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

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1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, sliced
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1-1/2 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
3/4 cup red lentils, picked through and rinsed
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup picked dill sprigs, divided, plus more as garnish
1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

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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