Super easy, healthy, and incredibly delicious, this cozy red lentil soup is seasoned with Mediterranean spices and a touch of harissa for some kick! This naturally vegan and gluten-free soup is perfect for chilly evenings.
This red lentil soup was one of my favorite things to cook when I was in law school. It's go so much going for it! For one thing, it's a pretty cheap meal (and funds were low back then). For another, the quick throw-stuff-in-a-pot-and-let-it-simmer approach to cooking was perfect during exams time.
Red lentils have amazing texture and flavor, but they've also got the advantage of quicker cooking time compared to other types of lentils. About 20 minutes of simmer time is all it takes for these lentils to completely soften up and fall apart.
That's why I love making soup out of red lentils — and not just this particular soup! I've also got beloved recipes for red lentil chili, dal soup, and taco soup and Ethiopian red lentil stew.
Make sure your red lentils are split. Usually the ones available at supermarkets are, but occasionally I come across some that aren't. If your lentils aren't split, they'll take much longer to cook, and your soup will have a completely different consistency.
So start keeping a bag of red lentils in your pantry — you'll want to make this soup again and again. This is a great recipe to have on hand when you need something quick and easy to whip up for dinner. Pair it up with some crusty bread and a salad and you've got one comforting and healthy dinner!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. Any high heat oil will technically work, but olive will give your soup the best flavor.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Spices. We're using ground cumin and coriander.
- Red lentils. Make sure to use split lentils — not whole ones.
- Vegetable broth. I like Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor.
- Diced tomatoes. Use canned diced tomatoes that are packed in juice or sauce.
- Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor.
- Harissa paste. This is a spicy north African chili paste. Many supermarkets carry it in the international foods section (Trader Joe's has it!). You can substitute another hot sauce or just leave it out for a milder soup.
- Fresh herbs. Top your soup with some fresh parsley or cilantro.
How It's Made
Follow along with the photos below if you need some guidance on how to make this dish, or scroll all the way to the bottom of the post if you just want the recipe!
- Heat up some olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion. Sweat the onion for a few minutes, until it begins to soften up.
- Add minced garlic and your spices and sauté them very briefly with the onion. Sautéing the spices for a minute (but no longer!) brings out their flavors.
- Add broth, tomatoes and your red lentils. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a simmer.
- Let everything simmer for a bit, until the lentils are soft. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. If you like your soup on the spicy side, stir in some harissa paste at the end.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftovers of this soup keep very well for about 3 days in the refrigerator or for about 3 months in the freezer. The soup may thicken up a bit over time, but I personally like that! If you don't, just thin it with a bit of broth or water.
Reheat leftover soup in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove, adding water if it's thickened up too much during storage.
Frequently Asked Questions
It sure is!
Perhaps, as long as the lentils you use are split. If they're not split, the tomatoes could prevent them from cooking fully.
The harissa gives it a little kick. Use extra if you'd like your soup to be extra spicy, or leave it out for a heat-free version.
More Lentil Recipes
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ cups dried red lentils
- 5 cups vegetable broth (4 cups if using the Instant Pot method)
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
- Harissa paste, to taste (optional)
- Fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, for serving
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin and coriander, and sauté for another minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the lentils, broth and tomatoes.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and allow to continue simmering, uncovered, until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. Thin the soup with some water if it becomes too thick while simmering.
- Stir in the lemon juice and harissa (if using). Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and/or cilantro.
Instant Pot Method
- Press the "sauté" button on your Instant Pot and add the oil.
- Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Cook the onion for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, cumin and coriander, and sauté for another minute, until the garlic becomes very fragrant. Press the "cancel" button.
- Stir in the lentils, 4 cups of broth, and tomatoes.
- Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to the "sealing" position. Press the "pressure cook" or "manual" button and set the pressure to high. Set the soup to cook for 10 minutes.
- When the soup has finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the "venting" position. Let the pressure release completely.
- Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Stir in the lemon juice and harissa (if using). Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with parsley and/or cilantro.
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Made this last night in the instapot. Took less than 30 mins and was absolutely delicious!!! I puréed 85% and left some chunky. Next time I will add some carrots and celery for extra veg. 10/10 would recommend. H
added celery, didnt have Harissa, and it was awesome! THank you!
added a rib of celery and a diced carrot and it was perfect!
this is one of the best soups I've ever had! thank you!
