Lentil Potato Soup

Name: Lentil Potato Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (295 g) dried brown or green lentils (picked through, rinsed, and drained); 20 ounces (567 g) potatoes; about 4 cups when cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes (see note 1); 2 cups (227 g) chopped onion (from about 2 medium onions); 3 tablespoons oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste; 3 tablespoons tomato paste; 6 - 8 cups broth or stock (any type; for vegan soup use vegetable broth); one 14.5 ounce (411 g) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 bay leaf; 1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or red wine vinegar)

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This lentil potato soup is the ultimate cozy comfort food! Lentils and chunks of potato are seasoned with cumin and smoked paprika and cooked low and slow until nice and tender. This is a great pantry dinner recipe that you can make in only 1 hour!

lentil potato soup in two bowls with spoon in bowl and two lemon wedges on the side

Lentils are a great thing to keep in your cabinet for when you are totally out of dinner ideas, fresh groceries, or both! With only a bag of dried lentils and a handful of other (mostly pantry) ingredients, you can make this comforting and hearty soup in only about 1 hour.

This lentil potato soup can also easily be made vegan, just by using vegetable broth as the base. You can also customize this soup in a million different ways by adding additional veggies or spices.

If you need a hearty and filling dinner, this lentil potato soup is exactly what you need. Just grab a loaf of crusty bread and you've got dinner taken care of! Or, how about with a thick slice of my zucchini cheese bread - divine!

Recipe ingredients

ingredients for lentil potato soup with text labels

Ingredient notes

Lentils: I used brown lentils; these are the most common kind you will find in the grocery store (at least here in the US). Sometimes you may see them labeled as simply "lentils" on the bag.

Broth/stock: store-bought or homemade will work fine. You can use any type you prefer. For a vegan soup, use vegetable broth/stock.

Smoked paprika: if you don't have smoked paprika, you can substitute regular paprika.

Potatoes: I used yellow potatoes here, but any waxy type or all-purpose potato will work well. I talk more about potatoes in the Recipe FAQs section below!

Step by step photos

1. The first step is to sort through the dried lentils - you're just looking to remove any little pebbles or other debris that could be in there.

I like to do this by spreading a handful of lentils out on my hand, checking for anything that needs to be removed, and then placing the clean handful of lentils into a second bowl. Continue to work in batches until all the lentils have been picked through.

Once the lentils have been sorted, rinse them well and drain them. Set the cleaned lentils aside for now.

hand holding dried lentils over two bowls

2. Next, wash and dry the potatoes. Cut them into about 1 inch chunks. Make sure not to cut the potatoes much smaller than this. Otherwise, they may break apart in the soup before the lentils are done cooking.

Since I'm using thin-skinned potatoes, peeling is optional! I like to keep the skins on because it saves time on prep.

potatoes being cut into chunks on cutting board

3. Now, go ahead and chop the onions. You don't have to be super precise here, just break them down into smallish chunks.

onion being chopped on cutting board with chunks of potatoes on the side

4. Grab a large soup pot or Dutch oven and add the oil inside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the chopped onion.

hands adding chopped onion into pot with oil

5. Cook the onion for about 4 - 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and just starting to brown. Stir the onion frequently during cooking.

onion cooking in pot and being stirred with spoon

6. When the onion is translucent, add the kosher salt, cumin, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir the spices together with the onion and cook for about 30 seconds, until the spices are fragrant.

If needed, make sure to turn the heat down to prevent the spices from burning.

onion and spices being stirred in soup pot

7. Now, add in the tomato paste. Stir it around with the spices and onion to incorporate the paste. This should take about 30 seconds. Again, if needed you can reduce the heat.

collage of adding tomato paste into pot and stirring tomato paste with onions in pot

8. Next, add in the potatoes, lentils, the entire can of diced tomatoes (do not drain), and 6 cups of the broth/stock. Stir everything together. And, add the bay leaf too!

collage of adding chunks of potatoes into pot and adding broth into soup pot with other soup ingredients inside

9. Now just turn the heat up to bring the soup to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.

10. Let the soup simmer for about 30 - 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. If too much liquid is evaporating during cooking, go ahead and add more broth or stock as needed.

