Red Lentil Potato Soup (2024)

By: Amy Katz · Published: · Last modified:

4.99 from 52 votes

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Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan

Lemony Red Lentil Potato Soup is hearty and filling. It's easy to make this vegan Mediterranean-inspired soup in about 45 minutes. Rustic and warming, it's a complete one-pot meal.

Red Lentil Potato Soup (1)

One thing I love about cooking with dried lentils is that you don't need to soak them first. And they cook really fast, especially compared to dried beans.

While I often use the firmer brown or green lentils in dishes like roasted butternut squash spinach salad and lentil meatloaf muffins, quick-cooking, mild-flavored red lentils are the star of this rustic Red Lentil Potato Soup.

They're soft and cook in minutes right alongside the vegetables in this recipe and absorb the flavors of the broth. In fact, they almost disappear into the soup, leaving it with a comforting texture, almost like a stew.

Looking for a lentil soup recipe featuring brown or green lentils? Try Mediterranean Lentil Soup or Instant Pot Lentil Soup.

  • Mediterranean Lentil Soup
  • Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Potatoes
Jump to:
  • Why you'll love this recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Substitutions and variations
  • Instructions
  • Serving suggestions
  • Storing and freezing
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More vegan potato recipes
  • 📋 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

Why you'll love this recipe

  • You don't need to soak the red lentils before preparing it.
  • It's a complete meal featuring pulses, potatoes, and greens with a splash of lemony flavor.
  • The leftovers taste just as delicious, plus they are freezer friendly.

Ingredients

  • Potatoes: I like to use yellow potatoes like Yukon Gold, but you can also make this soup with red, white, or even sweet potatoes.
  • Red lentils: Choose red lentils (which are actually more of an orange color) rather than longer-looking, firmer green, brown, or black lentils for this recipe. They will turn a yellow color when cooked.
  • Kale: Any variety you like such as Lacinato (Tuscan), curly, or baby kale work well in this recipe.

Substitutions and variations

  • Add other vegetables you enjoy such as red bell pepper or broccoli
  • Substitute other greens in place of kale such as Swiss chard, spinach, or collards
  • Add extra lemon juice and/or lemon zest for additional citrusy flavor
  • Sprinkle in a few pinches of cayenne pepper if you prefer a spicy soup

For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Red Lentil Potato Soup (4)

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Instructions

Red Lentil Potato Soup (5)
  1. Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil in a large pot until soft.
  2. Add vegetable broth and potatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are partially cooked through.
  3. Stir in the red lentils and kale. Continue to cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked and the vegetables are tender.
  4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and serve.

Serving suggestions

Red Lentil Potato Soup (6)

While a complete meal on its own, Red Lentil Potato Soup is wonderful served with some warm crusty bread like my favorite Bread SRSLY vegan gluten-free sourdough. Use code veggiessavetheday for 15% off your first order.

Or try it with Burmese tea leaf salad, fruity wild rice salad, or a simple green salad tossed with green olive salad dressing.

Storing and freezing

Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 6 months. I suggest freezing individual servings in small mason jars or containers with lids. Be sure to allow a little room at the top since the liquid will expand when frozen.

To reheat, first defrost the frozen container of soup in the refrigerator overnight. It will be thicker, so you may want to add a little water before reheating it in a pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl.

Refer to the FDA Food Storage Guidelines for more information.

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between red lentils and regular lentils?

Red lentils are much softer and take less time to cook than other lentils like green and brown. And instead of keeping their shape, they break down when cooked. They have a mild, almost sweet flavor.

How long does it take for potatoes to soften in soup?

In general it takes about 20 minutes for potatoes to soften when simmered in soup. The smaller you cut them, the faster they will cook.

What potatoes don't get mushy in soup?

Low-starch potatoes like yellow, red, or white potatoes hold up well in soups. Avoid high-starch varieties like russet potatoes which get mealy in soups.

More vegan potato recipes

  • Greek Potato Salad (No Mayo!)
  • Lemon Roasted Potatoes and Chickpeas
  • Vegan Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
  • Grilled Potatoes without Foil

And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration & fun!

