This Smoky Lentil Soup is ultra creamy and totally vegan! Packed to the brim with veggies, red lentils, coconut milk, and lots of spices, it’s a total win for the coziest months of the year!
Smoky Red Lentil Soup with Spinach
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I made this at 8 AM after reading the recipe. It’s is absolutely delicious! The combination of coconut milk and Paprika makes it taste much more decadent than it is.
Jennifer
Yes, we are here! Our kitchens are full of warm smells, pots are simmering, the mirepoix is chopped, our aprons are splattered, and we are full-on soup fiends right now. The list of soup-joys is long, but hearty, scoopable, rich, creamy vegan bowl-hug? TOP O’ THE LIST, PALS.
This soup is ultra creamy and super smoky, full of vegetables, vegan, gluten-free, and the perfect blend between chunky and smooth with those little red lentils that just gently melt into soupy deliciousness. The final squeeze of lemon juice wakes everything up, and the honey is the perfect subtle sweet finish that you didn’t even know you needed. It begs to be dunked and dunked again with all kinds of breads, crackers, and flatbreads. So much flavor, so much nutrition, so many good feelings all around.
Don’t get us wrong here, we love a soup with a good bacony start like this one or yummy Italian sausage bits (stay tuned!), but this one boasts big, big flavors while still being totally plant-based.
In This Post: Everything You Need For Red Lentil Soup
- VIDEO for Making This Lentil Soup
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- The Different Types of Lentils
- How to Make This Recipe
- What to Serve with Lentil Soup
- Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Ingredients In This Red Lentil Soup
The best part of this recipe is that it comes together almost entirely from your pantry, making for an easy, simple, cozy weeknight dinner.
Here’s what we’re working with:
- Veggies (onion, carrots, celery, spinach)
- Spices (garlic, smoked paprike, cumin, turmeric)
- Lentils
- Vegetable broth
- Coconut milk
- Lemon to finish it all off
The Different Types Of Lentils
We love lentils! I mean, obviously we do.
But what’s the deal with all the different types? Red, green, brown, French, black, huh?
Here’s a quick breakdown and why red works so nicely here:
- Red Lentils: The fastest-cooking lentils of them all! As you can see in this recipe, and this Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry, the lentils almost dissolve into the rest of the ingredients – leaving a perfectly textured soup. ❤️
- Brown Lentils: The most common type – essentially, if it’s not specified what lentil you should use in a recipe, this is probably it! Super tender but hold their shape, making them perfect for these Red Curry Lentils and this Lentil Greek Salad with Dill Sauce.
- Green Lentils: Very similar to brown lentils, but a little earthier and take a little longer to cook. These are also ideal for salads!
- French Lentils: Essentially green lentils, but a little smaller!
- Black Lentils: Another similar one to green or brown with a striking black color. We love them in this Perfect Baked Salmon with Lentils and Lemon Herb Sauce.
How To Make This Delicious Red Lentil Soup
Okay, so this is actually a pretty straightforward soup party. There’s the classic carrot/onion/celery trio who always show up early, then the garlic, cumin, and turmeric come in with a special guest – a clomp of beautiful smoked paprika. Once your cutie little red lentils join, the simmering does all the work and you get to quietly ghost away to your couch (or maybe stay and dance around if you’re a party person).
To make it happen:
- Build your smoky rich veg and spice base.
- Add your lentils and broth.
- Simmer away and enjoy all the cozy house smells.
- Pile in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach and coconut milk for creaminess.
- Finish with onion powder, garlic powder, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a honey drizzle (optional).
Fresh spinach and yummy dreamy coconut milk are always welcome on the guest list, but it’s really those party favors at the end that clinch it (are we going too far with this party analogy? possibly.) The onion and garlic powder add just a hint more concentrated flavor, and then you get that bit of acid from the lemon juice cutting through the richness.
Of course, if you’re going for a totally vegan get-together (okay, we’re done now), you’ll have to leave this out, but that honey drizzle at the end is such a unique surprise.
“I’m sorry, drizzle honey into my SOUP?!” you say. And yes. Yes, that is what we’re saying. The tiniest hint of sweetness to cap off this smoky soiree (whoops, did it again) is a real *chef’s kiss* moment.
What To Serve With Lentil Soup
This soup is so cozy and filling that it really doesn’t need anything else, BUT listen, it is also so extremely dippable! Thanks to the lentils it really thickens up making it IDEAL for soup dips.
- Crispy Socca that’s (also) gluten-free, crispy, and just…so good.
- No Knead Bread for a quick but elevated rip and dip situation
- Storebought naan or flatbread for ease.
- Simple Green Salad for something fresh.
- Chopped Greek Salad for a little step up!
A Deliciously Vegan Protein Powerhouse
There’s just so much to love about this one. So nutritious and satisfying thanks to the piles of veg and the nutrient-dense, full of good-for-you, powerhouse lentils.
It tastes like it should have taken hours to make with the complexity of the smoky spice, the tinge of coconut in the background, but it really comes together so easily. Creamy rich while being completely vegan (if you omit the honey, of course) and it will keep you filled up in belly and heart all the day through.
