Soup
$0.71per plate
Prep
10 min
Soup · Lentil Soup
Hearty Lentil Soup
Dried lentils cost almost nothing, need no soaking, and turn a pot of water and a few vegetables into a thick, satisfying soup in under an hour. They cook down soft and creamy, thickening the broth on their own, and a can of tomatoes and a handful of cumin give it real depth. It is filling enough to be dinner on its own, cheaper than almost anything with meat, and it freezes for weeks. This is the kind of humble, nourishing pot that budget cooking is built on.
$0.67per plate
Estimated recipe total
$4.04 · serves 6
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Serves
6
1 How to make it
1
Soften the vegetables
Cook the onion, carrot, and celery in the oil until they soften, about 6 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cumin for a minute. This base, sometimes called a mirepoix, is the flavor foundation of the soup.
2
Add lentils and liquid
Stir in the rinsed lentils, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. There is no need to soak lentils first; they cook through right in the pot.
3
Simmer until tender
Bring to a boil, then simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are soft and the soup has thickened. They release starch as they cook, so the broth thickens on its own.
4
Season and brighten
Fish out the bay leaf, season well with salt and pepper, and finish with a squeeze of lemon. The acid lifts the whole pot; do not skip it.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Any lentil color. Brown and green lentils hold their shape; red lentils melt into a thicker, smoother soup. Both work; red cooks a little faster.
- Add greens or potato. Stir in a handful of spinach or kale at the end, or a diced potato at the start, to bulk it up further.
- A ham bone or sausage. For a meatier pot, simmer a ham bone in the broth or brown a little sausage with the vegetables.
- Make it in the slow cooker. Add everything to a crock pot and cook on low for 7 hours; no browning required for a hands-off pot.
3 Budget tips
- A bag of dried lentils is one of the cheapest sources of protein in the store and cooks straight from dry, no soaking needed.
- The lentils thicken the soup themselves, so there is no need for cream or a thickener.
- This is a clean-out-the-crisper pot; almost any vegetable that is about to turn belongs in it.
- Double the batch when you cook, since it freezes well and the cost per bowl barely changes.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
This soup holds for 5 days in the fridge and thickens as it sits; loosen it with a little broth or water when you serve it again.
Freezer
Lentil soup freezes for up to 3 months and reheats without any loss in texture, which makes it ideal for batch cooking.
Reheating
Warm it on the stove or in the microwave, thinning with a splash of water or broth since the lentils keep drinking up liquid as they sit.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
210
Protein
12g
Fat
3g
Carbs
34g
Per-serving figures are estimated from standard ingredient data and are not medical or dietary advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Do I need to soak lentils before making soup?
No. Unlike dried beans, lentils cook through in about half an hour straight from dry. Just give them a quick rinse and pick out any stray debris before they go in the pot.
Why is my lentil soup bland?
Lentils need generous salt and, crucially, a hit of acid at the end. A good squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar brightens the whole pot and pulls the flavors together, so season and taste before serving.
Which lentils are best for soup?
Brown or green lentils hold their shape for a chunkier soup; red lentils break down into a smooth, thick one. Either works well, so use whatever is cheapest and adjust the simmer time to how soft you want them.
How do you calculate the price per bowl?
The estimated $4.04 total divided across 6 bowls is about $0.67 each. Lentils and vegetables are cheap staples, so this stays one of the lowest-cost dinners on the site.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 7-quart slow cooker. A large slow cooker batch-cooks cheap cuts, beans, and soups hands-off, so leftovers stretch across the week. Best for pot roast, chili, bean soups, and set-it-and-forget-it dinners.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons set. A basic set of measuring cups and spoons keeps amounts consistent, which keeps budget recipes reliable. Best for rice, liquids, and any recipe where the ratio matters.
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