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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Was so prepared to love this from all the 5* ratings but found it just okay. Followed recipe and used French lentils. They cooked well and had good texture. Thought maybe second day would make it better but can’t say it did. Just seemed like it needed more flavor but can’t decide what. Maybe some heat? Probably will not make again. Usually am pretty happy with recipes I make from Jenn so I will keep trying new ones!
Excellent recipe, my favourite addition is a splash of balsamic vinegar in each bowl,
I love lentil soup and have made another of your recipes for it. Would red lentils work here? I know they cook much faster. Thanks
Delicious! (I used chicken stock from Ina Garten’s recipe and the depuy lentils). Husband is a big lentil soup fan, and said this was the best he’s ever had. Thanks!
This is my absolute favourite soup — quick to make and so satisfying for lunch.
Have made this lentil soup a few times and it is one of the most satisfying and delicious soups I’ve ever had. I even make it for my mother-in-law, who has very high standards and she absolutely loves it. I love Jenn Segal’s fool-proof recipes, they are simple, clear and have worked for me every single time… and even the pictures help me understand what size of produce eg potatoes or onions to use, etc. Make this soup!
We make this soup frequently and it never disappoints. So good with cornbread for a real comfort food night. I do add more carrots and celery for more texture, and have added a bit of fresh spinach when almost done. It’s a favorite for sure.
We loved this soup!! I was very happy that the bacon didn’t over power the other flavors. It just added a nice light smokey component to the soup. I had some older French green lentils that I had to use up, and it took approx 50 minutes for those to soften. This is now my go to Lentil soup recipe!!
What type of meat could I add to give some extra protein?
Thanks, Diane
Pulled rotisserie chicken would be nice.
Italian turkey sausage works
I adore this recipe. Mr. doesn’t eat soup so more for me. I half the recipe for all but the diced tomatoes. They whole can does in. I prefer Del Monte brand. No peelings like Hunts. I enjoy the peace of chopping the veggies, etc. you never fail to deliver.
First ever trying or cooking with lentils, it was wonderful. Two picky kids loved it, and the 6 year old wants it for her birthday dinner. Thanks for all the smiles.
Hi Jenn,
I made this tonight and it’s the first recipe of yours that I had a problem with. I followed the recipe exactly as written, even found French lentils at Whole Foods. The problem I had was getting the lentil soft. At 3 hours I gave up with them being al dente. Any suggestions for next time?
Thank you
Hi Jaime, that sounds really strange! Did you buy them from the bulk bin at Whole Foods? I can’t understand why it would take so long for them to cook – could they have been the wrong type of lentils?
In the past I also had that problem with lentils. I suspect they may be old, but that’s just conjecture. To avoid this I now soak the lentils for an hour or more, sometimes overnight if I remember, before cooking. No subsequent problems!
They were the French green lentils. I bought a different brand and they worked fine. The soup is delicious and will make again. That you for the quick response.
Money has been tight for me this past year, and this recipe (and the variations on it I’ve made) has been one of the things that’s made it slightly better. Healthy, filling, tasty, and really really cheap. I can eat it for dinner 5 days in a row, no problem. Thanks!
This soup converted my picky husband from being repulsed by lentils to actually loving them! Made just as described–definitely a keeper!
Six servings at 318 each would be 1900+ calories. But I added up ingredients and got more like 12-1300, so I don’t feel bad eating half the pot at a go anymore.
I skipped the extra salt (there’s a ton in the broth already) and will likely try low-sodium broth for the next batch. Can already tell it will be a regular go-to this winter.
As always, perfect!
Really good and really easy. Substituted a fresh smoked ham hock and cooked the mirepoix in a little bacon grease mixed with olive oil. Also had homemade stock on hand. Delicious!!
Thank you.
Gary
This has become a staple in our house. We up the ante by using homemade chicken stock, but it’s plenty flavorful on its own. I like to enjoy it with some crusty bread to dip. Such a nourishing and comforting soup, especially in the cold winter months!
