Not only is this Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup cheap and easy to make, but it is nutritious and protein packed - a really hearty and comforting soup that is ready in under 30 minutes. This carrot and lentil soup is one of the cheapest soups you can make, and full of flavour.
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Lentils are a great budget ingredient and you can buy them in bulk to make them even cheaper. Like other pulses, they are a good source of protein and they are low in fat too.
We add lentils to other dishes like curries or pies to bulk them out in replace of some of the meat to save even more money, so I thought why not add them to a soup as well. My kids would never usually eat lentils, but they LOVE this spiced lentil and carrot soup.
This spiced carrot and lentil soup is really hearty and comforting. It's basically a hug in a bowl. Perfect for a chilly day, scooped up with some crusty bread or a soft flatbread. It's nutrient dense comfort food! It also freezes really well, making it great for batch cooking.
If you are looking for some other ways to use lentils, then why not try our easy Lentil Salad, delicious Lentil Bolognese, comforting Sausage and Lentil Stew or our budget friendly Easy Lentil Curry.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oil - You could use vegetable oil, but we prefer the flavour of olive oil.
- Onion - This is the base of the soup. You could swap it for shallots, which would give a sweeter taste.
- Carrot - The star of this soup. We have used basic supermarket carrots to make this a really budget friendly meal.
- Lentils - Red split lentils are the best choice for this soup. They are cheap and easy to find, and they cook really quickly and make the soup nice and creamy. You could used canned, ready cooked, green lentils instead if you wanted. This would totally change the colour of the soup of course, as this is a carrot and red lentil soup.
- Herbs/spices - We added some cumin as it goes well with carrot and then some chilli powder for a little spice. Some fresh coriander is added when serving, but you could use fresh parsley instead.
- Tomato puree - This not only adds some flavour, it helps to thicken up the carrot and lentil soup and give a more rich red colour.
Variations
This is a great base soup for you to adapt it however you like. If you like spicy food, then a little paprika for some smokiness and then more chilli flakes for extra heat works really well. You can also add a splash of coconut milk to make it extra creamy.
If you want to make this spiced carrot lentil soup feel a little more indulgent, then some grated Parmesan just before serving is amazing. It melts into the soup and it is delicious.
If you want to take the flavours in this soup to another level, then roast the carrots before adding them to the pan. Chop them up, toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes. Roasting them will really bring out the flavour.
A little drizzle of olive oil on top at the end and a sprinkle of fresh basil really finishes off the dish too. There are lots of variations of this soup that you can make, depending on what spices and herbs you use. You could give it a Mexican twist by adding some coriander and jalapenos.
How To Make Carrot and Lentil Soup
- Step one: Add the oil to a large pan and once hot, add the carrots and onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Step two: Add the lentils to the pan and cook for a further 30 seconds.
- Step three: Add the rest of the ingredients, except the Greek yogurt, and simmer for 30 minutes. If it starts to look a little thick, add a little more water.
- Step four: Blend the soup until smooth and serve in bowls with Greek yogurt on top.
Serving Suggestions
This is pretty low in calories, so we usually have it as a starter or serve it with a sandwich. A grilled cheese sandwich (or our Air Fryer Tuna Melt) is perfect with these and total comfort food. You could also serve it with a chicken or turkey sandwich for a bit of an extra protein boost.
You can also keep things classic and just serve this with a French baguette that has been warmed up in the oven, or with some croutons on top. Or both. You could even go all out and make your own bread. Why not try our Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia, Easy White Loaf or Homemade Bagels.
We went with some flatbreads this time, and they are great for scooping up every last drop. Try our Easy Homemade Flatbread.
Storage
Make sure the spiced carrot and lentil soup is completely cooled before refrigerating or freezing.
Store: To store in the fridge, keep the soup in airtight containers and it will be good for up to 4 days
Freeze: Soup freezes really well, but liquids expand when frozen, so make sure to use heavy duty containers and always leave a gap of about 1cm (0.5 inch) before putting the top on. The flavour of soup can diminish with freezing, so only keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost: You can defrost it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Reheat this in a pan or the microwave until piping hot. It will need a splash of water when reheating as it does thicken up when cooling.
Dannii's Top Tips
- You can used canned green lentils instead in this soup, but it would change the colour of it.
- The red chilli is optional, and can be left out if you don't like anything spicy.
- Instead of the cumin, you could add garam masala or even some curry powder.
- Make sure the carrots are a vibrant orange, and firm to touch.
- Cut all the carrots evenly, into small pieces so that they will cook quickly.
- You don't have to peel the carrots. It will save time and add fibre.
- If you are making this soup for young children, then use a low salt stock.
- A little bit of grated cheddar, crumbled stilton or Parmesan shavings on top finishes this perfectly, but it would no longer be vegetarian or vegan.
