentils and buy a bag from the shelf. Hope that helps!
found this an easy soup to make and freeze. now my favorite lentil soup recipe. thanks so much.
This is one of my favorite soups. The bacon really adds a lot of flavor to the lentils. Perfect cold weather comfort food!
Forgot to add the stars!
I’ve made this twice in a week…once for my daughter and family who have a newborn so they could freeze some and again today for my husband and me because it is so good and easy. I use a bit more bacon because…well BACON, and find the French lentils (for a reasonable price) in the open bins of grains at Whole Foods. A winner soup!
Made this soup yesterday and it was delicious!!!
Tried the soup this week. So delicious. I omitted the bacon for a vegan version. Very delicious!
Fabulous recipe! Very flavorful and so easy! Will definitely become a winter staple.
Just made this soup despite being in the 80’s where I live!! It is fabulous…I was able to find the french green lentils at Gelson’s..lentils did not turn mushy….very flavorful soup….I will make this often regardless of the outside temps!!
I can’t wait and try this recipe next!!! I am not familiar with freezing soups…How long would they last in the freezer? My daughter and son-in-law are coming for Thanksgiving and I thought I’d make a few types of soups for them to take home with them besides the leftovers!!! Thanks.
Hi Wendy, I think you could freeze this for up to 3 months. Hope you enjoy it!
Delicious. Made exactly as recipe states – using green lentils. YUM! Thanks again Jenn!
Tonight for dinner we will be enjoying French Lentil and Vegetable Soup with Bacon, the house smells absolutely wonderful. We have been “sampling” to be sure I seasoned the soup just right…this is so good. We can hardly wait to sit down for dinner.
Thank you for your website and sharing your passion for 5 star recipes, I have tried so many of your recipes and every one has been absolutely fantastic.
Waiting for your cookbook to come out.
I see this recipe makes six servings, but how much is 1/6th of the recipe? I’m tracking my calories and wanted to measure my portion. Thanks!
Each serving should be about 1 3/4 cups. Enjoy!
Can I make this soup with red lentils instead?
Hi Alice, Yes, but they generally don’t take quite as long and tend to get a bit mushy when cooked. The soup does get pureed, so it shouldn’t make a significant difference, but just be aware that they are a bit different.
Great recipe! I will make it again, for sure.
Omg! Followed this recipe to the T and it is wonderful! I’m a new totally inexperienced cook and this worked. It’s so good.