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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Soup and Stew Recipes

    Easy Greek Lentil Soup (Fakes Soupa)

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Jan 13, 2021 · Last modified: Jan 28, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print - Pin
    Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan

    Vegan Greek Lentil Soup is easy to make with pantry staples. Top it with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar for a dish the whole family will love.

    Cooking lentil soup in a blue pot on the stove

    I make it a habit to keep dry lentils in my pantry. They are inexpensive, high in protein and fiber, and extremely versatile. I use them to make everything from vegan meatloaf muffins to cold lentil salad to hearty soups like this one.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • Instructions
    • Amy's tips
    • Instant Pot directions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Storing and freezing
    • More lentil recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ingredients needed to make this recipe
    • Dry lentils: For this recipe, choose green or brown lentils. Red lentils cook much quicker, are softer, and don't hold their texture. Save them for recipes such as Red Lentil Potato Soup.
    • Red onion: I prefer red onion in this recipe, but sweeter white onion works well, too.
    • Carrots and celery: Don't have them? Or don't care for them? Simply leave them out.
    • Tomato paste: A little concentrated tomato gives this soup a complex depth of flavor. Learn more about this magic ingredient by reading 15 Vegan Recipes with Tomato Paste.
    • Red wine vinegar: I recommend drizzling a little red wine vinegar over each bowl of soup when serving. But you can use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.

    For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Instructions

    Collage of step-by-step images showing how to make this recipe
    1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until soft and slightly translucent.
    2. Add the garlic, carrot, and celery and saute for a couple of more minutes.
    3. Stir in the lentils, vegetable broth, water, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat.
    4. Simmer until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally, at least 20 minutes, or up to 30-40 minutes, depending on your texture preference. Remove the bay leaf, taste, and add salt and pepper, as needed.

    Amy's tips

    • Be sure to wait to season with salt until after the soup is finished cooking. Otherwise, the lentils may become tough or take longer to become tender.
    • Lentils to do not require soaking. But rinse them well in cold water to remove any dust or debris. 
    • This soup is very thick like a stew. If you prefer a thinner soup, add an additional 1-2 cups of liquid.

    Instant Pot directions

    Use the Saute function to saute the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Then add the lentils, broth, water, tomato paste, and bay leaf and lock the lid. Pressure Cook on high for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Bowls of Greek Lentils Soup drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar ready to eat

    Serving suggestions

    While it's delicious straight from the pot, my favorite way to serve Greek Lentil Soup is to top each bowl a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar. It's filling on its own or with some crusty bread.

    Or try it along with other Greek-inspired dishes like Mediterranean Tofu Tacos, Lemon Roasted Potatoes, or Vegan Greek Salad.

    Growing up, I had several friends whose parents were originally from Greece. One of the dads owned a Greek restaurant and cooked my friend and me delicious meals after he picked us up from school on the days he was in charge of carpool. This simple dish is one of the recipes he passed along to my mom since I enjoyed it so much.

    Storing and freezing

    Leftover soup can be covered and refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze servings in individual portions in mason jars or small glass containers with lids. Be sure to allow a little room at the top since the liquid will expand when frozen.

    To reheat, first defrost the frozen container of soup in the refrigerator overnight. It will be thicker, so you may want to add a little water before reheating it in a pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl.

    More lentil recipes

    • Lentil meatloaf muffins on a plate with mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, and roasted Brussels sprouts.
      Vegan Lentil Meatloaf Muffins
    • Bowl of spinach salad topped with butternut squash cubes, lentils, and pumpkin seeds.
      Butternut Squash Spinach Salad
    • Plate of lettuce topped with lentil salad and a fork.
      5 Ingredient Vegan Lentil Salad
    • Bowl of lentil soup with orange and blue floral napkin.
      Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Potatoes

    And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.