Delicious! I’m not normally a soup person but this was terrific. I used crushed tomatoes bc that’s what I had. Family loved it. Hearty and filling. Will 100% make this again.
This is good and yummy and it comes together fast. I did sub pancetta for the bacon and used the French Lentils. The tend to use the brown ones but I think the French made a big difference. If I have fresh thyme use that instead of dried.
When you cook the bacon, do you drain the grease before sautéing the onions, celery, etc ?
No, you leave the bacon grease in there; it adds great flavor.
Hi I have some ham and bone from spiral cut ham and was wondering if that could be used instead of the bacon ,or would you recommend that the bacon is still needed.
Hi Lynn, I think the ham would work nicely in place of the bacon.
Per usual, another great recipe from Jen. I’m not a huge lentil fan, but had never tried red before and am glad I did. This had so much flavor for so few ingredients. I’ll definitely be making this again!
That soup is superb. I served it with a little yogourt.
I make this soup all the time. It is my “pantry staples” soup. It’s anything you would want in a soup: quick, easy, affordable, flavorful and heartwarming.
This bowl of delicious is on my rotation. I often add in some chopped kale. Thank you once again Jen
I’m about to make this soup for the first time but I’m confused. Does the soup contain all of the bacon fat PLUS another tablespoon of olive oil? Or, do you pour off the bacon renderings and only use the olive oil? If that is the case, why not just pout off all of the bacon renderings except 1 tablespoon and omit the additional olive oil? Thanks!
Hi Lee, you don’t discard the bacon fat, so you’re using both that as well as an additional tablespoon of olive oil. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Thanks Jenn! I made it today. The only thing I did differently was to use 4 slices of bacon (because I always freeze my bacon purchases in 4-slice zip-lock bags) and so I did omit the olive oil & extra salt in the recipe. I doubled the dried thyme & added a tsp of smoked paprika per another commenter’s recommendation. My lentils took a little longer to get tender but I may have just has the heat a little too low. Delicious soup!
This is a go to for me. Love it!
Turned out great. Added a splash of balsamic vinegar to my bowl with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. Lovely!
Delicious recipe! I can’t have tomatoes so omitted and replaced with a little diced potato and orange bell pepper. Added a splash of balsamic like others mentioned and used cilantro because that’s what I had. So nourishing and soothing! Definitely will make again.
Hi, this soup looks incredible and I can’t wait to make it! I was reading the recipe and you may want to instruct people to drain the rendered fat from the bacon before adding the olive oil, etc to the pot. It doesn’t specifically say to do that, and some people may not know to do it. Thank you for the recipe!
The reason she didn’t mention draining the rendered bacon grease is you are not supposed to. It is left in & you cook the carrots, onion & celery in it.
This lentil soup recipe is soooo good! We live at Tahoe, and we have a lot of snowed in days. I tend to make a big batch of soup on those days. This lentil soup does not last long, everyone loves it! A big bowl of lentil soup, and head out to go skiing. What a great way to enjoy a big snow day!
Hi Jenn> Since you are my source for trusted advice: what do you think, in general, of black “beluga” lentils? I haven’t bought them yet, and have been very pleased with the French Green Lentils, but I’d very much appreciate the opinion/advice of an ingredient expert!
Thank you!
Hi Heather, I’d stick with the French green lentils as they will hold their shape better when cooked. 🙂
Made this soup for tonight’s dinner. It was AMAZING! We added a side dish of whole wheat homemade bread and balsamic & Olive oil dip – the combination was great!
Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
Jenn. Can you avoid bacon.
You can omit it – You’ll still enjoy it!
I keep coming back to this lovely heartwarming stew/soup year after year. I like to add a Thai chilli for a bit extra warmth.
This is a go-to winter recipe. Hearty, but elegant. Add crusty bread and it’s amazing–even better the next day.
