Spiced Carrot Lentil Soup (Printable)

Cozy spiced soup featuring tender carrots, red lentils, and fragrant seasoning for chilly days.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, chopped
03 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced

→ Legumes & Liquids

06 - 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed
07 - 5 cups vegetable broth
08 - 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices

→ Spices & Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
14 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
16 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
02 - Add minced garlic, sliced carrots, and diced celery. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Combine rinsed red lentils, diced tomatoes with juices, and vegetable broth. Stir thoroughly to integrate ingredients.
05 - Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until carrots and lentils are tender.
06 - Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Use an immersion blender to partially or fully puree the soup, depending on desired texture.
08 - Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes expensive and complicated but comes together in the time it takes to watch one episode of something.
  • The spices wake everything up—cumin, coriander, and a whisper of cinnamon make you feel like you're eating something with real character.
  • It's the kind of soup that works for meal prep, impressing someone at dinner, or just getting through Tuesday.
  • You can leave it chunky or blend it smooth depending on what you're craving that day.
02 -
  • Red lentils break down differently than brown or green ones—that's a feature, not a bug, and it's what makes this soup thicken naturally without any cream.
  • Bloom those spices in the hot pot for one full minute before adding liquid; it sounds like a small thing until you taste the difference it makes, and then you can't go back.
  • If your soup seems thin after 30 minutes, your lentils might need a few extra minutes, or your broth might be thinner than expected—let it simmer a little longer and it'll catch up.
03 -
  • If you're using store-bought broth, warm it gently in a separate pot while you sauté your vegetables—you want it already warm when it hits the lentils, which speeds things up and helps everything blend better.
  • Lentils vary in how quickly they soften depending on how old they are and how long they sat in your cabinet; if yours are taking longer than 30 minutes, that's normal, and they're worth the wait.
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