This delicately spiced carrot and lentil soup combines veg, pulses, and warming flavours for a simple light meal that's vibrant, vegan, and gluten-free.
Enjoy this on its own for a low-calorie option, or along with a couple of slices of fresh crusty bread to dip and mop up whatever's left after you've completed your spoon work.
Looking for more healthy vegan soup ideas? Check out these recipes for red pepper and lentil soup, carrot and coriander soup, and carrot and ginger soup.
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Jump to:
- Why I love it 💚
- Test notes 📝
- Lentils 🌱
- Ingredients 📋
- Step by step 📷
- To serve 🍽️
- FAQ ❓
- Variations 🔀
- More ideas 💡
- Recipe 👨🍳
Why you'll love this soup
- It's quick and easy to throw together
- It uses cheap ingredients and store-cupboard spices
- It's a healthy meal option that's low in fat and calories
- The soup is packed full of nutrients including protein, fibre, iron, potassium, and vitamin A
Recipe testing notes
- Spices: This recipe is fairly delicate in terms of spices and doesn't include any heat. If you're wanting a soup that packs a bigger flavour punch, try adding more of each spice and/or fresh chilli or chilli powder.
- Garam masala: It's best to add this towards the end of the cooking time for a nice aromatic finish.
- Coriander: If using fresh coriander (optional), you can finely chop the stems to add during cooking then save the leaves for serving.
- Stir: I'd recommend stirring the soup regularly during cooking as the red lentils are small and will sometimes clump together or fall to the bottom of the pan.
- Cooking time: You can make this in around 30 minutes, but there's no harm in cooking for slightly longer if you'd like the red lentils to break down even more.
Red lentils for the win
Red split lentils are a go-to soup ingredient for many a home cook – cheap, healthy, and quick to break down, they add a nutritious boost while also helping to thicken the mix.
But why stop at just soup? If you'd like to experiment more with red lentils in your cooking, I can recommend these recipes for vegan lentil dal, smoky mushroom pâté, and vegan stovies (my plant-based twist on the classic Scottish potato stew).
What you'll need
To make this lightly spiced carrot and red lentil soup, you'll need:
- Carrots to form the bulk
- Red split lentils to supercharge the nutritional profile and help thicken it
- Aromatics in the form of onion, garlic, and optional coriander
- Spices in the form of cumin, fenugreek, turmeric, and garam masala
How to make carrot and lentil soup
Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.
Add the onions, carrots, salt, and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the veg has started to soften.
Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the cumin, turmeric, and fenugreek and cook for another minute.
Next, add the vegan stock and red lentils. If using coriander, you can also finely chop some of the stems and add here.
Stir everything well, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and starting to become mushy.
Once the lentils have cooked through, stir in the garam masala and cook for another couple of minutes.
Turn off the heat and blitz using a hand blender.
For an extra-smooth soup, transfer to a larger, more powerful blender (you may need to do this in batches). If the soup seems too thick, thin it out with a little extra vegan stock or water.
Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve.
Serving suggestions
Carrot and lentil soup can be enjoyed as is or along with a couple of slices of fresh bread (gluten-free if necessary). Top off with chopped fresh coriander, sliced spring onions, super seed mix, and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.
If you want to take things up a notch, try serving with cashew parmesan, plant-based yoghurt, cashew cream, or a sprinkling of crispy roasted lentils.
Recipe FAQ
Rinsing isn't strictly necessary, but I usually recommend it to remove any possible dirt or debris from the lentils before cooking.
For soups and stews, I don't tend to peel carrots. Instead, I just give them a good scrub with a brush under running water before dicing.
The red lentils themselves will break down during cooking, which helps to thicken the final soup. If you want a thicker consistency, try adding a diced potato along with the other veg.
This soup will be gluten-free provided you use a vegan stock that is certified or labelled as such (or just use water and a little extra seasoning).
Carrot and lentil soup should keep well in the fridge for up to four days.
Yes – freeze in containers for up to six months and defrost thoroughly before reheating in a pan or microwave until piping hot.
Variations and tips for carrot and lentil soup
- Coconut milk: For a creamier soup – albeit with more calories – try stirring in coconut milk towards the end of cooking (see also this recipe for creamy pumpkin and sweet potato soup).
- Citrus: To give all the flavours a little lift, try a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice when serving.
- Ginger: This recipe doesn't include ginger, but it would be a nice addition along with the garlic and warming spices (see also this carrot and ginger soup with orange).
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:
You can also check out my full list of vegan soup recipes.
Full recipe
Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or other cooking oil)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4-5 large carrots, scrubbed and diced (approx. 1.1 lb / 500 g)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 5 cups (1.2 litres) vegan stock (plus more if necessary)
- 1 cup (200 g) dried red split lentils, rinsed (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Small handful fresh coriander (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, salt, and pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the veg has started to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then stir in the cumin, turmeric, and fenugreek and cook for another minute.
- Next, add the vegan stock and red lentils. If using coriander, you can also finely chop some of the stems and add here. Stir everything well, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and starting to become mushy.
- Once the lentils have cooked through, stir in the garam masala and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Turn off the heat and blitz using a hand blender. For an extra-smooth soup, transfer to a larger, more powerful blender (you may need to do this in batches). If the soup seems too thick, thin it out with a little extra vegan stock or water.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve with chopped fresh coriander, sliced spring onions, and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime (see serving suggestions above for more ideas).📸 See recipe steps >📖 Table of contents >
Notes
Nutrition
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Chris
Made it with plenty of fresh chilli and coriander, beautiful!
The Pesky Vegan
You can never have enough coriander (in my humble opinion). Cheers for the review!