Lemony Red Lentil Potato Soup is hearty and filling. It's easy to make this vegan Mediterranean-inspired soup in about 45 minutes. Rustic and warming, it's a complete one-pot meal.
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One thing I love about cooking with dried lentils is that you don't need to soak them first. And they cook really fast, especially compared to dried beans.
While I often use the firmer brown or green lentils in dishes like roasted butternut squash spinach salad and lentil meatloaf muffins, quick-cooking, mild-flavored red lentils are the star of this rustic Red Lentil Potato Soup.
They're soft and cook in minutes right alongside the vegetables in this recipe and absorb the flavors of the broth. In fact, they almost disappear into the soup, leaving it with a comforting texture, almost like a stew.
Looking for a lentil soup recipe featuring brown or green lentils? Try Mediterranean Lentil Soup or Instant Pot Lentil Soup.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- You don't need to soak the red lentils before preparing it.
- It's a complete meal featuring pulses, potatoes, and greens with a splash of lemony flavor.
- The leftovers taste just as delicious, plus they are freezer friendly.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: I like to use yellow potatoes like Yukon Gold, but you can also make this soup with red, white, or even sweet potatoes.
- Red lentils: Choose red lentils (which are actually more of an orange color) rather than longer-looking, firmer green, brown, or black lentils for this recipe. They will turn a yellow color when cooked.
- Kale: Any variety you like such as Lacinato (Tuscan), curly, or baby kale work well in this recipe.
Substitutions and variations
- Add other vegetables you enjoy such as red bell pepper or broccoli
- Substitute other greens in place of kale such as Swiss chard, spinach, or collards
- Add extra lemon juice and/or lemon zest for additional citrusy flavor
- Sprinkle in a few pinches of cayenne pepper if you prefer a spicy soup
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Instructions
- Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil in a large pot until soft.
- Add vegetable broth and potatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the potatoes are partially cooked through.
- Stir in the red lentils and kale. Continue to cook 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked and the vegetables are tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and serve.
Serving suggestions
While a complete meal on its own, Red Lentil Potato Soup is wonderful served with some warm crusty bread.
Or try it with Burmese tea leaf salad, fruity wild rice salad, or a simple green salad tossed with green olive salad dressing.
Storing and freezing
Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days or frozen for up to 6 months. I suggest freezing individual servings in small mason jars or 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.
Recipe FAQs
Red lentils are much softer and take less time to cook than other lentils like green and brown. And instead of keeping their shape, they break down when cooked. They have a mild, almost sweet flavor.
In general it takes about 20 minutes for potatoes to soften when simmered in soup. The smaller you cut them, the faster they will cook.
Low-starch potatoes like yellow, red, or white potatoes hold up well in soups. Avoid high-starch varieties like russet potatoes which get mealy in soups.
More vegan potato recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration & fun!
📋 Recipe
Red Lentil Potato Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup celery , diced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped (or your favorite variety)
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 bunch kale, (any variety) roughly chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ lemon, squeezed (about 1½ Tablespoons of juice)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Saute the onion until soft and slightly translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute 30 seconds longer.
- Then add the carrots and celery and saute for about 2 minutes more until softened.
- Add the vegetable broth and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a low boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until the potatoes are starting to get tender but are not all the way cooked when pierced with a fork.
- Stir in the red lentils and kale. Cook for 10-15 minutes until the lentils and kale are tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
- Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Deb says
It was surprisingly good. I did end up adding more garlic and salt. I also dumped in maybe 1/2 cup coconut milk I had left in the fridge. Mashed soup up a little with potato masher. It was lovely with nice robust homemade bread. YUM!
Sheri says
I made this soup today. Just threw it all in the IP for 10 min. It turned into a delicious creamy thick delicious potato lentil soup that I LOVED!! Added sriracha at the end of cooking! Ty for this recipe!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy to hear it, Sheri! What a great idea to add hot sauce.
Michelle says
What can be substituted for Kale, as no one here likes it
Amy Katz says
Hi Michelle, you can use any green you like such as spinach or chard. Or simply omit the kale without adding a substitute. I hope you enjoy it!
Ella says
Just made this and it's so yummy and cozy! Perfect for a winter day. And so EASY! Love it, will definitely make again.
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Ella!
Karen says
This soup is delicious. My teenage son requests this soup often and it has fast become a family staple. No need to change any ingredients in the recipe as posted, though I can never resist throwing in extra veggies! Thanks for the great recipes!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy to hear this, Karen!
Bridget says
I've been looking for a classic minimal ingredient lentil potato soup and kept striking out. I had a feeling this would be too bland, but it has a nice flavor once you add the salt. It's simple and comforting and delicious- exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
Amy Katz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Bridget!
Ellen McCann says
What attracted me to the recipe was the beautiful red lentils in my cupboard and no clear plan on how to consume them. Try as I might I just couldn't ruin the soup. I don't read/follow directions so there was a pot change to the appropriate "large pot" like it clearly states, the only organic potatoes at the store came in a bag and turned out to be old, and I have issues with getting the right temp, especially when it comes to maintaining a simmer - I spent the whole 10-15 minute cooking time trying to get it back up to simmer. Finally I did not have a ripe lemon on my tree so I'll have to wait until next time to see how that brings out the flavors. In spite of all the nonsense, it turned out delicious and was best on day three when I finished it. So, if you too have red lentils you don't want to contribute to the Thanksgiving food drive, this recipe is for you.
Amy Katz says
I love this review, thank you, Ellen!
LisaRose says
Made it, loved it! Used red chard because I’m not a kale person. Was a fantastic addition! Thanks for another winner, Amy.
Amy Katz says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, LisaRose! Chard is a great choice.
Louise says
Sounds yummy. Do you have directions for preparing in the Instant Pot too?
Amy Katz says
Thank you, Louise! I like to make this soup on the stove because it cooks so quickly. In the Instant Pot, you probably only need 4 minutes at the most with quick release.
Cat says
I made this soup earlier in the week & my Husband & I LOVED it! So healthy, hearty, & yummy! Thank you Veggies Save The Day for another wonderful recipe!
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you both enjoyed it!
Kristi says
Great soup! Really tasty and nice and hearty. My family really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Amy says
So happy to hear it, Kristi! 🙂