This fast and easy smoky Lentil and Bacon Soup is as cozy as your favorite winter sweater. Omit the bacon and use vegetable stock to easily make it vegetarian or vegan. It's simple to prepare using basic ingredients and freezes beautifully. Make a big batch now to stock your freezer!
Soups should be simple and this lentil and bacon soup recipe is exactly that. It's easy and delicious just the way it is but can also be altered to use up other ingredients in your fridge or pantry.
If you are looking for other easy and nutritious soups check out my recipes for Best Ever Beef and Cabbage Soup, Chickpea Soup with Spinach, Corn and Vegetable Chowder, and Chicken Enchilada Soup.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Easy to Prepare: This lentil soup is simple and easy, making it accessible for both beginners or pros.
Versatile: There are many ways to switch up the ingredients in lentil and bacon soup. Use different vegetables and herbs, switch up the lentils or add a handful of leafy greens like spinach to boost the nutritional value.
Perfect for Meal Prep: Lentil soup can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer to be enjoyed on busy weeknights or a lazy weekend.
Delicious and Nutritious: Lentils are a great source of protein, fiber, and essential nutrients. This soup is not only delicious but also nutritious and filling, keeping you energized and satisfied.
🥘Ingredients and Substitutions
Bacon - I used thick cut, double smoked bacon but you can use regular bacon as well.
White Onion - Any type of onions or leeks work perfectly in this soup.
Celery & Carrots - Feel free to add extra veggies to this soup. Some great options are mushrooms, peppers, spinach, or potatoes.
Smoked Sweet Paprika - Spanish smoked paprika is what adds the smoky flavour to this soup. Feel free to substitute with regular paprika or hot if you like a spicy kick.
Brown Lentils - Any type of lentils will work for this soup. My recommended would be green or French lentils. If you use red lentils keep in mind they will break down much more than other types so the consistency will be creamier.
Chicken Broth (not shown) - Use low or no sodium broth. You can also substitute with vegetable or beef broth. To make your own check out my recipes for Rich Vegetable Broth and Easy Chicken Broth.
For a complete list of ingredients see the recipe card below.
Variations
Make it Vegan - Omit the bacon and sauté the vegetables in olive oil. Replace chicken broth with vegetable broth or water. If using water increase the garlic and spices if necessary.
Spicy Lentil Soup - Add some diced jalapeño, red pepper flakes, hot paprika, cayenne or chili powder to the sautéed vegetables for an extra kick. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice for a Tex-Mex twist.
Curried Lentil Soup - Replace the cumin and smoked paprika with 1-2 tablespoons of curry powder or your preferred curry blend for a different flavour twist.
Another favourite one-pot hearty soup is this Hearty Cowboy Soup recipe. Check it out! You won't be disappointed.
🔪How to Make Lentil and Bacon Soup
Step 1 - Saute bacon in a large pot until just starting to brown and crisp.
Step 2 - Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook until softened.
Step 3 - Add lentils and spices and stir to combine well. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
Step 4 - Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.
Step 5 - Remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley.
For detailed instructions see the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
Prepare your ingredients - In the restaurant world we call this "mise en place" which means "everything in its place". This is my number 1 piece of cooking advice. Before you start cooking make sure you have all your ingredients measured, chopped, drained etc. This is especially helpful when making one-pan meals that come together quickly.
Rinse lentils - It's important to rinse lentils well before using them to remove excess starch, dust and debris.
No soaking necessary - If you have trouble digesting lentils or have digestive issues in general, soaking them can help. Otherwise there is no need to soak lentils. Depending on the size and type, lentils will take between 20 and 30 minutes to cook without soaking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes lentils can be overcooked in soup leading to a mushy texture. However, if you are planning to puree the soup, there is a bigger window of time for them to cook without it affecting the overall outcome.
Yes you can use canned lentils instead of dried. Be sure to rinse the canned lentils well and reduce the cooking time by half.
Canned lentils and beans tend to have preservatives and sodium therefore dried lentils are in their purest form. When buying canned look for low or no sodium or preservatives. Make sure to rinse them well before using.
More Lentil Recipes
Tried this recipe? I would love it if you could leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and/or a comment below. You can also follow me on social media here on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Want to say thank you?📖 Recipe
Lentil And Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 large onion, white, Spanish or yellow, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, preferably Spanish
- 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low or no-sodium
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Optional toppings
- Sour cream or yogurt
- Balsamic vinegar
- Grated cheese, especially Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until lightly browned.4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces
- Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Saute for 10 minutes or until onion is softened.1 large onion, white, Spanish or yellow, diced, 1 stalk celery, diced, 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced, 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Add cumin and smoked paprika and lentils. Stir to coat lentils in spices.1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, preferably Spanish, 1 cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed
- Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and continue to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until lentils are desired tenderness.4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, low or no-sodium
- Remove from heat and add fresh parsley.1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Anna Allossery says
One of my all time favourites!
