This Hearty One-Pot Lentil Soup is hearty, flavorful, and comforting with lentils, tomatoes, bell peppers, and warm spices. It's packed with smoky, savory, and lightly spiced flavors, and I love serving it with my homemade pita (recipe here) on the side.
I like my lentil soup on the thicker side, almost like a stew, but you're free to adjust the broth depending on how soupy or thick you want it. The fresh lemon juice at the end really brightens everything up and balances the richness from the lentils and tomatoes.
This is the kind of one-pot recipe I love making when I want something hearty but also easy and perfect for a big batch of soup for meal-prep. You sauté the aromatics, build the tomato-spiced base, simmer the lentils until tender, and finish everything with parsley or cilantro and lemon.
Serve this with homemade pita (see my recipe here) for a perfectly cozy meal!
Why You'll Love This Hearty One-Pot Lentil Soup
- Comes together in one pot with simple pantry ingredients
- Thick, hearty, and filling enough for a cozy lunch or dinner
- Fiber-packed with lentils, tomatoes, bell peppers, and warm spices
- Easy to adjust with more broth if you prefer a thinner soup
- Perfect with homemade pita (see my recipe here) or any bread of your choice!
The Inspiration for This Lentil Soup
I always love a lentil soup that's simple but still flavorful and satisfying. It’s usually my go-to order at a local Mediterranean spot I frequent and love that it’s so hearty and filling so I drew a lot of inspiration from that for this recipe.
The tomato paste, diced tomatoes, smoked paprika, cumin, and bay leaves make the broth savory and aromatic while the lentils cook down into a thick, tender base.
Since I had my Easy 5-Ingredient Pitas, I knew I had to make a hearty soup to pair with them. The warm pita is perfect for dipping into the thick lentil soup and scooping up all those soft, stewy bits.
Ingredients You'll Need
This soup starts with onion, garlic, bell peppers, and carrot, then gets simmered with tomatoes, spices, lentils, and vegetable broth. I used easy-cook lentils for this recipe, so regular lentils may need more broth and a longer cooking time.
You'll find the full printable recipe in the card below!
FOR THE LENTIL SOUP
- neutral oil
- white onion, diced
- garlic, minced
- small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- small carrot, peeled and small diced
- tomato paste
- diced tomatoes
- bay leaves
- smoked paprika
- cumin powder
- chili powder or chili flakes
- sugar
- 1dried lentils, I used easy-cook lentils
- vegetable broth
- salt and pepper
TO FINISH
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
- Chopped parsley
TO SERVE
- Chopped parsley or cilantro
- Homemade pita (see my recipe here) or bread of choice
HOW TO MAKE THIS ONE POT LENTIL SOUP
SAUTE THE AROMATICS
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the neutral oil, then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and diced carrot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened and aromatic.
BUILD THE TOMATO-SPICE BASE
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly. Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder or chili flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
SIMMER THE LENTILS
- Add the lentils and 4 cups vegetable broth. Mix well, then bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes if using easy-cook lentils, or until tender to your liking. I like my lentils tender but still with a good bite. Stir occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pot.
ADJUST THE THICKNESS
- Add more vegetable broth as needed, especially if using regular lentils. For a thinner soup, add more broth. For a thicker, stew-like soup, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.
TASTE AND FINISH
- Taste and season with more salt, pepper, cumin, chili, or sugar if needed. Turn off the heat, then finish with fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley or cilantro.
SERVE AND ENJOY
- Serve hot with more chopped parsley or cilantro, lemon wedges, and homemade pita (recipe here) or bread of choice. Enjoy!
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Hearty One-Pot Lentil Soup
Ingredients
LENTIL SOUP
- 1-2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 small green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 small carrot peeled and small diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes 14-15 oz or 400g
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chili powder or chili flakes adjust to desired heat
- 1-2 tsp sugar adjust to taste
- 1 1/2 cups dried lentils I used easy-cook lentils
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth plus more as needed
- Salt and pepper to taste
TO FINISH
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
- Chopped parsley
TO SERVE
- Chopped parsley or cilantro
- Homemade pita (homemade pita recipe here) or other bread of choice
Instructions
SAUTE THE AROMATICS
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the neutral oil, then add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until softened and aromatic.
BUILD THE TOMATO-SPICE BASE
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens slightly. Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder or chili flakes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
SIMMER THE LENTILS
- Add the lentils and 4 cups vegetable broth. Mix well, then bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes if using easy-cook lentils, or until tender to your liking. I like my lentils tender but still with a good bite. Stir occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pot.
ADJUST THE THICKNESS
- Add more vegetable broth as needed, especially if using regular lentils. For a thinner soup, add more broth. For a thicker, stew-like soup, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.
TASTE AND FINISH
- Taste and season with more salt, pepper, cumin, chili, or sugar if needed. Turn off the heat, then finish with fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley or cilantro.
SERVE AND ENJOY
- Serve hot with more chopped parsley or cilantro, lemon wedges, and homemade pita (homemade pita recipe here) or bread of choice. Enjoy!
NUTRITIONAL INFO
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