A flavorful and wholesome lunch or light dinner, this Carrot Red Lentil Soup is built with layers of flavor. Blend it smooth or leave it a bit rustic—it keeps well in the fridge for a few days either way.
This Carrot Lentil Soup is anything but one-note. It starts with a base of sautéed onions and carrots, coaxing out their natural sweetness. Then, cumin and ginger add a subtle warmth, while fresh dill and a splash of vinegar brighten everything up. Red lentils thicken the soup, giving it a creamy consistency when blended, and chickpeas add an extra hearty element. Whether you enjoy it smooth or with a bit of texture, this soup is simple, satisfying, and perfect for any season. It can be served as a lunch, an appetizer or a light dinner with a side of hearty bread. It also freezes incredibly well, especially after it has been blended.
This recipe is part of my “girl soup” series—soups I make with busy parents (especially moms) in mind. I often struggle to eat lunch, let alone a lunch that feels satisfying, so I started cooking up soups for myself that are full of veggies, fiber, and protein. Originally, I wasn't using a particular recipe in mind other than what I had in my pantry, but over time I started to develop my favorite blend of ingredients. Feel free to head to that recipe to read more about that, but the tl;dr of it is that I needed a hearty yet healthy lunch idea that I could batch make and that wasn't sweet, and this series of soups is where I landed.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
- green onions (feel free to sub a regular onion)
- garlic + ginger
- herbs: fresh bay and dill
- carrots
- canned chickpeas
- chicken stock or veggie stock
- red lentils (it's okay to substitute other lentils but it'll obviously have a big impact on the color, flavor and they will need to cook for longer)
- coarse kosher salt (This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume)
- olive oil + white wine vinegar (add a bit of this at the end to help the flavor pop!)
How to Make It
While I wanted an easy lunch option, that doesn’t mean I wanted a bland lunch option. A good soup isn’t just about throwing ingredients into a pot—it’s about thoughtfully layering flavors and cooking it in a way that brings out the best of each ingredient (while still not being too fussy). This recipe starts with sautéing onions, carrots, and salt to draw out their natural sweetness. Adding garlic, ginger, and cumin at just the right moment ensures their flavors bloom without burning. Simmering the soup with bay leaves infuses it with a subtle earthiness, and finishing it with white wine vinegar and fresh dill balances the richness with a pop of brightness. Every ingredient plays a role in making this soup flavorful and complex, while still being simple to prepare (honestly, that’s my go-to with any recipe I create!).
Step 1: Cook the green onions, ginger, garlic with salt until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add in the carrots and cumin and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes. Be sure not to brown the aromatics, adjusting the heat as necessary.
Step 3: Add the stock, lentils, chickpeas, bay leaves, and half the dill. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, then simmer
Step 4: Stir in the vinegar and remaining dill, then blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning and texture as needed.
Kelli's Best Tips
Making a good meal is all about the little details. Here is where I share some of the finer points of making this recipe that help create the best possible outcome:
- Don’t rush when sautéing the aromatics and carrots. Cooking the green onions, garlic, and ginger first helps bring out their flavor, then the carrots are added and cooked slowly to enhance their sweetness. Moderate the heat as needed to prevent any browned bits.
- How much you puree the soup is totally up to you. I find an immersion blender to be the easiest way to do it (obviously), but you can also transfer the soup to a blender. Just be careful when blending hot liquids—if you're using a stand blender, make sure to leave room for steam to escape so pressure doesn't build up.
- Keep an eye on the liquid level while the lentils are cooking to prevent too much evaporation. This is one of those times when the type of pot and your stovetop can really affect how quickly liquid cooks off. You want to make sure it doesn’t get too low—just add more broth as needed.
- This soup doesn’t have any added dairy and is delicious as is, but if you’re looking to add a bit more protein, blending in some Greek yogurt or cottage cheese is a change I’ve made successfully.
Storage
This soup keeps really well. It will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
When freezing, be sure to leave room between the soup and the container cover. Soup often expands a lot when freezing, and if you are using a glass jar, you want to prevent any cracking.
To reheat the soup from frozen, transfer it to the refrigerator for 12–24 hours to slowly defrost, if possible. Then heat it until very hot, either in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.
More Soup Recipes:
Making this Carrot Red Lentil Soup recipe? Be sure to leave a comment with a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on your experience! Have a question? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
PrintFull Recipe
Carrot Red Lentil Soup
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Soup
Description
This Carrot Lentil Soup is a warm and flavorful blend of carrots, red lentils, and chickpeas, with fresh dill and a splash of vinegar to brighten the flavors. Garlic and cumin add depth, making this simple soup perfect for any season—especially spring.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1-½ pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, more to taste (see note)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 6 cups chicken broth or chicken bone broth, more as needed
- ¾ cup red lentils, picked through and rinsed
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup picked dill sprigs, divided, plus more as garnish
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Cook the green onions, ginger, garlic and salt until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add in the carrots and cumin and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to keep the aromatics soft and fragrant, making sure they don’t brown.
- Add in the chicken stock, lentils, chickpeas, bay leaves, and half of the dill and turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Bring the soup up to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes, adding more broth if the liquid begins to evaporate.
- Add in 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and remaining dill.
- Shut off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth, adding additional chicken stock as needed for desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings and texture, adding in additional salt, chicken broth, or white wine vinegar as needed.
- Serve the soup immediately with a garnish of chopped dill, if desired.
Notes
Veggie stock or water can be swapped in for the chicken stock to make this vegetarian.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If using Morton’s kosher salt or fine salt, you’ll need less by volume, so start with half and adjust to taste.
Red lentils break down as they cook, creating a naturally creamy texture when blended. If you prefer a chunkier soup, blend only part of it or leave it entirely unblended for a more rustic soup.
Seasoning your soup properly is the most important part of making this soup. Ultimately, learning how much seasoning you prefer is a personal process and is not something I can instruct in a recipe card. It takes trial and error with your own soup pot at home. The more you practice tasting and adjusting, the better you’ll get at knowing exactly what your soup needs to shine. If your soup tastes bland, it likely needs more salt or more acid (vinegar)—or both—to brighten the flavors. That said, seasoning should happen in layers throughout cooking, not just at the end. Season your veggies when sautéing, then taste and adjust again once the soup is pureed. This layered approach builds depth and ensures that every ingredient is well-seasoned
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