    If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★

    📋 Recipe

    Bowl of soup with blue napkin and spoon next to it

    Greek Lentil Soup

    Vegan Greek Lentil Soup is easy to make with pantry staples. Top it with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar for a dish the whole family will love.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Greek
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 317kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Equipment

    • Fine Mesh Strainer
    • Dutch Oven

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 red onion, (or any color) chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 carrot, chopped
    • 1 stalk celery, chopped
    • 1 pound dry green or brown lentils, (16 ounces) well rinsed and drained
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 bay leaf
    • salt and pepper, to taste
    • extra olive oil, for serving (optional)
    • red wine vinegar, for serving (optional)
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    Instructions

    • In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute until soft and slightly translucent.
    • Add the garlic, carrot, and celery and saute for a couple of more minutes.
    • Stir in the lentils, vegetable broth, water, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
    • Simmer until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally, at least 20 minutes, or up to 30 to 40 minutes, depending on your texture preference. Remove the bay leaf, taste the soup, and add salt and pepper, as needed.
    • To serve, top each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and red wine vinegar, if desired.

    Notes

    Nutrition Facts are an estimation and do not include the optional olive oil and red wine vinegar for drizzling on top.
    Tips: 
    • Be sure to wait to season with salt until after the soup is finished cooking. Otherwise, the lentils may become tough or take longer to become tender.
    • Lentils to do not require soaking. But rinse them well in cold water to remove any dust or debris. 
    • This soup is very thick like a stew. If you prefer a thinner soup, add an additional 1 to 2 cups of liquid.
    Ingredients notes:
    • Dry lentils: For this recipe, choose green or brown lentils. Red lentils cook much quicker, are softer, and don't hold their texture. Save them for recipes such as Red Lentil Potato Soup.
    • Red onion: I prefer red onion in this recipe, but sweeter white onion works well, too.
    • Carrots and celery: Don't have them? Or don't care for them? Simply leave them out.
    • Red wine vinegar: I recommend drizzling a little red wine vinegar over each bowl of soup when serving. But you can use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.
    Instant Pot cooking instructions:
    Use the Saute function to saute the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Then add the lentils, broth, water, tomato paste, and bay leaf and lock the lid. Pressure Cook on high for 7 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
    Storing and freezing:
    Leftover soup can be covered and refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze servings in individual portions in mason jars or small glass containers with lids. Be sure to allow a little room at the top since the liquid will expand when frozen.
    To reheat, first defrost the frozen container of soup in the refrigerator overnight. It will be thicker, so you may want to add a little water before reheating it in a pot on the stove or in a microwave-safe bowl.
    For tips on freezing, refer to USDA Freezing and Food Safety.
     
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 859mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1839IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 6mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    More Vegan Soup and Stew Recipes

    • Bowl of soup with lemon and spoon next to it.
      Chickpea Soup with Potatoes
    • Bowl of black bean chili topped with diced avocado and garnished with a slice of lime.
      Easy Vegan Black Bean Chili
    • Overhead of bowl of stew with piece of bread on the side
      Spanish Chickpea Stew with Spinach
    • Overhead of white bowl filled with vegetable soup
      Easy Vegan Vegetable Soup
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    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on HuffPost, LIVESTRONG, Healthline, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, Country Living, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Freddi

      January 02, 2023 at 4:00 am

      5 stars
      Love the mix of flavors especially adding Red wine vinegar at the end. Yum !

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 02, 2023 at 11:33 am

        Thanks Freddi! That's my favorite part, too. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Dina

      February 03, 2022 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      This was sooo good! My husband had 2 servings! We are having a cold spell so this hit the spot! We live in S. TX and we like pico de gallo and avocado, so we added that after serving and it was delicious! I also added about 2-3 extra cups of veggie broth because my husband likes it more soupy. Thank you for this great recipe!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        February 04, 2022 at 11:32 am

        I love that you made it your own, Dina. Great additions!

        Reply
    3. Kaytee Smith

      January 15, 2021 at 6:14 pm

      5 stars
      This soup was very delicious. I have made is several times. Thank you

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 15, 2021 at 7:06 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it, Kaytee!

        Reply

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