Creamy, rich and flavorful, curried Indian Lentil Soup is perfect on chilly days. This hearty soup is packed with spices and aromatics, giving it a rich and complex flavor that warms you up from the inside out. Serve this thick, hearty soup with a garlic butter naan or mini pita bread.
Why You'll Love This Indian Lentil Soup Recipe
Not only does this curried lentil sup provide you with the comforting warmth of home cooked comfort food, but it's a plant based meal that show cases the nutritious lentil! So often overlooked, lentils are low cost, high protein, and cook in a fraction of the time as regular beans!
- Easy to make. This curried Indian lentil soup recipe is a very easy, one pot process, taking about 2 hours to have on the table.
- Affordable. Lentils are an inexpensive ingredient, so this soup is a very budget-friendly meal option.
- Healthy. Lentils are a good source of protein, fiber, and iron.
- Versatile. You can adapt this soup to your own taste by adding different vegetables or spices, or even different colored lentils!
- Warming and comforting. This Indian red lentil soup is perfect any time, but it will really warm you up on during winter season.
Ingredients Overview
Indian lentil soup combines all of our favorite ingredients to create an aromatic medley that tastes delicious; from fragrant curry powder to savory onions and tomatoes.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Curried Lentil Soup
The warming spices and hearty ingredients make it the perfect comfort food to enjoy on a chilly day.
Whether you prefer your soup mild or spicy, this easy-to-make recipe can be adjusted according to preference so everyone at your table can enjoy this unique take on classic cuisine.
Saute The Vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, diced carrots, and diced red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add The Spices
- Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute more.
Simmer Until Lentils Are Soft
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, and red lentils
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve while hot.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty lentil soup is delicious on its own or as a side for grilled or roasted meats. Pair it with garlic butter naan and a refreshing cucumber and yogurt salad for a complete, satisfying meal that will keep everyone full and happy.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations when making this hearty soup recipe:
- You can easily substitute brown lentils instead of the red lentils, but allow an extra 30 minute cook time.
- Substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth for the bouillon cubes.
- Instead of curry spices for this soup, try just Hungarian paprika and bay leaf for a more Hungarian version lentil stew.
Storage and Reheating
- This Indian red lentil soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator and then heat it in a pot over medium heat until warmed through.
Tips for Success
- You can add other vegetables to the soup, such as carrots, potatoes, or zucchini.
- Garnish the soup with your favorite toppings.
- If you want a thicker soup, you can mash some of the lentils with a fork before serving.
Related Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use other types of lentils in this recipe. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. For example, brown lentils will take longer to cook than red lentils.
Instead of the curry spices, you could use sweet or Hungarian paprika, beef stock and Montreal spices, or just salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf.
Indian Inspired Recipes
Get The Recipe!
Curried Indian Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
- 6 qt Enameled Dutch Oven
- 6 qt Stainless Steel Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 large Onion diced
- 2 medium Carrot diced
- 1 Red bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon Cumin ground
- 1 teaspoon Coriander ground
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric ground
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala ground
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne ground
- 15 oz Tomatoes diced, undrained - 1 can
- 4 cup Vegetable broth
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 cup Red Lentils
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, diced carrots, and diced red bell pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.2 tablespoon Olive oil, 1 large Onion, 2 medium Carrot, 1 Red bell pepper
- Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute more.4 cloves Garlic, 1 teaspoon Ginger, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Coriander, ½ teaspoon Turmeric, ½ teaspoon Garam Masala, ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, and red lentils15 oz Tomatoes, 4 cup Vegetable broth, 2 Bay leaves, 2 cup Red Lentils
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve while hot.
Notes
- You can add other vegetables to the soup, such as carrots, potatoes, or zucchini.
- Garnish the soup with your favorite toppings.
- If you want a thicker soup, you can mash some of the lentils with a fork before serving.
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