This vegan Tomato Lentil Soup is tangy but also sweet and nutty, rich and creamy and absolutely delicious! Nutritious, easy to make and ready in under 45 minutes.
You might also like tomato zucchini soup!
This Tomato Lentil Soup combines the tangy richness of tomato soup with nutty, satisfying lentils for a delicious bowl of creamy goodness - made without any cream! It's vegan, gluten free and incredibly easy to make.
Do lentils need to be cooked before adding to soup
No, they don't! Red split lentils cook very quickly and should be added raw into the soup along with the other ingredients. As they cook they soften and absorb all the flavours from the soup, becoming soft and making the soup super creamy.
All you need to do is rinse the lentils before adding into the soup!
Why is tomato soup with lentils so good
- It's rich and filling but made with very little fat and no dairy products.
- A great natural thickener, lentils contain protein and fibre, which makes them a fantastic ingredient for adding substance to soup.
- Tomatoes are especially nutritious when cooked.
- The flavour is a perfect balance of sour, sweet and nutty.
Tomato lentil soup ingredients and substitutions
- Fresh tomatoes: such as large ripe vine tomatoes.
- Passata: adds creaminess and richness.
- Tomato puree: intensifies the tomato flavour.
- Red split lentils: I've also used them to thicken my red vegetable soup and butternut squash soup. I do not recommend using green lentils instead as they won't make this soup as creamy and their flavour profile does not work as well with the tomatoes (in this recipe).
- Sweet potato: adds sweetness and creaminess.
- Other vegetables: onion, garlic, celery - these make the soup base.
- Herbs: I used fresh basil, but you can use Italian dried herbs instead.
- Stock: either vegetarian or chicken stock will work.
- Oil: use olive or vegetable oil.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1.Make soup base: Gently cook the onion, garlic and celery with the oil for about 4 minutes over a medium heat until softened, stirring often.
2. Add lentils: Add the lentils and sweet potato and cook for a further 5 minutes stirring often.
3. Add tomatoes: Add the tomatoes, passata, tomato puree and most of the stock, cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
4. Puree soup: Remove from the heat, add the basil and puree the soup. Adjust the seasoning as needed (and top up with more stock if required) and serve.
What to serve with tomato red lentil soup
Delicious with a drizzle of single cream/half-and-half or coconut milk if you'd like to serve it vegan. Enjoy with nice thick toasted slices of baguette, garlic bread, scatter of croutons, soda bread or homemade breadsticks and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Top tips
- Tomatoes: Use very ripe fresh tomatoes for maximum flavour. I added a little passata for more creaminess and some tomato paste for a richer flavour.
- Lentils: Rinse thoroughly and add into the soup without precooking.
- Herbs: My choice of herb was basil but you can substitute that for dried Italian herbs (approx.1.5 tsp) or omit the herbs altogether if you prefer.
- Consistency: Don't add all the vegetable stock all at once as you may not need to use all of it depending on how thick you want this soup to be. You can always add a splash more once you've pureed the soup.
- Storing: Keep leftover tomato soup with lentils refrigerated for up to 3 days. It may thicken after a while but this can be easily rectified by adding a splash of water.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Related recipes you might like
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup
- Easy Butternut Squash Tomato Soup
- Polish Tomato Rice Soup
- Creamy Leftover Turkey Tomato Soup
See also these other easy, delicious soup recipes including this collection of creamy vegan soups!
Recipe
Creamy Tomato Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Stick blender
Ingredients
- 3 large vine tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 cup (240 g) tomato passata
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- ½ cup (100 g) red split lentils rinsed
- 1 small celery stalk roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 7 ounces (200 g) sweet potato peeled, roughly chopped
- 2⅓ cups (550 ml) hot vegetable stock adjust the amount to your taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Make soup base: Gently cook the onion, garlic and celery with the oil for about 4 minutes over a medium heat until softened, stirring often.
- Add lentils: Add the lentils, sweet potato, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes stirring often to ensure the mixture does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add tomatoes: Add the tomatoes, passata, tomato puree and most of the stock. Cover, bring to the boil then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Puree soup: Remove from the heat and add the basil. Puree the soup, add more stock if needed and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Enjoy!
Notes
- Tomatoes: Use very ripe fresh tomatoes for maximum flavour. I added a little passata for more creaminess and some tomato paste for a richer flavour.
- Lentils: I recommend using red rather than green lentils.
- Herbs: My choice of herb was basil but you can substitute that for Italian dried herbs (use approx. 1.5 tsp) or omit the herbs altogether if you prefer.
- Consistency: Don't add all the stock all at once as you may not need to use all of it depending on how thick you want this soup to be. You can always add a splash more once you've pureed the soup.
- Leftovers: Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. This soup may thicken after a while but this can be easily rectified by adding a splash of water.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this tomato lentil soup I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Did you use a different herb? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
Monika, I wish I love right next to your home so I could come to enjoy this delicious-looking soup! Oh I am starving now!! 😀 Thanks for sharing!
Monika says
Thanks Jhuls! Yes, I'd love to be your neighbour too and taste some of your amazing recipes too!