Curried Red Lentil Soup is an all-time family favourite! I have been making different versions of it for decades. It's jam-packed with both flavour and nutrients and is like a big, warm hug on a cold or rainy day.
My favourite thing about this recipe, besides the fact that it's delicious and healthy, is it's flexibility. Swap out any of the vegetables for whatever you like. Just make sure you have 5-6 cups in total, not including the spinach. Make it vegan by using vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock. If water is used instead of stock bump up the garlic and curry powder to add extra flavour. Don't have any coconut milk? No problem, add cream or leave it out and add more stock or water. Switch up the spinach for any leafy greens you like.
If you love healthy vegetable soup recipes you may also like my Detox Soup as well as this Carrot and Lentil Soup and Roasted Tomato Soup.
Dicing vegetables
Level up your knife skills by learning how to dice like a pro. This method can be used for any similarly shaped vegetable including potatoes, squash, etc. First, cut the length in half or thirds so you have manageable pieces to work with. Slice off one side lengthwise to create a flat surface to stabilize. Place flat side down and continue slicing, lengthwise, into the thickness you want. Then stack 2-3 slices and cut lengthwise again into sticks. Slice those sticks across into little cubes. Easy peasy!
I like to cut the vegetables into small dice for this soup but if you aren't interested in taking the time you can make them chunkier. Note that you may have to adjust cooking times to accommodate the larger size.
Prepare all of your ingredients
It's important to gather and prep all your ingredients before getting started. It's so much easier, especially with one-pot meals like soup, to be able to add the next thing when needed instead of having to go quickly chop something or find that spice. Even worse, you realize you are missing a key ingredient when you are in the middle of things!...I speak from experience.
FAQ for curried red lentil soup
Do I need to soak or pre-cook red lentils? No, you don't. That's one of the things I love most about red lentils!
Do I need to rinse red lentils? Yes. Place them in a fine sieve and run under cold water until the water runs clear.
Are red lentils healthy? You bet! They are rich in iron, magnesium, B vitamins, and many others. They are an excellent plant-based protein and are also high in fibre. Not soaking allows them to hang onto more nutrients.
Is this soup Vegan or Vegetarian? This recipe is not but you can substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock or water to make it Vegan/Vegetarian.
Can I freeze it? Absolutely! It freezes perfectly and can last up to 6 months or more if you have a chest freezer.
If the finished soup is too thick you can add extra stock or water. If you prefer a creamier texture puree part or all of the soup using a hand blender. Hand blenders are one of my favourite kitchen tools. Mine is as old as the hills but if (or should I say when!) I have to replace it I would go for this one CUISINART Hand Blender (affiliate link). There are many different and less expensive ones to chose from. This one has additional attachments which are handy.
This recipe makes about 3 liters or 12 cups. Plenty to enjoy for a few days or, put half of it in the freezer and have the convenience of just warming it up. You can increase or decrease the quantity by clicking on the serving size in the recipe.
If you like this recipe, have made it or have any questions please leave a comment and a rating in the section below. I'd love to hear from you!
More Soup Recipes
- Black Rice Salad With Roasted Vegetables
- Shaved Asparagus Salad With Creamy Parmesan Dressing
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
📖 Recipe
Curried Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lg white onion. approx. 2 cups diced small
- 1 lg celery stalk. approx. 1 cup diced small
- 1 jumbo carrot, approx. 1.5 cups diced small
- 1 sm sweet potato, approx 2 cups diced small
- 2-3 cloves garlic, approx. 1 tablespoon minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 ½ cups red lentils, rinsed
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups chicken stock, low sodium
- 1 400 ml can coconut milk
- 8 cups baby spinach leaves, or greens of your choice
- ½ cup packed cilantro or parsley leaves. chopped
- ½ lemon, juice of
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel, rinse, chop and measure out all your ingredients first.In a large pot heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Turn down the heat if they are browning before softening.
- Add the celery, carrot, sweet potato, lentils and garlic, stir to combine. Add curry powder and continue stirring for one minute.
- Stir in stock and coconut milk. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer. covered, for 15 minutes.
- Stir in spinach. It will seem like a lot but it wilts and reduces as it cooks. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and add lemon juice and cilantro or parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a bit more stock or water if it's too thick for your liking.
Wendy Livingstone says
My family loves this soup. It’s so good we make it all the time!!
Beatrice Schori says
Absolutely delicious. Spinach was not available from our green grocer so I used kale.
Maureen says
Yummy I made it with green/brown lentils as that is all I had. I cooked it for a little longer and it is less thick more brothy in a good way then when I made it with the red lentils. I love it both ways! thanks for the recipe, so adaptable.
Susan says
Another gem! This one I don’t share with my family because they all think every dang meal has to have meat in it…their loss 🙂
Tina Gauthier says
It freezes like a dream!
Marina says
Hi! What about the sweetpotato when freezing the soup? I have read that sweepotatos, and potatos in general, cannot be frozen
Andrea says
I have never heard that and have frozen sweet potatoes and potatoes in soup as well as things like Shepherds Pie etc. with great success. This soup freezes beautifully so hope you try it!
Maureen says
I love this soup and make it whenever I need a potluck soup. Everyone loves it!
Sue Noonan says
I have made this soup several times and it always turns out flavourful and delicious. I divide the soup into single servings and freeze. Lunches are easy, just take out a frozen soup, reheat and voilà.
Jenn says
This is one of my families favourite soups. Love your recipes.
Dagny Owen-Flood says
I love this soup and try to always have some frozen as it warms up beautifully.
Mary campbell says
I love the recipe for this soup. It’s my go to as I always have the ingredients and it comes together quickly. The taste is delicious.
Kristine says
I make this all the time. It is the best soup! thank you for the recipe 🙂
Diane says
So yummy, easy to make and nutritious. HAPPY COOK
Tina Gauthier says
Hey Andrea! I made this again today! It is one of our favourite soups, after all! I had a double batch going when I discovered I was out of curry powder! A little digging in the fridge yielded some red curry paste so I took the plunge and used it. OMG! Amazing! Thanks again! Meatless Monday win!
Andrea says
Great substitute with the red curry paste! So happy you enjoyed it and thanks for commenting!
Jen C says
This is my favourite soup recipe. I made it every other week through the winter. So easy to make and delicious. Can’t wait to try another one. Andrea is amazing - keep your brilliant recipes coming!
Andrea says
Thank you so much Jen!
I'm so happy you love the soup! Thank you for your comment and support! Let me know which one you make next!
Julie says
Hi from Canada ❤ the red lentil soup..delicious..will make it again..thks for sharing..
Andrea says
Hi Julie! My pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it!
Judy Strmec says
Absolutely delicious! So easy to make! Andrea you are a rock star making such delicious recipes! I spend my Sunday’s recreating them for the week ahead! Thanks you!
Andrea says
Love this! Planning ahead is the best! Happy you are enjoying the recipes!
Nancy Brodhagen says
My favorite soup recipe! So delicious!
Thanks Andrea