10 Easy Lentil Soup Recipes for Cold Nights (September 2026)

These easy lentil soup recipes for cold nights run from a 25-minute one-pot dinner to a slow afternoon pot that feeds six, and every one of them comes out of a single pot with pantry ingredients you probably already have. Lentils need no soaking, they cook faster than most beans, and they break down on their own to give you a broth thick enough to warm you from the inside.

All ten recipes here are written for a home cook on a weeknight in 2026. Each card gives you the yield, the timings, exact ingredient amounts, numbered steps with a doneness cue, and a swap if something in your kitchen is not cooperating. If you want a broader set of cold-weather dinners, our easy soup recipes for dinner ideas roundup covers other bowls that behave the same way.

Easy Lentil Soup Recipes for Cold Nights at a Glance

Scan the table first, then jump to the recipe. Total time includes prep and any unattended time.

Recipe	Total Time	Difficulty	Best For
1. Classic Tomato-Lentil Soup	40 minutes	Easy	The dependable weeknight bowl
2. One-Pot Garlic Lentil Soup	30 minutes	Easy	Fastest dinner on this list
3. Red Lentil and Coconut Curry Soup	30 minutes	Easy	Creamy, spiced, weeknight
4. Green Lentil, Potato, and Spinach Soup	50 minutes	Easy	A filling cold-weather lunch
5. Smoky Black Bean and Lentil Soup	35 minutes	Easy	Bold smoky flavour, pantry-friendly
6. Italian-Style Lentil and Vegetable Soup	55 minutes	Easy	Brothy and light, served with bread
7. Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup	40 minutes	Easy	Naturally sweet, blended smooth
8. Mediterranean Lentil Soup with Lemon	45 minutes	Easy	Bright, herby, lighter option
9. Beef and Lentil Barley Soup	1 hour 40 minutes	Medium	A traditional winter main
10. Creamy French Onion Lentil Soup	1 hour 5 minutes	Medium	Polished comfort food for guests

1. Classic Tomato-Lentil Soup

This is the lentil soup I make most often, and the one most people mean when they search for an easy lentil soup on a dark January evening. Tomato and brown lentils make a broth that thickens on its own, so there is no blending and no cream.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 30 minutes · Total: 40 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups (about 300 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (28 oz / 794 g) crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until softened and the edges of the onion turn translucent.
3. Stir in the garlic, oregano, paprika and cumin. Cook 60 seconds, just until fragrant, and stir constantly so nothing catches on the bottom.
4. Add the rinsed lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat to a steady simmer, cover partially, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. The soup is ready when a spoon dragged across the base leaves a trail and the lentils yield easily to the back of the spoon.
7. Remove the bay leaves, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over parsley and a thread of olive oil.

Tip: Hold the salt until the lentils are tender. Salted early, the skins toughen and the lentils stay firm in the middle no matter how long you simmer.

Swap it: Use green lentils and add 2 cups (about 40 g) chopped kale in the last 10 minutes. The soup keeps its shape and turns heartier.

Storage: Keeps 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Freeze in single-serving portions for up to 3 months.

2. One-Pot Garlic Lentil Soup

Six cloves of garlic, one pot, thirty minutes. This is the one to make on the night the weather turned and you have nothing planned. It tastes like it simmered far longer than it did because the garlic melts into the broth.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings · Prep: 8 minutes · Cook: 22 minutes · Total: 30 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 cup (about 200 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
• Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook 6 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more, stirring, until the slices turn pale gold. Watch it here, garlic goes from golden to bitter fast.
3. Stir in the lentils, broth, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 22 minutes, skimming any foam off the surface in the first few minutes.
5. The lentils are done when they crush between two fingers and the broth coats a spoon.
6. Adjust the seasoning and serve in shallow bowls with parsley and toast.

Tip: Slice the garlic thin rather than mincing it. Thin slices dissolve into the broth and give you a round garlic flavour instead of a sharp bite.

Swap it: Add a cup (about 40 g) uncooked tiny pasta or 1/2 cup (about 45 g) pearl couscous for the last 15 minutes to stretch the pot.

Storage: 4 days in the fridge. It thickens noticeably as it sits, so loosen leftovers with a splash of broth when reheating.

