This red lentil soup without tomatoes is a regular at our dinner table. It features tender red lentils, carrots, celery, onion, and warm spices simmered in a vegetable broth, then finished with fresh lemon juice. We prefer it chunky but feel free to blend it for a creamier texture.
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I always have a large package of red and brown lentils on hand, because this soup and my pasta with brown lentils are my go-to winners list for meatless dinners. We have one or the other at least once a week.
For both of these dishes, you’ll need a few pantry staples and simple veggies like carrots, onion, and celery — ingredients we always have in the fridge.
What makes this dish a family favorite
- Mild flavors: Without tomatoes, the soup has a milder flavor and lets you taste the lentils more, along with a creamier texture that kids enjoy more.
- It's customizable: You can use up different veggies you have left in the fridge, such as bell peppers and zucchini, and flavor it with garlic, turmeric, cumin, or even curry powder.
- Goes well with toppings: croutons, grated Parmesan, fresh cilantro or dill, or toasted seeds.
What's going in (with some swap ideas)
- Red lentils: I used split red lentils, which are more common than whole.
- Carrot: fresh carrots will add color and sweetness.
- Celery: it adds a nice savory flavor to the soup and a bite.
- Onion: I used yellow onion. For milder taste, use shallots.
- Garlic: it just makes everything taste better.
- Ghee butter: it is important to saute the veggies to make the soup richer and bring up all the flavors.
- Spices: I always use turmeric, cumin, coriander, and some black pepper. Sometimes, I use mild curry powder.
- Salt: if you are using low sodium broth, adjust the salt at the very end.
- Vegetable broth: I used store-bought vegetable broth.
- Lemon juice: I recommend using fresh lemon juice. It adds a touch of acidity, and brightness and balances all the flavors in the soup.
Ingredients substitutions
- If you do not have ghee butter, you can easily use olive oil or even regular butter.
- No vegetable broth? Use chicken stock or water+better than bouillon. I have also made it with only water and it still turns out great.
How to make red lentil soup without tomatoes
Please, see the recipe card at the end of this post for the ingredients quantities and printable recipe card.
Before you turn on the stove:
- Sort and rinse red lentils. I have seen some small rocks and debris in red lentils, so always recommend sorting them well on a flat surface. After that rinse the lentils in a bowl with cold water one or two times.
Note: Unlike rice, the water you use to rinse lentils will never become clear because lentils naturally release surface starches and particles. This is completely normal, and a quick rinse is enough to remove any dirt.
- Prep and chop the veggies: wash carrot and celery well and dice them into cubes. Dice the onion and mince garlic.
To make the soup:
Saute the vegetables, and add aromatics and spices: In a large or medium pot, heat ghee butter or olive oil. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Sautee for about 3-4 minutes over medium heat. Add minced garlic, turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Saute for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant and the spices release their aroma (image 1).
Add red lentils and vegetable broth. Add the rinsed lentils and enough broth to cover them by about 2 inches.
Simmer the soup until the lentils are tender. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer half-covered for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender (image 2).
Add lemon juice and adjust the salt. Take it off the heat. Add lemon juice to the soup and taste the soup. Add more salt if needed (image 3).
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. If you like a creamier texture, use the immersion blender to blend the soup.
Recipe tips
- Make sure to sort lentils and rinse them a few times.
- Sauté the aromatics first. This step will make the soup flavorful.
- Adjust the texture by blending the soup or leave it chunkier.
- Finish the soup with fresh dill, cilantro, parsley, or croutons.
How to store and reheat
Transfer the soup to a large air-tight container and let it cool at room temperature. You can let it cool in a pot, but it will take much longer time.
Store lentil soup in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
I recommend reheating it in a saucepan over low heat. If you reheat it in a microwave, every 20–30 seconds to heat it evenly.
My family's interactive serving ideas
For this cozy soup, I love to offer separate bowls with different toppings, such as roasted crunchy chickpeas, croutons, roasted sunflower seeds, and plain yogurt. Everybody can customize their own bowl.
You can also serve this soup with crusty bread, pita bread, or even grilled cheese.
How to make it in a pressure cooker
- Saute the vegetables. Set the pressure cooker to Saute. Heat ghee butter, add chopped onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and spices and cook until they become aromatic.
- Add lentils and broth. Add sorted and rinsed lentils and the broth. Srit and scrape up in case anything got stuck to the bottom.
- Pressure cook. Seal the lid. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. When the time is up, carefully do a quick release of pressure.
- Add lemon juice and adjust the salt. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, and more salt if needed to your and your family's taste.
Frequently asked questions
You can use green lentils, but the soup will have a completely different texture and flavor. Green lentils hold their shape when cooked, so the soup will be chunkier, and green lentils have a slightly earthier, nuttier flavor. Green lentils will also take about 40 minutes to cook.
No, red lentils do not need to be soaked. They cook relatively fast and break down well, making them perfect for soups
Yes, I love this soup recipe because you can add a variety of veggies, aside from tomatoes, of course (if you count them as a vegetable, ha-ha). You can add broccoli, bell, peppers, zucchini, or even butternut squash.
More soup recipes
- Carrot and ginger soup - creamy and slightly spicy soup made with fresh carrots and ginger.
- Fall acorn squash soup - comforting soup made with roasted acorn squash, vegetables, aromatic spices.
- Yellow split pea soup with asparagus - hearty soup with tender asparagus.
- Green borscht soup - Ukrainian soup with sorrel
📖 Recipe
Lentil Soup Without Tomatoes
Equipment
- 1 Large or medium pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
- ¾ cup red lentils
- 1 large carrot
- 1 celery rib
- ¼ yellow onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon ghee butter or oil
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ¼-½ teaspoons salt adjust to taste at the end
Instructions
- Sort, and rinse ¾ cup red lentils. Chop 1 large carrot and 1 celery rib. Dice ¼ yellow onion and mince 1 garlic clove.
- In a medium pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee butter or oil. Add diced onion, carrots and celery, and saute for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat stirring them often. Add minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon coriander , ¼ teaspoon turmeric, ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Saute for another 1-2 minutes over medium heat stirring often until garlic and spices become aromatic.
- Add rinsed lentils and 3-4 cups low sodium vegetable broth or water. The liquid should cover lentils by about 2 inches. Bring the soup to a boil, turn the heat to low, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If you see that the soup needs more water for the lentils to get tender during this time, you can add a little more broth. Just do not add too much, as it will dilute the soup flavor.
- Stir in lemon juice. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper, if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with chopped fresh dill, cilantro or other herbs. You can also add some croutons for texture.
Notes
- You can also use other vegetables, such as potatoes, bell pepper, zucchini, sweet potatoes.
- Instead of the offered spices, try adding 1 teaspoon of mild curry powder.
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