When stirring the soup, be sure to press down any chunks of potatoes that have popped up back down into the cooking liquid.

broth being poured into soup cooking in blue pot

11. When you think the potatoes and lentils are tender, you can test one of the potatoes by piercing it with a fork. The fork should sink in without much resistance.

You can also taste the lentils to make sure they are nice and soft (just be careful not to burn your mouth!).

spoon holding chunk of potato with fork piercing potato

12. Finally, squeeze in the lemon juice (or, you can use red wine vinegar instead if you don't have lemon). Stir the soup and give it a taste again.

At this point, you can add more lemon (or vinegar), salt, and/or pepper if you think the soup needs it.

lemon wedge being squeezed over soup in pot

Tips and tricks

Low and slow is the way to go here! Cook the soup at a simmer, rather than a boil, and you will have lentils that are soft and tender, rather than grainy. And, the potatoes will hold their shape better instead of breaking apart.

A simmer looks like small even bubbles across the surface, with wisps of steam. Compare that to a boil, which will have large bubbles breaking and lots of steam. Here is a great article discussing the difference between a simmer versus a boil if you need a visual guide.

If the soup is absorbing too much liquid during cooking, feel free to add in additional broth or stock as needed.

I only used onion in this soup in an effort to keep the ingredients list manageable. But, if you have chopped celery and/or carrot, feel free to add those at the same time as the onion for even more flavor!

You can easily customize this soup by switching up the spices or adding in additional spices that you enjoy. Here are a few ideas: dried thyme, dried rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes (if you like spice!), or coriander.

Recipe FAQs

What kind of lentils should I use for this soup?

As I mentioned in the Ingredient notes section above, I use brown lentils to make this lentil and potato soup. Brown lentils are the "typical" dried lentil you will find in most American grocery stores. Brown lentils work well in soups because they hold their shape somewhat (meaning, they don't totally break down into mush), yet still become soft and tender in the soup.

If you like, you can also use green lentils; they have a very similar texture and cook time as brown lentils. For more info, check out this breakdown of the main categories of lentils and their ideal uses.

What kind of potatoes should I use for this soup?

There are two main types of potatoes - waxy and floury. Waxy are thin-skinned and hold their shape well after cooking, and floury potatoes have a thicker skin and get nice and fluffy inside after cooking (think your classic russet baked potato!).

Because their flesh stays more intact after cooking, waxy potatoes work well in soups like this where the chunks are meant to be separate (as opposed to a blended soup for example). And, because they have thin skins, there is no need to peel them before adding them to the soup, saving you a lot of prep time!

Examples of waxy potatoes include red potatoes, new potatoes, and fingerling potatoes. Here is a great article that talks more about waxy potatoes.

In addition to waxy potatoes, you can also use yellow potatoes here (similar types may be labeled as Yukon gold or gold potatoes). Yellow potatoes are in between waxy and floury, making this a great all-purpose potato!

How do I serve lentil potato soup?

Here are some flavorful garnish ideas for this lentil potato soup: a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream (this is obviously not vegan, so if you want to keep the soup vegan of course skip this one!); cilantro or parsley leaves, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of cracked black pepper, and/or a wedge of lemon.

To serve alongside the soup, try a loaf of crusty bread, crackers, or breadsticks for dipping. You can also serve it with a green side salad or a side of steamed or sautéed veggies. Or, for more protein, you can enjoy a cup of the soup paired with a serving of grilled fish or chicken breast.

How do I store leftovers? Can I freeze the soup?

You can store leftovers in the fridge, in a tightly sealed container, for 3 - 4 days.

If you want to keep the soup for longer than 3 - 4 days, you can store it in the freezer. But, be aware that the texture of the potatoes will break down some after a stay in the freezer.

If you don't mind that, then go ahead and freeze the soup in airtight sealed food storage containers, leaving enough room at the top for the liquid to expand as it freezes. The soup will keep in the freezer for 2 - 3 months.

lentil potato soup in black bowl with lemon wedge garnish

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