The deep richness from the spices, the creamy coconut milk finish, and the serious meatiness of the never-let-you-down lentils make this one not to be missed. Yes please forever.
Hello fall, we’re so very ready for you. ❤️
Red Lentil Soup: FAQs
Can you use different types of lentils in this soup?
Different types of lentils cook differently, so we’d really recommend red lentils in this case for the right texture. They’re just so good!
How can I make this soup in the Instant Pot?
Sauté your carrots, celery, and onions in the Instant Pot with a little bit of olive oil. Add in your garlic and spices and cook for an additional minute or two. Add in the broth and lentils and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes with a quick release when the soup finishes. Stir in the coconut milk, chopped spinach, salt, and lemon juice to finish.
How can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, red lentils, and vegetable broth to a slow cooker, and cook on high for 4 hours. Stir in the coconut milk, chopped spinach, salt, and lemon juice to finish.
What other proteins could I add to this lentil soup?
Chicken would be delicious! Just cook it in with everything else and then shred. And beans or crispy tofu bits would be delicious to keep things vegan-friendly!
Can I freeze this soup?
Absolutely! Just freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Source notes: This recipe was inspired by a smoky red lentil soup our friends Alex and Sonja and their veg-friendly cookbook called Pretty Simple Cooking (affiliate link). I left out the balsamic, upped the amount of lentils, and added some extra finishers because this is just how I live my life, but the base of this soup came from their very lovely recipe.
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Smoky Red Lentil Soup with Spinach
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Smoky Lentil Soup is ultra creamy and totally vegan! Packed to the brim with veggies, red lentils, coconut milk, and lots of spices, it’s a total win for the coziest months of the year!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- half of an onion, minced
- 2 carrots, peeled and minced
- 2 stalks celery, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- one 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1–2 cups of fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (more or less to taste)
- juice of one lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey to taste (optional)
For serving (optional):
- 6 pieces of flatbread, naan, or crispy socca for dipping
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery; sauté until softened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, spices, and lentils. Stir to combine and let it stay on the heat for just a minute to get the garlic smelling really good.
- Add the broth. Bring to a simmer; place lid partially on the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking time.
- Add coconut milk, spinach, salt, lemon juice, and season to taste. (I like a little drizzle of honey, and a couple shakes of garlic powder, onion powder, and cranks of freshly ground black pepper.)
- Serve with socca or some other flatbread for dipping and dunking. Wholesome, colorful, and SO yummy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: lentil soup, vegan soup, red lentil soup
More Delicious Lentil Recipes
- Red Curry Lentils (perfect for cozy szn)
- The Best Detox Crockpot Lentil Soup (one of our most-loved recipes on Pinch of Yum!)
- Simple 5 Ingredient Baked Falafel (super easy to make!)
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry (throw it all in the Instant Pot and done)
Time To Show You Off!
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of luscious coconut milk recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Carrot Dairy-Free Dinner Fall Gluten-Free Healthy Legume Main Dishes Most Popular Quick and Easy Soups Spinach Stovetop Sugar-Free The Soup Series Vegan Vegetarian
September 29, 2021
Created By The POY Team
Lindsay Ostrom
Recipe Developer
Eman Kemp
Editorial
Emily Caruso
Videographer
Rita Boersma
Writer
I ?only have green lentils on hand. would I cook them a bit longer than the red
They’re recommending not too, but you could precook/parboil the lentils for 10 minutes and then add them to the recipe? I think your lentils probably have to cook for 20 min and red lentils for 10-20 mins
You can use green lentils, but you’re right, the cook time will bit a longer! Would love to hear back if you give it a try!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I had a different variety of red lentils that didn’t cook down as much (even with extra cooking), but the flavors were so good. I’ll make it again with regular red lentils.
Made this for dinner tonight and it’s amazing! First of all, any dish I’ve ever tried that’s meatless isn’t usually a hit. Second, my kids are fairly picky and (while skeptical at first) they both liked this and ate quite a bit! I served it with naan bread and that was perfect!
Thank you so much for the recipe! I changed a few of the veggies to suit my taste added cabbage, spring onion and potatoes instead of celery and carrots. Absolutely love it! Xx
I used green lentils (all I had.) I added 6 minutes to cook time before coconut milk. I am
Sure red lentils are better and will try next batch. But you can make
It work!
After 10 minutes of summer, my red lentils disintegrated into the broth. Is that normal? I was expecting them to be soft but still solid.
Yes, that is completely normal and what is supposed to happen!
Another winner from Pinch of Yum! I’m always looking for new recipes that feature pulses (and red lentils are one of my faves). This soup is nourishing and SO delicious!
If I have frozen mirepoix, how much should I add here?
1-2 cups will work!
Looks great! How can I make this with the instapot? Any advice for adapting the recipe?
The Instant Pot instructions are in the recipe FAQs.
Hi Nicole! Check the FAQ section of the post for Instant Pot instructions!
What substitute for coconut milk
Thank you
I’m wondering this, too — we have a coconut allergy in our house.