Hi - this is the second time I’m making this delicious soup. Since I’m not vegan, I added 1 double-smoked farmer sausage, cut into rounds, as well as a half teaspoon of liquid smoke. I used water and 2 beef bouillon cubes instead of vegetable broth. I used Tabasco hot sauce instead of Harissa. I also use fire-roasted diced tomatoes instead of regular ones for extra oomph. Super- delicious results - four day’s worth of lunchtime soup for my hubby and I!
oh my word this recipe is so delicious!! made it with Mina spicy harissa and it added an incredible depth of flavor. thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Easy and delicious! We followed this as written, but puréed it for a picky eater.
Great with a side of toasted naan or pita.
My husband is not a fan of soups, but he really likes this one. The Harissa paste is a unique flavor for us, and we love it. And so easy! It was the first recipe I made of yours. The recipe is a keeper as is your wonderful site.
I just made this and the taste seems a bit off - almost bitter? What did I do wrong>
Could you have burned your onions or garlic and spices? That will usually do it.
This is a great lentil soup recipe. I am always looking for quick and easy recipes these.
This makes me hungry! 🙂 Thank you…amazing recipe.
Easy, healthy, and incredibly delicious
I love this soup and so does my family!!! I have been following you for a few months and every recipe I have tried has been outstanding. Thanks for sharing healthy and delicious ideas!!!
Excellent, fast, and easy. I topped it with the feta but also fresh arugula, tomatoes and cucumbers. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
I can’t believe how simple and delicious this is. My family is newly embarking on a vegetarian lifestyle, so we’re having to re-learn now to cook. I made this soup for supper tonight, along with fresh flatbread. Everyone gave the meal five stars (including my picky six year old).
Looks delicious. Comforting food like this is what we all need this week.
This one has been sitting in my bookmarks for ages! I can't believe I haven't tried it earlier. So simple and versatile --I added carrots to my version . Love it and will be doing it again for sure! :)
Sending lots of good vibes :)
Great and easy recipe! I made the soup yesterday and my family loved it! The lemon really added brightness to the soup.
This was absolutely amazing! I ate until I was about to burst! Thanks so much for sharing. I didn't have harissa paste but had harissa seasoning. I added 2 teaspoons and it was perfect!
Sooo good! Every recipe of yours I try becomes a favorite. This one is no exception! Will definitely make again!
I made this for lunch. It was very good. I will make again!
Just finished making this. Oh my gosh it is fabulous! I have never made lentil soup in my life but recently switched to a vegan diet and had some red lentils, so this was awesome thank you for the recipe will be making again and again.
Wonderful! I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thanks Carmen!
I LOVE this recipe Alissa. Thanks SO MUCH for creating and posting. Tonight is my 2nd time making it abd it'll definitely be in my meal prep line up. I personally only use one carton of low sodium veggie broth equivalent to four cups and used the hot fire roasted diced tomatoes qith cayenne pepper, no coriander(I don't have any lol) and no lemon juice or fresh garnish. AMAZING!!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING if you celebrate, enjoy time with loved ones.
Yay! I'm so glad you like it! Thank you, and I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!
YUMM! This soup is sooo good!! My boyfriend and I loved it and its incredibly easy as well. I couldn't find the harissa paste at my grocery store so I sub'd Chile peppers in adobo sauce and it give it a nice smokey flavor.
Sounds delicious! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Jessie!
delicious and so easy!
Glad you think so! Thanks so much!
It snowed this early morning I’m reading Hungry by Jeff Gordimer this story is about the best chef in the world Redzepi it’s very inspiring and makes cooking ver exciting I love this soup .I added fresh oregano too Going to get a lemon and spinach 🍃Thank you
I'm glad you like it! Sounds like a great book - I'll have to check it out!
Neither Whole Foods nor Safeway have split red lentils. The lentils they sell are so small I wonder how they could be split and why it would make such a big difference in the recipe. Further, I was unable to find harissa paste. I live in a large metropolitan area. Please help me find these ingredients.
Whole lentils will probably work, but the soup will have a different consistency and take longer to cook. Do you have a Trader Joe's nearby? They carry both ingredients. If you can't find the ingredients in stores I think online would be your best bet would be online - Amazon has them.
I wonder if you know what the adjustment for liquid and timing would be if cooking in an instant pot?
