Mediterranean Lentil Soup

This Mediterranean Lentil Soup is a quick and easy vegetarian meal that’s perfect for a cold day. It’s loaded with hearty vegetables, warm spices, and a bright lemon flavor. This soup is protein-rich, creamy, and so comforting!

For the longest time, I didn’t like lentil soup. Most recipes that I’ve tried were bland or mushy. My goal was to create a lentil soup that was simple, but full of flavor and nourishing ingredients.

This is our family’s favorite lentil soup. It’s made with pantry staples, seasonal veggies, Mediterranean spices, and zesty lemon. It’s an easy high fiber lunch or dinner.

Lentils are healthy and rich in protein. They’re also a good source of folate and essential minerals like potassium and iron.

My toddler and I have been fighting a stubborn cold, so we’ve been making a lot of soup lately. This one is always a winner because it’s filling, satisfying, and so cozy.

Mediterranean Lentil Soup ingredients

Olive oil: This adds flavor and richness to this soup.

Yellow onion, carrot, and celery: The combination of onion, carrots, and celery is known as ‘mirepoix’, which is a French flavor base for soups. This creates a sweet and savory flavor.

Potatoes: I use Russet potatoes in this recipe because they help to thicken up the soup. You can use yellow, red, or Yukon Gold potatoes if desired.

Garlic: Fresh garlic gives this soup great flavor. You can leave it out if you’re sensitive to garlic.

Spices and seasoning: I use ground cumin, smoked paprika, a dried bay leaf, and salt and black pepper in this soup. The smoked paprika gives this soup great flavor.

Crushed tomatoes: I’ve tried making this soup with diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes. I much prefer the texture and taste of the crushed tomatoes.

If you don’t have crushed tomatoes, you can crush a can of whole tomatoes by hand or with an immersion blender.

Lentils: I use green lentils in this soup. You can use brown or red lentils if you prefer. Make sure to cook them accordingly.         

Broth: I use Better Than Boullion Seasoned Vegetable Base for this soup. You can use homemade or your favorite store-bought broth for this soup.

Kale: I love adding a hearty green like kale because it gives the dish a nice pop of green and holds up well this soup. You can use spinach if that’s what you prefer.

Lemon: The lemon adds a fresh and vibrant flavor to this soup. I use both fresh lemon juice and zest in this recipe.

Parsley: The fresh parsley adds a nice delicate flavor to this soup.

How to make Mediterranean Lentil Soup

Sauté the veggies. Add the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the veggies have softened.

Add the diced potatoes, garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.

Cook the soup. Add the lentils, broth, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down low and let simmer, partially covered, for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender without being mushy.

Remove the bay leaf. If you want to thicken the soup, use an immersion blender to briefly puree some of the soup. Or you can transfer 1 to 2 cups of the soup to puree in a blender.(I personally don’t blend the soup and prefer it chunky).

Add the kale and cook for a few minutes until the greens have wilted slightly.

Serve and enjoy! Remove the pot from the heat and add the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Season to taste with more salt and black pepper if desired.

Serve garnished with fresh parsley and a dollop of Greek yogurt or crusty bread for dipping if desired.

What to serve with Mediterranean Lentil Soup

Bread – Crusty bread, garlic bread, croutons, buttermilk biscuits, focaccia, pita bread, or cornbread.

Grains – Add less broth to make the soup thick and serve it over rice or quinoa.

Side salad – Garden salad, arugula lemon salad, blueberry arugula salad, mixed green salad.

Sandwich – Mediterranean grilled cheese or a veggie sandwich.

Please let me know how you like this Mediterranean lentil soup recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this soup as much as I do.

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