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

📋 Recipe

Red Lentil Potato Soup (11)

Red Lentil Potato Soup

Lemony Red Lentil Potato Soup is hearty and filling. It's easy to make this vegan Mediterranean-inspired soup in about 45 minutes. Rustic and warming, it's a complete one-pot meal.

4.99 from 52 votes

Print Pin

Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Fusion, Mediterranean

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 338kcal

Author: Amy Katz

Equipment

  • Fine Mesh Strainer

  • Lemon Lime Squeezer

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup carrots, diced
  • ½ cup celery , diced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped (or your favorite variety)
  • 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
  • 1 bunch kale, (any variety) roughly chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ lemon, squeezed (about 1½ Tablespoons of juice)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.

  • Saute the onion until soft and slightly translucent.

  • Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.

  • Then add the carrots and celery and saute for about 2 minutes more until softened.

  • Add the vegetable broth and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a low boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are starting to get tender but are not all the way cooked when pierced with a fork.

  • Stir in the red lentils and kale. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the lentils and kale are tender and the potatoes are cooked through.

  • Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Notes

Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 6 months. Add some extra water or vegetable broth when reheating if the soup has gotten too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 1208mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6000IU | Vitamin C: 68mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional information is an estimation only.

More Vegan Soup and Stew Recipes

  • Vegan Pesto Orzo Soup
  • Lemony Chickpea Potato Soup
  • Vegan Black Bean Chili
  • Spanish Chickpea Stew with Spinach

About Amy

Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deb

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (16)
    It was surprisingly good. I did end up adding more garlic and salt. I also dumped in maybe 1/2 cup coconut milk I had left in the fridge. Mashed soup up a little with potato masher. It was lovely with nice robust homemade bread. YUM!

    Reply

  2. Sheri

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (17)
    I made this soup today. Just threw it all in the IP for 10 min. It turned into a delicious creamy thick delicious potato lentil soup that I LOVED!! Added sriracha at the end of cooking! Ty for this recipe!

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I'm so happy to hear it, Sheri! What a great idea to add hot sauce.

      Reply

  3. Michelle

    What can be substituted for Kale, as no one here likes it

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      Hi Michelle, you can use any green you like such as spinach or chard. Or simply omit the kale without adding a substitute. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  4. Ella

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (18)
    Just made this and it's so yummy and cozy! Perfect for a winter day. And so EASY! Love it, will definitely make again.

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Ella!

      Reply

  5. Karen

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (19)
    This soup is delicious. My teenage son requests this soup often and it has fast become a family staple. No need to change any ingredients in the recipe as posted, though I can never resist throwing in extra veggies! Thanks for the great recipes!

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I'm so happy to hear this, Karen!

      Reply

  6. Bridget

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (20)
    I've been looking for a classic minimal ingredient lentil potato soup and kept striking out. I had a feeling this would be too bland, but it has a nice flavor once you add the salt. It's simple and comforting and delicious- exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Bridget!

      Reply

  7. Ellen McCann

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (21)
    What attracted me to the recipe was the beautiful red lentils in my cupboard and no clear plan on how to consume them. Try as I might I just couldn't ruin the soup. I don't read/follow directions so there was a pot change to the appropriate "large pot" like it clearly states, the only organic potatoes at the store came in a bag and turned out to be old, and I have issues with getting the right temp, especially when it comes to maintaining a simmer - I spent the whole 10-15 minute cooking time trying to get it back up to simmer. Finally I did not have a ripe lemon on my tree so I'll have to wait until next time to see how that brings out the flavors. In spite of all the nonsense, it turned out delicious and was best on day three when I finished it. So, if you too have red lentils you don't want to contribute to the Thanksgiving food drive, this recipe is for you.

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I love this review, thank you, Ellen!

      Reply

  8. LisaRose

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (22)
    Made it, loved it! Used red chard because I’m not a kale person. Was a fantastic addition! Thanks for another winner, Amy.

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I'm so glad you enjoyed it, LisaRose! Chard is a great choice.

      Reply

  9. Louise

    Sounds yummy. Do you have directions for preparing in the Instant Pot too?

