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This creamy red lentil carrot soup is ready in just 30 minutes and is the perfect easy holiday and weeknight rush dinner. You can keep it vegan by skipping the Greek yogurt topping or give yourself a big dollop with a sprinkle of cilantro and red pepper flakes—the choice is totally yours!
If you could climb inside my brain, you would know that soup is one of my ultimate comfort foods.
It’s perfect for any season (yes, even summer) and can turn a bad day into a comforting good or, at minimum, a slightly better day.
I first had a soup similar to this at an event I attended not long ago.
They were passing out little soup shooters, and I first thought it was butternut squash. However, I was shocked when I read the menu, and it was red lentils and carrots.
Since I had both at home, I knew I needed to recreate this soup immediately!
This creamy soup has just a hint of curry flavor and feels like a warm hug on a cold winter night.
I know, that sounds super campy, but it’s the truth.
This soup is comforting, easy to make, and ready in 30 minutes.
You can’t ask for much more in life.
Table of Contents
- What are red lentils?
- Where can I find red lentils?
- How did you blend this soup?
- How can I make this soup fully vegan or vegetarian?
- What if I don’t have vegetable stock?
- How can I store this soup?
- Can I freeze this soup?
- Do you love this creamy red lentil carrot soup?
- Creamy Red Lentil Carrot Soup Recipe
What are red lentils?
Red lentils are an edible legume that is naturally orange/red in color.
They cook in about 20-30 minutes and tend to get a little mushy and not hold their shape.
That’s why they are perfect for pureed soups and sauces.
They have a slightly nutty, sweet taste that is slightly different from the naturally earthy taste you typically get from brown or green lentils.
Where can I find red lentils?
Even if you have never seen red lentils before, you’ll be shocked to know they can be found at almost any grocery store.
They are typically found near the dried beans or wherever you might find dried pear barley or dried split peas.
They are naturally brighter orange in appearance and typically come in a 16-ounce bag.
You will not need to use all of them for this soup so luckily for you they store in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to a year.
How did you blend this soup?
I used my Vitamix blender to blend this soup.
It creates a perfectly smooth soup and is a breeze to clean.
However, if you don’t have a Vitamix you could use any other blender (remember to do this in 2 batches if you do not have a large blender) or by using an immersion blender.
How can I make this soup fully vegan or vegetarian?
It’s naturally both!
However, for the photos, I did use a little Greek yogurt on the top because I love the additional creaminess and a little zing of tartness.
But, if you’re vegan or veg you can easily leave it off the finished product or use a plant-based yogurt.
I actually think a plant-based coconut yogurt would blend really nicely with the flavors that are in this soup.
What if I don’t have vegetable stock?
If you’re vegan or veg you can substitute the vegetable stock with water.
Now, the water won’t bring a lot to the party in terms of flavor but it is an easy substitute.
If you’re not vegan or veg you could easily substitute with chicken stock.
How can I store this soup?
If you have any leftovers make sure to store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The soup should stay fresh for about 3-4 days after preparation.
If the soup seems very thick after being in the fridge overnight you can thin it out a little with additional water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes, in fact, it freezes really well.
Make sure to store it in a freezer-safe, airtight container, and eat within 6 months of freezing.
When you’re ready to eat it just take it out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge for a few days.
Reheat on the stovetop and add more water or stock if needed to thin it out.
Do you love this creamy red lentil carrot soup?
Why not try a few of my other tasty soup recipes!
- Chicken and Chard Tortilla Soup
- Butternut Squash Minestrone Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Fennel Leek Soup
- Dutch Split Pea Soup
- Lamb Meatball Couscous Soup
- Curried Lentil Vegetable Soup
- Spicy Chicken Lime Soup
- Tom Kha Gai {Chicken Coconut Soup}
Creamy Red Lentil Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon curry powder, add up 1/2 teaspoon more if desired
- 1.5 cups vegetable stock, or water
- ½ cup rinsed red lentils
- 3 medium-sized carrots, 1-inch slices
- 1 (14 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
For topping:
- Greek yogurt
- chopped cilantro
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a medium-sized soup pot set over medium heat add olive oil.
- Once the oil is hot add in the diced onion and saute just until soft.
- Add in the garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, and curry powder.
- Saute for another minute just until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in vegetable stock, red lentils, carrots, and coconut milk.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots and lentils are soft.
- Add the hot soup to a blender (I used my Vitamix) and puree until completely smooth.
- If your blender does not hold all the soup do this in batches.
- Also, be very careful when blending the hot soup because if the lid comes off it could be dangerous.
- Pour the pureed soup back into the pot and warm through.
- Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, cilantro, and red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was unbelievable! My kids and I ate it it all before my husband got home and was able to have a bowl. Who knew these simple ingredients could make such a decadent soup.
Hi Jessica! I’m so glad your family enjoyed the soup! It’s a house favorite around here too 🙂
OMG this creamy red lentil carrot soup is fab!!
It is August 95 degrees outside and I am cooking
and freezing
Soups for lunches. I made a single batch to try and it was
Wonderful. I had to make a triple batch and it was
The best. THANKS for posting this recipie.
This has been such a great recipe to use up my lentils in the cupboard. I made coconut yogurt instead of greek yogurt! Great recipe adding it to my bookmarked pages! Thank you!
I just made this soup vegan style. And am soooooooo in love. Thank you very much. And by the way, I used my vitamin ???
Love this soup! New to your blog, will be coming back!
This soup was disgusting and flavorless.
It did not taste good and I would not recommend it.
Sorry you didn’t like it!
@Swetha Kalluri, did you remember to add the curry spices? I’ve made it several times and it was delicious. I could see it being bland if you forgot the seasonings.
How about posting comments and reviews after you actually made it… looking for a feedback and not how impressive the picture of the soup is
this was amazing!!!! the texture was so creamy, i added half a tomato, some basil leaves and garam masala as well. definitely will make this again!
This was SO good! Even my extremely picky husband loved this. It tastes just like fall to me. I subbed with chicken broth. Definitely going to add this into my rotation.
Love this recipe! But the way you present the measurements of stock/water liquid could be better. You write “1-1/2 cups vegetable stock or water” for one recipe, “2-1 cups vegetable stock or water” for a double recipe, and “3-1.5 cups vegetable stock or water” for a triple. It would be much clearer to read as “1.5 cups”, “2 cups” and “4.5” cups if those are the amounts you mean. I have shared this recipe with my sisters and friends. I love it with the yogurt on top!
Hi Karen – thank you for letting me know about the measurements! I think I have it fixed. When the recipe card doubles/triples it has a hard time when I use fractions instead of decimals. I will make a note and change this on other cards as well so it does not confuse folks. Thank you for passing along the recipe and happy cooking!