You could simply leave it out, or try cream, yogurt, or extra broth!
Hi Eileen! You could simply leave it out, or try cream, yogurt, or extra broth!
If you substitute heavy cream for the coconut milk, is it a 1:1 ratio?
Yes, we’d recommend a 1:1 ratio.
I made this at 8 AM after reading the recipe. It’s is absolutely delicious! The combination of coconut milk and Paprika makes it taste much more decadent than it is.
So glad you like it, Jennifer! Thanks for the comment!
This sounds great but we are not huge fans of coconut. Does it have a strong coconut aftertaste? Could you sub another type of milk?
I have the same question…too bad I didn’t read yours first before posting 🙂
I have made a similar soup using red lentils, coconut milk and red curry paste. Coconut milk makes it very creamy and lush but the flavor stays mild. I would definitely give this recipe a go.
Hi Amy! I wouldn’t say it’s a strong coconut flavor, but you can definitely detect that it’s in the soup. You could simply leave it out, or try cream, yogurt, or extra broth!
Can this be altered to go in a slow cooker?
Are you using canned red lentils?
Hi Patty! We are using dried red lentils.
I followed the recipe exactly (though I used reduced fat coconut milk). It came out good…it’s a unique flavor!
The smoked paprika was actually not very strong. I’m not a huge coconut fan but luckily I did not really taste it. Probably not recipe I would make all the time but a keeper for sure.
I was wondering the same thing, if I can cook it in my crockpot. Thank you, sounds delicious 😋
We haven’t tested the soup in the slow cooker, but it should work out okay! I’d add in the coconut milk, spinach, salt, and lemon juice once cooking is complete! If you give it a try, we’d love to hear back!
I dislike coconut milk. (I try it every year and continue to dislike it) Is there anything else to use as a substitute?
Thanks
You could simply leave it out, or try cream, yogurt, or extra broth!
Love this soup! Can it be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this soup!
At what point in the recipe would you freeze this soup?
We’d recommend freezing the soup once it’s fully cooked!
Just made this for dinner and it was fantastic. Made a few minor mods, just with what I had on hand, but the recipe is so so great overall. I served it with black rice, cilantro and lemon wedges.
So glad you enjoyed it, Cara!
Delicious, warming and so tasty! Am recommending to friends and parents 💜
Glad to hear it, Estelle!
I made this last night after seeing you post the recipe on Instagram and I was blown away! The coconut milk and lemon really elevate this soup. I used mostly regular paprika with a touch of smoked because I’m not a huge smoked paprika fan. This recipe is a keeper and it came together so quickly!
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Alicia!
Amazingly delicious!! Cannot believe the flavors that came from such a low time investment!!
We love hearing this, Jessica!
Absolutely wonderful! And so easy to put together.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kim!
Was wondering have to be careful with salt and cholesterol. I see that there is 1236.8mg in this soup, any way to lower it or even none of the salt.
Hi Denise! We’d recommend using low sodium broth and reducing the amount of kosher salt you use!
What would be the cook time in a crock pot?
Hi Johna! We haven’t tested this in the slow cooker, so we don’t have exact times. I’d guess 3-4 hours on high or 4-6 on low would work well!
Made this yesterday for lunch and YUM! I’m excited to see what the depth of the flavors will be like today after a night in the fridge. Good job Lindsay (and team)!
Already printed out and going in the “family favorites” recipe binder I keep.
So glad it was a hit, Sarah!
Wonderful as-is recipe. I made 1 1/2 recipe to use up my lentils and to that added 3 cups finely chopped fresh spinach but that obviously wasn’t nearly enough. So I defrosted a package of frozen spinach and then it was perfect!!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe today and it was delicious. I didn’t have fresh spinach, so I used frozen and that worked also really well. This recipe is a keeper for fall & winter 😊
So happy to hear it, Anna! Thanks for the comment!
This soup was delicious and so easy. I made it with and spinach, baby kale and chard mix. Highly recommended. Thanks!
Glad to hear it, Wendy!
I made this with regular paprika and a super greens mix and it was out of this world. I’m not vegan but wasn’t missing dairy or meat in the least. So excited to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
I made this for my family last night and it was amazing! I loved the complex flavors with the lemon, the spices and the honey. It was so good!!
So glad you and your family enjoyed it!
I made this for my family last night and it was amazing! I loved the complex mix of flavors with the spices, the lemon juice and the honey! It was so good! Thanks!
I made this for my family last night and it was amazing! I loved the mix of flavors from the spices, the lemon juice, and the honey. It was so delicious! Thanks!
This soup was so delicious! I’m not a huge fan of smoked paprika and overly smoky dishes, so I added 1 tbsp of regular paprika and 1 tbsp of smoky paprika which added the perfect amount of smokiness. The coconut milk gives it a great creaminess which balances the smokiness as well. This one is definitely a keeper!
So glad you were able to find the right balance of flavor! Thanks for the comment!
I had all of the ingredients on hand so I threw it together – so easy, so delicious! Best pantry raid ever!!!
Excellent!