Spicy Lentil Soup

5 from 23 votes

Spicy lentil soup is hearty, filling, delicious, loaded with fiber, iron, and plant-based protein, low in fat, and made in just one pot using a stove, crockpot, or Instant Pot for a super satisfying meat-free meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Toni Okamoto

Equipment

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
3 carrots diced
3 celery ribs diced
6 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons (10 ml) red pepper flakes plus more to taste
2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cumin
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) Italian seasoning
2 (14.5-ounce / 411 g) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices
1 cup (190 g) dried brown lentils rinsed
6 cups (1.4 liters) water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups (90 g) fresh spinach optional
⅓ cup (20 g) fresh parsley chopped, optional
1 lemon juiced

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes and stir well.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so nothing burns.
Stir in the cumin and Italian seasoning and cook for 20 seconds, stirring the whole time.
Add the tomatoes with their juices, lentils, water, bouillon cubes, salt, and pepper and stir.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, cover, and bring the soup to a boil, then stir once more so the bouillon cubes dissolve.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Taste to check that the lentils are tender and adjust the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, simmering a few more minutes if needed.
Stir in the lemon juice, then add the spinach and parsley (if using) and press the spinach down into the broth.
Cover and let the soup sit off the heat for 5 minutes, then serve hot.

Video

Notes

For a thinner, brothier soup, add more water or broth. For a smoother soup, blend some or all of it.
If you blend it hot, hold the lid down with a towel and pause now and then to let the steam escape.
Don’t skip cooking the cumin and Italian seasoning in the pot for a few seconds. It brings out their flavor.
Use 6 cups (1.4 liters) vegetable broth in place of the water and skip the vegetable bouillon cubes. Taste before adding salt.
Green lentils work in place of brown. I haven’t tested this soup with canned lentils or red lentils (red lentils cook faster and turn soft).
Slow cooker: Do steps 1 to 4 on the stove, then move everything except the spinach, parsley, and lemon to a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, then stir in the last ingredients.
Instant Pot: Use the sauté setting for steps 1 to 4, add everything except the spinach, parsley, and lemon, and cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes with a natural release. Stir in the last ingredients.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition