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This easy Red Lentil Potato Soup is flavorful, hearty, and budget-friendly. Ready in under 40 minutes, it’s great for weeknight dinners and is the perfect dish to fill you up any time of year.
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Soup is the perfect vessel for packing in lots of nutrients and this Red Lentil Potato Soup definitely delivers.
It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free with an oil-free option.
Quick and easy to make, great for meal prep, and oh so delicious!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Lentils ~ This Lentil Potato Soup uses red lentils. Red lentils cook up quickly and break down when cooking creating a thick, creamy texture.
Try red lentils in these Baked Red Lentil Quinoa Fritters, too!
If you’re interested in learning about the different varieties of lentils, how to cook them, and all the ways you can use them, check out my article all about Vegan Lentil Recipes.
- Aromatics ~ Onion, carrot, and celery are typical soup aromatics and they work well here, too.
I don’t think this particular soup needs garlic, but if you’re a garlic lover, feel free to add a couple minced cloves. - Potatoes ~ I like to use small yellow or white potatoes. They have thin skins that don’t need to be peeled. You could use Yukon Gold potatoes or small red potatoes, too.
If you prefer to peel your potatoes, you can certainly do that.
I don’t recommend baking potatoes, like Russet potatoes, for this lentil potato soup recipe. The texture isn’t as favorable when simmered in liquid and they tend to get mealy and mushy.
If you love potatoes, you don’t want to miss my Easy Vegan Potato Soup, Vegan Roasted Red Potato Salad, or Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes.
Although I haven’t personally tried it, I think sweet potatoes would be delicious in this red lentil soup, just like in my Sweet Potato Corn Chowder. If you try it, peel them and dice them into bite-size chunks.
- Spices ~ Cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, salt, and pepper create a deep, rich, warming flavor.
- Broth ~ I typically use a low-sodium vegetable broth. If you use a regular, not low-sodium, variety start with less added salt and only add more as needed.
- Flavor enhancers ~ A little white wine vinegar provides a mild acid to balance the flavors. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice will work, too.
A sprinkle of nutritional yeast adds a deep, savory flavor. This ingredient is optional. - Extras ~ I often add chopped kale or fresh spinach to this soup. Stir it in when you add the vinegar and nutritional yeast.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
- Step 1: Sauté the aromatics until tender.
- Step 2: Add the spices and sauté until fragrant.
- Step 3: Add the potatoes and red lentils.
- Step 4: Add the broth and stir well.
Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.
Add the vinegar and nutritional yeast, if using. Stir well to incorporate.
Serving suggestions
This Red Lentil Potato Soup is hearty enough on its own. However, if you want a little something more, try one of these ideas.
- Bread: A crusty baguette, a toasted slice of this homemade oatmeal bread, or vegan garlic bread would all be perfect for sopping up the soupy goodness.
- Salad: A simple salad always pairs well with soup. Try this Butter Lettuce Salad, Kale Apple Slaw, or Massaged Kale Quinoa Salad.
- Vegetables: Craving extra veggies? Try a side of garlic green beans or lemony roasted asparagus.
- Toppings: Love garnishes? Top off individual bowls with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese, a few crunchy herb roasted chickpeas, or a dash or two of hot sauce.
Storage
Make ahead: Soup is perfect for meal prep. Make a big batch when you have time, store in the fridge or freezer, and eat when you’re ready.
Fridge: Store this Red Lentil Potato Soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Freezer: You can also freeze this soup up to 3 months. Cool the soup completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container or zip-top plastic bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to eat.
Reheat: Leftovers of this soup may thicken as it sits. Add a splash or two of broth or water when reheating if you’d like to thin it out. Individual portions can be gently reheated in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments until heated through. Larger portions can be reheated in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until hot.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Pick over the lentils and remove any small pebbles or debris. Rinse them well to wash off any dust.
~ Use red lentils. Do not substitute another variety.
~ To peel or not to peel – that’s up to you. Small thin skinned potatoes do not need to be peeled. If you have larger potatoes with thicker skins, I recommend peeling them.
~ Sautéing the spices in a bit of fat, in this case olive oil, will release their fat-soluble compounds, making them more flavorful.
~ For an oil-free option, sauté the vegetables and spices in water or vegetable broth.
~ To add even more nutrients, add some fresh chopped kale, spinach, or chard after the soup has simmered.
~ If you like a thicker soup, use an immersion blender to purée part of the soup.
~ If you like a thinner soup, add a bit more vegetable broth.
~ Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, a dash or two of hot sauce, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.
FAQs
Nope! Lentils don’t need to be soaked before using. However, make sure to pick them over and remove any small stones or debris and rinse them well.
Red lentils cook more quickly than brown lentils or green lentils. Because of this, I don’t suggest substituting the red lentils. If you’re looking for a soup to make with brown or green lentils, try my Lentil Quinoa Soup, Lentil Rice Soup, or Curry Carrot Lentil Soup.
This soup turns out fairly thick. If for some reason, yours is too thin, you can use an immersion blender to purée some of the soup to make a thicker base.
More lentil soup recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Red Lentil Potato Soup
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 cup dry red lentils picked over and rinsed
- 2 cups diced yellow potatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast optional, or more to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until tender and the onions are translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the spices and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, potatoes, and broth. Stir well. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are tender.
- Add the vinegar and nutritional yeast, if using. Stir well to incorporate.
- Serve hot with any garnishes you desire.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
TeeBo
Excellent and so easy! Will absolutely make this in a regular rotation. I think I’ll try adding a bit of Kale next time. I did find it odd that there was no garlic mentioned and I put garlic in literally everything so I added it. Also not sure what corriander seed is, I didn’t have it so I used celery seed. Was worried about the White Wine Vinegar, it seemed odd to mean but I did add it as well as the Nutritional Yeast and the soup was delicious.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback and comment!
Judith A Loue
I made this today, with a few additions. The original recipe is good, but we wanted a little more flavor so I added Ras El Hanout (Morrocan seasoning), powdered ginger, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of red pepper flakes…all to taste. ….and some frozen spinach. This is so flavorful for a cold day.
Jenn Sebestyen
Your additions sound wonderful, Judith. I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup.
Maria Damiani
Delicious!! 🙂
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so happy to hear that!
Kelley G
Wonderful soup. I followed your recipe exactly. Great flavor! I preferred it without the addition of the vinegar and nutritional yeast. I will be making another batch tomorrow to drop some with family and friends. Thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback and comment!
Michelle
This is currently my absolute favourite go-to soup.
I make it exactly as directed and garnished with parsley. I also used an immersion blender for a moment as I enjoy a thicker soup.
My soup loving daughter likes to add a dollop of sour cream.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so happy to hear that you love this soup! Thank you for your feedback and comment!
Naeobi
So, used this as a base to make a not vegan version, 2 slices of bacon for the frying fat, cheese instead of nutritional yeast, and chicken broth as it’s what I buy. So, SO spectacular. This base rocked our socks and we will be making it all winter. Also, 8 mins in the instant pot and it was perfect. Thank you so much for this!
L. Moriarty
Made this almost as directed. Skipped the onion and paprika and added cabbage to the greens. Finished the serving bowl with some nutritional yeast and yogurt. Delicious!! Thank you.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment.
Kathy K.
Made this recipe with chicken broth and no vinegar or nutritional yeast and it is so good! Even my picky, no onion or anything weird eater loved it! I am definitely making this again!
Jenn Sebestyen
So glad everyone loved it!