Unfortunately, I don't! I only recently got an Instant Pot and haven't had a chance to try this recipe out with it yet. I'll be sure to update the instructions when I do.
Made it tonight, it's great!! My boyfriend loved it too!
Yay! Glad you both enjoyed it!
I just made this for lunch as I had red lentils and not much else around the house to eat. It was awesome. I only had 4 cups of vegetable broth so I added water to make up the difference. I sauteed the vegetables in some broth instead of oil. I used 1 tsp salt and 10 grinds of pepper. Instead of Harissa paste I used 1 tsp of Sriracha sauce. It is a 10 star for me. So yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks Kristi!
This is absolutely amazing! I am just trying our weight watchers also and love lentils and was looking for something last minute I had ingredients for. One of the best first pass recipes I’ve ever tried. I used sriracha instead of harissa and messed up and put a full tablespoon of coriander. The result was a very rich and nicely spiced delight.. a lot like eithiopian lentil dishes I absolutely love. This one is a big winner for a rich and savory (not to mention easy) guiltless dish. Thank you!!!
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks so much Tysen!
What a wonderful recipe ... so easy to make and so, so tasty! Thank you for sharing this, will certainly make it again soon ... my husband loved it as well!
Awesome! I'm glad you both enjoyed it!
Honestly, I was not expecting much....so few ingredients...wasn't sure how it would taste. It was sooo good! I put about 2 t harissa and it added just enough kick. Will make this again! Bonus, by husband is on WW and I think that this is 0 points!!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Laurie!
I loved your little mouse story - once I had a mother possum with two babies on her back living underneath my stove. I tried every means of catching them to reloicate - I was living next vto a river - no luck. Then my dad said "do you really think she WANTS to live under your stove?? (well yes in some ways because she used to eat all my sweet potatoes and apples !!) - he told me to open the doors & leave for a while - sure enough she left and moved into a tree near the river. Also thankyou so much for your fabulous recipes - I love them xx :-)
Oh my gosh, that's crazy! Smart of your dad though and I'm glad it all worked out! I'm glad you enjoyed my story and are enjoying the recipes. Thanks so much Linda!!
Delicious! Made it for supper... the kids loved it, too, sans harissa.
Wonderful! Glad you all enjoyed it!!
This soup is AMAZING ! I have made this 2 times in the past. Tonight I am making a double batch and freezing some. It is one of my family's favorite soups. The Harissa adds so much to it.
I'm so glad you're enjoying it! This one is an old favorite of mine. :)
I absolutely love the mouse story. We are the same in our house. We have cats who catch the mice, bring them to us and we then take them out to our shed and release them. A few days/weeks later the story repeats. Our son has suggested marking these little guys so we can tell if they are repeats or just new kids on the block looking for a warm,dry home. I have long been a fan of your recipes and life values. Thanks for all the delicious recipes and heart warming life style.
Oh wow, that's great that they're okay and you're still able to release them! I have cats too, and I was always so nervous that they'd catch the mice. They only ever got one though - it was a baby and I found them staring it down in the dining room, I think to scared to move. He was totally fine, and I took him to the park just like the others. :)
This looks absolutely amazing! All I have to do is find someplace that carries Harissa..
Thank you! This is fantastic with harissa, but if you have a hard time finding it you could sub your favorite hot sauce. I've also seen a few recipes online for DIY harissa, but haven't tried myself yet so I can't say if they're any good. Enjoy!!
Harissa is not all that difficult to make your own. Harissa is comprised of dried red chilies, garlic, oil, an acid (I use either Balsamic or Apple Cider vinegar & lemon juice), and your preferred spices "constructed" to your own taste preference. .Pretty much easy peasy.
LOVE this recipe, simply delicious! Definitely a keeper! Very easy to prepare. Had to go to 2 stores, then settle for Harissa powder instead of paste, then I watched my sister make it for me😄 just fabulous!
Yay! I'm so glad you like it!
Instead of harissa consider sauteing a seeded / chopped serrano pepper along with the onion. Serranos are a bit hotter than Jalapenos, but their heat is an 'up front' heat in the mouth. Some eat them raw. I am not one of those folks. Also, I cook up some hull-less barley and add it to the soup when i reheat a portion. Basmati Rice is the more typical add-on product. Either is complimentary to the incomplete protein in the bean, so that you have a whole protein. Filling, lasting and complete.
Those all sound like delicious variations!