I’ve made this soup 3x in the past month, following the recipe exactly. It reminds me of the soups my mom makes, and it tastes like home. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
I followed recipe exactly. I love this soup it is delicious. Thank you for sharing. FYI I have made many of your recipes and you knock it out of the park. I adore your Asparagus soup with lemon and Parmesan, your homemade Caesar salad dressing and hopefully will next make your southwestern corn chowder. God bless
💗
I made this last night…and because it was the beginning of Lent, I made it vegetarian. I used vegetable broth and omitted the bacon. (I’m sure both would make this even better…and will try it next time!) But I have to say…it was excellent. Jenn warned against blending it too much with the immersion blender…but I don’t use my immersion blender very much and I got carried away and probably blended a little too much. Even so…it was very tasty. I would highly recommend trying it!
Have made it twice this week! Absolutely wonderful!
I changed mine up a little. Didn’t have diced tomatoes so I diced a fresh one and added some tomatoes paste. I added cubed potatoes. I added 2.5 cups lentils and didn’t use the emulsion blender. Mine turned out more like a delicious lentil stew. Thanks!
This recipe was so simple and the end results were fantastic! Super comforting with lots of flavor. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Outstanding! My go-to soup if I want to impress. I’ve made this soup for years now and it remains everyone’s favorite. I get requests to make it all the time. Thank you!!
Jenn does it again! I loved this lentil soup, and it was so easy to make. I didn’t have thyme, so I left it out, and the soup was still scrumptious.
I also liked how simple it was to halve the recipe. It’s just me, myself, and I, so a serving of 3 was perfect haha!
I have made this many times now, best lentil soup!!! Made it for a chef friend as he was laid up with a broken ankle, I was a bit nervous as he is one of the best chefs I know. He (not just being nice) said it was the best lentil soups he has had. The only thing I did difference is added a little smoked paprika and some kale. I would love if you added the ingredients also in oz’s or grams in some cases like herbs.
PS
If I am looking for a recipe and your name is next I know it’s going to be a winner.
So glad it was a hit with your chef friend! And the great majority of my recipes (including this one) include conversions to metric/weight measurements. To view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you.
This recipe is such a winner, Jenn! I make it to rave reviews every time and I know that’ll be the case with the batch I just took off the stove! I think you’ve probably spoiled us because your recipes are always reliable with really thorough preparation instructions and useful tips. I agree with Barbara though on ingredients like large onion, medium carrots, stalks of celery, etc. Things like that, vegetables and fruits in particular, don’t seem to often be specified by volume or weight and in cases where I just have medium onions, and a stalk of celery can be big or small, and whether an apple is medium or large is in the eye of the beholder, volume or weight would be super helpful!
Hi Emilie, so glad you like the soup! And thanks for your input regarding providing the volume or weight for things like fruits and veggies that can vary in size. I will try to keep it in mind as I develop new recipes. 😊
Made it today for dinner. We had it with crumbled turkey bacon (the only kind I had). Delicious!
To cut back on prep time, I cut the bacon with kitchen shears and use a bag of baby spinach. I also separate the bacon into groups of three and freeze them for future use. I sub a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes to add a hint of smoke. Best lentil soup recipe, period!
I made this for the first time tonight, and it is delicious! I used plain dried lentils. The package said to cook for 15-20 minutes. I let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, and that seemed just right. Thank you for the note that plain lentils take less time to soften. I also added a little extra bacon (and no salt) to the recipe. Yummmm!
Perfect soup. Love lentils and this was delicious as is. One comment: I did not add any extra salt, since I use Better Than Bouillon Chicken stock and it’s very concentrated.
Super easy and was delish
So good! Followed recipe exactly except I didn’t puree the lentils because we like chunkier soups. This is a keeper and I will make it again and again.
This lentil soup recipe is amazing! It’s easy and packed with good things. I used Costco bacon bits in lieu of cooking bacon slices. Your website is amazing and your recipes are easy to follow. Thank you!! Sally