This easy vegan lentil soup is chock full of wholesome ingredients and can be on the table in about 30-minutes. It’s a one-pot meal, so clean up is a breeze! I’ve included directions for cooking on the stovetop, Instant Pot, and crockpot.

Brimming with nutritious ingredients, this red lentil soup is perfectly filling and absolutely delicious.
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You’ll love this lentil soup because it’s…
- Satisfying
- Veggie-loaded
- Crockpot compatible
- Instant Pot compatible
- Ready in minutes
How to make vegan lentil soup
A full list of ingredients, measurements, instructions, and a print button can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
This healthy soup is super simple to make, and clean up is fast because it can be made all in one pot.
Begin by dicing up the onion and garlic. If you like, the spinach leaves can also be sliced. I tend to buy baby spinach with small leaves, so I don’t chop it up.
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Next, sauté the onion in veggie broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt & pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add veggie broth, tomato paste, red lentils, and a bay leaf. Stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and add fire-roasted tomatoes and the liquid.

Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove the bay leaf, and add the baby spinach leaves. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 1-minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Crockpot and Instant Pot cooking directions:
This is such a versatile soup that it has 3 different cooking options.
Stovetop: The directions for stovetop are detailed above. Basically, you’ll simply saute the onion and garlic, then add the remaining ingredients (except spinach), and simmer for about 20 minutes. Once the soup has finished cooking, add the fresh spinach leaves and allow them to wilt.
Instant Pot: Add all of the ingredients (except the spinach) PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your pot insert. Lockdown the lid and set the release valve to Sealed. This should be cooked on Manual and the timer needs to be set to 7 minutes. Allow for a slow-release for 10 minutes then release pressure. Add the spinach leaves last, while the soup is hot. They should wilt within a few minutes. If they don’t wilt enough, simply heat the soup up for about 1-2 minutes.
Crockpot: Add all the ingredients except for the spinach PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your slow cooker or crockpot. Allow the soup to cook LOW for about 5 hours. Add the greens after the soup has cooked (while still hot in the pot) before serving.
Your Vegan Lentil Soup Questions Answered:
Q: Is lentil soup vegan?
A: Often times it is, though some versions call for meat or parmesan cheese. This recipe is completely vegan though.
Q: Do I need to soak the lentils before making soup?
A: No need to soak the lentils before adding them to this recipe. You can add them straight into the stew.
Q: What do you eat with lentil soup?
A: A garden salad and crusty bread are great sides to eat with lentil soup.
Q: Is lentil soup good for you?
A: Yes, lentils are loaded with fiber and protein, and most lentil soup recipes also add in lots of other vegetables.
Q: Can I use another type of lentils?
A: Red lentils are best for stews because they get nice and creamy and help thicken the stew up. They also cook much faster than other versions.
Other great lentil recipes

Vegan Lentil Soup
This easy vegan lentil soup is chock full of wholesome ingredients and can be on the table in about 30-minutes. It's a one-pot meal, so clean up is a breeze! I've included directions for cooking on the stovetop, Instant Pot, and crockpot.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 2.5 cups veggie broth
- 2 (15 oz each) cans chopped fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tsps. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1.5 cups fresh spinach leaves
Instructions
- This healthy soup is super simple to make, and clean up is fast because it can be made all in one pot.
- Begin by dicing up the onion and garlic. If you like, the spinach leaves can also be sliced. I tend to buy baby spinach with small leaves, so I don’t chop it up.
- Next, sauté the onion in veggie broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt & pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add veggie broth, tomato paste, red lentils, and a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Stir well, then lower the heat and add fire-roasted tomatoes and their liquid.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf, and add the baby spinach leaves. Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for about 1-minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Crockpot & Instant Pot directions below.
Notes
Instant Pot: Add all of the ingredients (except the spinach) PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your pot insert. Lockdown the lid and set the release valve to Sealed. This should be cooked on Manual and the timer needs to be set to 7 minutes. Allow for a slow-release for 10 minutes then release pressure. Add the spinach leaves last, while the soup is hot. They should wilt within a few minutes. If they don't wilt enough, simply heat the soup up for about 1-2 minutes.
Crockpot: Add all the ingredients except for the spinach PLUS 1 cup extra broth to your slow cooker or crockpot. Allow the soup to cook LOW for about 5 hours. Add the greens after the soup has cooked (while still hot in the pot) before serving.
Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 187Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 12gSugar: 13gProtein: 12g
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Lori
Sunday 3rd of January 2021
Hi! I made this in the crock pot today! The taste is really good but it’s really thick - not soup like at all. Is the amount of liquid correct in the recipe? It doesn’t seem like a lot. Thank you! 😊
Char
Friday 15th of January 2021
@Terri Edwards, I added 2 more cups of water it was very thick! I used instapot!
Lori
Monday 4th of January 2021
@Terri Edwards, Hi Terri - yes I did add both cans with the juice. I ended up adding another cup of broth and a half cup of water. It's still thick but really good! Maybe it just thickened up in the crock pot for being on high ?? Either way, we'll definitely enjoy it! Thank you 😊
Terri Edwards
Monday 4th of January 2021
Hi Lori-- Just curious if you included the 2 cans of fire-roasted tomatoes (15 oz each for a total of 30 ozs) with the juice included. With the juice from the canned tomatoes and the added veggie broth, the soup shouldn't be too thick. I'm glad that you liked the flavor and hope that you were able to add a little more veggie broth to your soup to get it to the right consistency.
Jackie
Saturday 2nd of January 2021
Hi. This lentil soup sounds delicious! On the recipe card, you say “ This lentil stew with artichokes is a hearty dish that is nutrient-dense and absolutely delicious!”. When do we add the artichokes? And how much? Thanks!
Terri Edwards
Saturday 2nd of January 2021
Hi Jackie- Thanks for letting me know about that. I actually have 2 lentil soup recipes. One is an older one with artichokes, and I accidentally mentioned the artichokes in this newest recipe. I've made the correction now. You could always add artichokes to this one as well. I would add them at step #5 with the fire-roasted tomatoes. Here's a link to the other recipe if you want to take a peek at it too. https://eatplant-based.com/red-lentil-artichoke-stew-with-breaded-and-baked-eggplant-zucchini/
Angel
Wednesday 30th of December 2020
Hello, would love to make the lentil soup, what size cans of fire roasted tomatoes are we using?
Terri Edwards
Wednesday 30th of December 2020
Hi Angel- Sorry about that, and I'll add the can size to the ingredients. This recipe takes (2) 15-ounce cans of fire-roasted tomatoes for a total of 30 ounces.