- This is best blended with an immersion blender. If you are going to use a jug blender, then you will need to allow it to cool first and do it in batches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this can be done on the slow cooker instead and it makes it an even easier meal. Simply put all the ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
If your soup is too thick, then you may have cooked it at too high a temperature. Simply add a little more stock until it is the desired consistency. Equally, if it is too thin that you might not have had the heat high enough. Let it simmer a little longer to thicken up.
More Soup Recipes
If you've tried this carrot and lentil soup recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion - diced
- 250 g (8.75 oz) Carrot - peeled and diced
- 75 g (0.33 cups) Dried red lentils - (any colour is fine)
- 0.5 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon Red chilli - diced (optional)
- 2 (2) Garlic clove - crushed
- 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro) - chopped
- 800 ml (3.5 cups) Boiling water
- 1 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 1 pinch (1 pinch) Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt or cream - (to serve; optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and once hot, add 250 g Carrot and 1 Onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 75 g Dried red lentils to the pan and cook for a further 30 seconds.
- Add 800 ml Boiling water, 0.5 teaspoon Ground cumin, 0.5 teaspoon Red chilli, 2 Garlic clove, 2 tablespoon Fresh coriander (cilantro), 1 tablespoon Tomato puree and 1 pinch Sea salt Simmer for 30 minutes. If it starts to look a little thick, add a little more water.
- Blend the soup until smooth and serve in bowls. Divide 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt or cream between the bowls and serve on top.
Recipe Tips
- You can used canned green lentils instead in this soup, but it would change the colour of it.
- The red chilli is optional, and can be left out if you don't like anything spicy.
- Instead of the cumin, you could add garam masala or even some curry powder.
- Make sure the carrots are a vibrant orange, and firm to touch.
- Cut all the carrots evenly, in to small pieces so that they will cook quickly.
- You don't have to peel the carrots. It will save time and add fibre.
- If you are making this soup for young children, then use a low salt stock.
- A little bit of grated cheddar, crumbled stilton or Parmesan shavings on top finishes this perfectly, but it would no longer be vegetarian or vegan.
- This is best blended with an immersion blender. If you are going to use a jug blender, then you will need to allow it to cool first and do it in batches.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Elizabeth Butler says
I made this soup tonight, but I made a few alterations because I'm allergic to garlic. I also doubled up on quantities to make 4 generous servings. I added a quarter teaspoon of chilli powder, chicken stock 800mls and a 400ml can of low fat coconut milk. I simmered for half an hour to see if it might need more liquid. It was fine and just the right consistency for my taste once I'd used my stick blender. I added two squeezes of lime juice to my bowlful and a handful of fresh coriander. It was delicious! Thank you for the recipe & instructions.
Stephen Moir says
Just made a version of this and found myself immediately going back for a second bowl!. Used a ham stock cube (as I've occasionally used lardons in the past), and found that a bit of roule swirled in helps to make it a wee bit more interesting
Pauline says
I love this soup. But use crushed chilli's as I can add them as I go. No guessing on the hot scale.
Sandra says
Absolutely delicious . Followed recipe to the letter for 5 persons and everyone loved it. Will be cooking this soup every week. Makes all hungry for more, healthy and so much happy
Well done
Kay says
Really easy and tasty recipe. Very popular in my house. Glad I found your site and will definitely being trying more of your recipes.
Janet says
Wow! This is so delicious! We've made this several times recently and keep wanting more. I now make 4 x the quantity! Perfectly balanced spices, though I used ground coriander and a quarter of what the recipe asks, and only a little chilli. Never hungry as its always there in the fridge to help ourselves to, and so healthy. Happy I found it.
Dannii says
So glad you enjoy it :)
Ian Wilson says
Really adaptable. Very similar to a Jamie Oliver curry spiced red lentil and carrot recipe have been using for years. Like using garam masala (home made - no chilli) rather than curry powder as difficult to balance the heat and not let the curry become overpowering, and he uses coriander powder (much underrated spice) rather than fresh coriander and adds vine tomatoes (personally add canned). Both excellent. Like a more textured soup so stick blend. Can be even quicker in a pressure cooker (10 mins) but need to pre-cook carrots slightly.
Dannii says
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed :) Great tip about using a pressure cooker too.
Jane says
Found this recipe by chance, so pleased that I did as it was so easy to make and delicious flavours. Definitely make again
Dannii says
Happy to hear you enjoyed it and you will be trying it again :)
Rose says
Really nice. I added vegetarian parmesan rather than yogurt and I also threw in some frozen sweet potato.
Christian Guzman says
Such a great recipe! I can't wait to make it again. I already have more carrots on the list. I especially love that you've used lentils. I never would have thought to combine them but it's a perfect pairing.