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      Thank you, Louise! I like to make this soup on the stove because it cooks so quickly. In the Instant Pot, you probably only need 4 minutes at the most with quick release.

      Reply

  10. Cat

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (23)
    I made this soup earlier in the week & my Husband & I LOVED it! So healthy, hearty, & yummy! Thank you Veggies Save The Day for another wonderful recipe!

    Reply

    • Amy Katz

      I'm so happy you both enjoyed it!

      Reply

  11. Kristi

    Red Lentil Potato Soup (24)
    Great soup! Really tasty and nice and hearty. My family really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing 🙂

    Reply

    • Amy

      So happy to hear it, Kristi! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Red Lentil Potato Soup (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to soak red lentils before making soup? ›

How to prepare lentils. Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.

Does lentil soup burn belly fat? ›

At Spatz we know that lentils for weight loss are nutritious foods high in protein and fibre and low in fat, which are a tasty addition that helps reduce belly fat. You can quickly boil them and add them to your nutritious diet today to enjoy the benefits of lentils for weight loss.

Are lentils better for you than potatoes? ›

Lentils can also help reduce blood sugar. In a study that included 48 healthy adults, replacing half of the carbs from rice or potatoes with carbs from cooked lentils at a meal led to significant decreases in post-meal blood sugars compared with eating rice or potatoes alone (12).

Why do you soak red lentils? ›

Soaking naturally deactivates the harmful compounds and activates all the goodness of the seed and increases its nutritional value manifold. The process of soaking removes the gas-causing elements from the lentils. While legumes contain complex oligosaccharides, a type of complex sugar responsible for bloating and gas.

Is it OK not to rinse red lentils? ›

It's highly recommended that you rinse and sort lentils before cooking them. Because of their small size, plus how they are grown and harvested, they are particularly prone to having bits of grit and chaff clinging to them.

What happens if you don't soak lentils? ›

Is Soaking Beans Necessary? Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time.

Which color lentil is healthiest? ›

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Thanks to the robust flavor, these lentils pair well with meaty veggies and marinated proteins like mushrooms, tofu, and seitan. Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

Do lentils clean your gut? ›

Lentils are rich in a type of fiber that helps your digestive system work as it should and fuels good bacteria in your gut. Fiber may also help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. “Fiber plays an important role in regulating our bowels and protecting the immune system,” says Homan.

Are lentils anti-inflammatory? ›

Overall, lentils are a highly nutritious food with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. The fiber and protein content in lentils make them beneficial for weight management, blood sugar regulation, and supporting overall gut health.

Do red lentils cause gas? ›

Beans and lentils contain specific types of carbohydrates, and particularly fibre, that our body doesn't have the ability to digest. As a result, it passes through our digestive tract until it reaches the bacteria in our large intestine, which happily eat up what our bodies couldn't, and in doing so produce gases.

How long should you cook red lentils? ›

Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes. For split red lentils, cook time is typically only about 5-7 minutes.

How to reduce gas from eating lentils? ›

Avoid other behaviors that might make you feel gassy if you're adding more fiber to your diet, like chewing gum. Soak lentils before cooking them to minimize the gas they might cause. The soaking process will help get rid of some of the oligosaccharides, like raffinose that can make you feel gassy and bloated.

Can I use red lentils without soaking? ›

They need no pre-soaking unlike many legumes and as they are split (the skins removed so they split naturally into two halves), they cook very quickly. With about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp.

Can you add uncooked lentils to soup? ›

Do you cook lentils before adding to soup? Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there's no need to soak them either!

Why won't my lentils soften in soup? ›

You're not using enough water

According to the BBC, lentils need a whole lot of water to cook all of the way through. So use at least three times more water than lentils and avoid the temptation to salt the water.

How do you speed up soaking red lentils? ›

To soak, I generally rinse and then cover with triple the amount of fresh water, leave overnight on the countertop and rinse the next day. Forgot to soak overnight? Try a quick soak: pour over boiling water and leave to sit for 3 hours before rinsing and draining and proceeding with your recipe.

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