Red Lentil Soup

By Melissa Clark

Updated August 13, 2026

  • Two bowls of red lentil soup are garnished with cilantro leaves; a plate of lemon wedges and a pot of soup are nearby.
    Joseph De Leo for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 2
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(41,679)
Comments
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This is a lentil soup that defies expectations of what lentil soup can be. Based on a Turkish lentil soup, mercimek corbasi, it is light, spicy and a bold red color (no murky brown here): a revelatory dish that takes less than an hour to make. The cooking is painless. Sauté onion and garlic in oil, then stir in tomato paste, cumin and chile powder and cook a few minutes more to intensify flavor. Add broth, water, red lentils (which cook faster than their green or black counterparts) and diced carrot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Purée half the mixture and return it to the pot for a soup that strikes the balance between chunky and pleasingly smooth. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavors.

Featured in: A Lentil Soup to Make You Stop, Taste and Savor

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Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • Salt and black pepper

  • Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste

  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth

  • 1 cup red lentils

  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced

  • Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste

  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

39 grams carbs; 297 calories; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 11 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 835 milligrams sodium; 13 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in tomato paste, cumin, ¼ teaspoons each salt and black pepper and the chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.

  3. Step 3

    Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.

  4. Step 4

    Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.

  5. Step 5

    Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
41,679 user ratings
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Comments

SCA

This is daal, minus a few essential seasonings.

Best made by sautéing the onions, then adding ginger and garlic paste to taste; sautéing fresh chopped tomatoes (no paste); adding spices (turmeric, coriander powder, chili powder, a touch of cinnamon if you like) once the oil has taken on the red color from the tomatoes and the vegetables have a glazed appearance.

Not enough salt in this recipe.

Make a simple chutney with yogurt, green chilies and cilantro.

Jackie

Was looking forward to this making this, and after seeing the comments, made a few changes...used chicken stock, and, instead of water, one 14oz. can of diced tomatoes and more stock. I used 3 carrots instead of 1, and didn't bother to blend....and added a bag of spinach, finished with grated parm, and it was fabulous.

Michael

This is a very tasty recipe but I have two suggestions:
1. There is too much liquid for the amount of lentils; therefore add one or two small potatoes, diced, to give the soup more body.
2. Step 4 - No need for more mess of moving half the soup into another pot; get the same rougher consistency by pureeing in one pot but in short bursts until somewhat, but not entirely smooth.

Isabelle

This is being touted as the highest rated recipe, so I feel compelled to add a caution: I made it exactly as written and it was just meh.

NSB

So delicious. Hearty and many layers of yum in this soup. Lemon juice, fresh of course, cuts through and brings out the nuances of this lovely soup. Eat with crusty bread. Even better the next day.

Philip DiVietro

One of my favorite dishes which is easily modified based on what veggies you have wilting in the fridge. Adding parsnips or substituting parsnips for carrots adds a richer vegetable flavor. Immersion blend everything in the pot before adding the lentils, resulting in a much thicker soup with more healthy fiber.

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