Sue Cratchley says
So delicious. Perfect for a cold day! Thanks Andrea.
Andrea says
My pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it!
Johanna Masko says
Very good!! Easy prep, too. I left out the bacon and used olive oil at the beginning of the recipe. I used low sodium chicken broth and regular paprika because that’s what I had on hand. Delicious! It’s officially in the cold weather rotation now. 👍👍👍
Andrea says
Hi Johanna! I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup! Thanks so much for commenting 🤗
Debbie Hansen says
Fantastic soup. I added Parmesan and a touch of balsamic vinegar to my bowl. So delicious and it’s a keeper. Thank you!
Andrea says
Sounds like a perfect bowl of comfort. So happy you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Arlene B says
Hiya Andrea, I'm back again to make this amazing recipe. We love it. I'm having surgery on Thursday and have been meal prepping for the freezer ahead of time. I just noticed you have two different instructions regarding the amount of time you can freeze this for.
Storage: Let cool completely and store, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Either way, it will be gone before 3 months have gone by, lol. Hope you're having a great summer.
Andrea says
Thanks for pointing that out! It's fixed now. Most soups will last at least 6 months. It all depends on your freezer and how you package it for storing. Wishing you a speedy recovery!
MaryAnn R says
Wow. Yet another great recipe! It was quick and easy with ingredients already in my fridge and pantry. Thank you Andrea for your healthy, flavourful recipes!
Andrea says
I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup MaryAnn! Nothing better than already having all the ingredients on hand!
Christine says
Delicious, nutritious & easy soup! Will become a favorite in our house!
Rose says
I love this soup! I add spinach leaves, sherry vinegar and parmesan cheese flakes A great hearty meal!
Mary Muir says
My husband loves soup and eats it year round. Lentils are his favorite as well so this hits it out of the ball park.
Monique HOWARD says
This is by far the best soup I’ve ever had and so easy to make!
Natalie says
Another perfect recipe from Andrea! My husband and I had it for our lunches all week and I am making another batch tomorrow. We added extra spinach to bump up the greens. We loved it!
Suzanne says
I am disappointed it didn’t last long. Next time I will double this one, it is absolutely delish.
Melissa says
Another super delicious recipe and so easy to make. I topped with parm and balsamic. Thank you Andrea! Another hit.
Andrea says
Yum! So happy you enjoyed the soup! Perfect additions too! 👌
Sharon says
This soup is so delicious and easy to make! Perfect way to warm up on a wintry day. I've made it with both bacon and sausage, equally yummy!
Andrea says
Fantastic! So happy to hear you are enjoying the soup!
Tamy says
Another hit! We love lentils and this was a delicious add to my repertoire of recipes. I decided to add a few handfuls of baby spinach to beef up leafy greens while following Gina’s program! 😋 Thank you again, Andrea, for another winner!🏆
Andrea says
Perfect addition with the leafy greens 🥬 So happy you enjoyed it! 😀
Heather Knight says
I made this for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious ! And I love that it's on plan.. thank you
Andrea says
Awesome! So happy you enjoyed it!
Karen says
Hi Andrea!
Can you use canned lentils instead?
Andrea says
Yes absolutely! You will need about 2 cups and can reduce the cooking time to about 10-15 mins. as the canned ones are already cooked.
Kirsten says
SO delicious! I added a grated zucchini and half a bag of frozen spinach at the same time as the other veggies to pump up a bit more veg into this soup. Will definitely be making this on the regular at our house. Thanks as always for your delicious recipes!
Andrea says
Great additions and a good way to use up the bounty of zucchini many are faced with! So happy you liked the recipe and thanks for commenting!
Diane H. says
Lentil soup is one of my favs. This was so delicious...best part was how fast and flavourful it was! I used my hand mixer which gave it a nice thick texture. We enjoyed it on a grey, cool day - it was perfect!
Andrea says
Thanks so much for your comment Diane! So happy you liked the recipe and like the idea of pureeing it for a different texture.
Donna Fradette says
We LOOOOVED this soup Ann! About to make it again right now. Unfortunately I don’t have any bacon 😫😭 Wouldn’t change a thing in the recipe!
Andrea says
Fantastic! Sausage, keilbasa and ham are all great substitutes! So happy you love it!
Leah Vergotine says
Wow. I just made this soup for lunch since it is a cold windy day and I needed something different from the salad routine I had going on. I added a bit of curry powder to the pot and a cup of spinach to my helping--oh my! So yum! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Andrea says
Awesome! So glad you like it. Perfect for a cold and windy day!
Tracey says
This soup was beyond delicious. I doubled the recipe and added spinach. Used 1/2 fresh parsley and 1/2 fresh cilantro.
This will be one we make again!!!
Andrea says
Hi Tracey! I am so happy you enjoyed this soup!! Like the additions too. It's a flexible soup that you can tweak to use up what you have in the fridge.