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Lentil Potato Soup Recipe
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5 from 49 votes

Easy Lentil Potato Soup Recipe

This Easy Lentil Potato Soup is chunky, hearty, and full of flavor — the perfect bowl of comfort for cold weather. It comes together in under an hour and makes an effortless weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baby potatoes, lentil potato soup, lentils
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 carrot, large 3 - 4 oz
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce optional
  • 1 1/4 cups lentils brown or green
  • 12 oz potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 4-5 cups water or vegetable stock
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
    A Dutch oven with oil inside
  • Add the onion and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
    A Dutch oven with oil, onion, garlic and carrot inside
  • Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, and lentils and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the potatoes and pour in 4 cups of water.
    A Dutch oven with onions, carrots, garlic, tomato sauce and paste and cubbed potatoes inside.
  • Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
    All ingredients for lentil and potato soup in a pot, before simmer.
  • Simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
    Fork piercing a cooked potato cube to check tenderness for lentil soup
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve warm.
    Lentil potato soup simmering in a Dutch oven with carrots, onions, and herbs

Video

Notes

What kind of lentils should I use?
Green or brown lentils work best. Avoid red split lentils only — they cook faster than potatoes and make the soup mushy.
Do I need to soak the lentils?
There is no need to soak the lentils. Just make sure you pick through them and rinse them well under running water. I like to use a fine mesh strainer for this.
How to thin the soup?
Add up to 1 more cup of water, if you don't want the soup to be too thick.
Instead for water, you can use vegetable or chicken stock (broth) for more flavor.
Can I spice up the soup?
You can add 1 bay leaf if you are a fan of its flavor.
Smoked paprika, thyme or rosemary can be added for more flavor.
You can add a splash of lemon juice, before serving the soup. Topping with some crunchy smoked bacon is also a great option, unless you are following plant based diet.
Adding freshly chopped dill, parsley or cilantro and topping with hot red pepper flakes and also optional add-ins.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1755IU | Vitamin C: 10.4mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 5mg
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