3. Red Lentil and Coconut Curry Soup

Red lentils collapse in about 20 minutes, and coconut milk rounds them into something closer to a dal than a soup. This is the one my sister asks for when it is cold and she does not want to chop much.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 8 minutes · Cook: 22 minutes · Total: 30 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 cups (about 270 g) red lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (400 g) full-fat coconut milk
• 3 cups (710 ml) vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and soften the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and red pepper flakes. Stir 60 seconds until the pot smells warm rather than dusty.
3. Stir in the lentils, broth and the coconut milk. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer 18 to 22 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the whole pot looks creamy and the lentils have broken down.
5. The soup is ready when it coats a spoon and leaves a clean line when you drag the back of it across the pot.
6. Stir in the lime juice off the heat, then taste. Add a second squeeze if it tastes flat.
7. Serve with cilantro and a wedge of lime.

Tip: Add the lime at the very end, off the heat. Boiling it with the coconut milk dulls the citrus and flattens the whole bowl.

Swap it: For a vegan version, use light coconut milk and skip nothing else, the coconut milk here is already dairy-free. Add a cup of spinach in the last 5 minutes for more body.

Storage: 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Freezes well for up to 3 months, though the texture goes a touch grainy, so loosen it with broth when reheating.

4. Green Lentil, Potato, and Spinach Soup

Green lentils hold their shape, which is exactly what you want here, because the potatoes and spinach turn this into a lunch that actually fills you up. It is the most substantial vegetarian bowl on this list.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 12 minutes · Cook: 38 minutes · Total: 50 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 400 g), peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 1/2 cups (about 285 g) dried green lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 5 cups (about 115 g) fresh baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Sour cream or plain yogurt, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic and oregano, stir for 30 seconds, then add the potatoes and stir to coat them in the oil.
3. Stir in the lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes.
4. Add the spinach a handful at a time and simmer 10 to 12 minutes more.
5. The soup is done when the potato pieces break apart when pressed with a fork and the lentils are tender but still whole.
6. Season with salt and pepper, and serve topped with a spoonful of yogurt and a grind of black pepper.

Tip: Cut the potatoes small and add them with the lentils, not before. Giving them the full simmer time is what makes them soft enough to thicken the broth on their own.

Swap it: Out of yogurt? Use a spoonful of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. For more bulk, stir in 1/2 cup (about 45 g) cooked farro with the spinach.

Storage: 4 to 5 days in the fridge. The potatoes soften further on day two, so freeze it if you are cooking for the week ahead.

5. Smoky Black Bean and Lentil Soup

Smoked paprika and a splash of cider vinegar do the work here, turning a plain lentil pot into something with a smoky backbone and a bright finish. The corn is not traditional, but it makes this the soup my kids ask for by name.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 25 minutes · Total: 35 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (about 190 g) dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (425 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup (165 g) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 4 cups (950 ml) vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt for 7 minutes until soft.
2. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin and cayenne. Stir 45 seconds until the spices darken by a shade.
3. Add the lentils, black beans, crushed tomatoes, corn and broth. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils are tender and the broth thickens to the texture of thin cream.
5. Stir in the cider vinegar and taste. It should taste slightly sharp against the smokiness.
6. Serve topped with cilantro, sliced avocado and corn.

Tip: Drain and rinse the canned beans. The liquid that comes in the can is starchy and salty, and it will make the pot muddy if you pour it in.

Swap it: For a vegan version, use vegetable broth. Add 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa or a small piece of dark chocolate for deeper smokiness.

Storage: 4 to 5 days in the fridge, and it freezes for up to 3 months. Add the avocado fresh, after reheating.

6. Italian-Style Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Brothy rather than thick, and built on soffritto done properly, this is the soup to make if a heavy pot of stew is more than you want after a long day. A spoonful of red wine vinegar at the end makes it taste like it simmered for hours.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 45 minutes · Total: 55 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups (about 285 g) dried green lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups (1.4 L) vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
• Toasted sliced bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and sweet.
2. Raise the heat to medium and add the garlic, oregano and rosemary. Stir 30 seconds.
3. Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes.
4. The lentils are tender when they give way with a light press, and the broth should taste round rather than raw-onion sharp.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar.
6. Rest the soup covered for 10 minutes, then serve with parsley and toasted bread.

Tip: Dice the onion, carrot and celery small and give them 10 full minutes. Rush the soffritto and the whole pot tastes undercooked, no matter how long the lentils cook.

Swap it: Add 1/2 cup (about 45 g) small pasta or a handful of greens in the last 10 minutes. A vegetarian broth keeps this plant-based; chicken broth makes it richer.

Storage: 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Freezes well for up to 3 months, but add the bread and parsley fresh.

7. Spiced Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Sweet potato and red lentils both break down, so this blends to a smooth, lightly sweet bowl without a drop of cream. Cumin and ginger carry it, and a small amount of chili flakes keeps it from tasting like a dessert.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 12 minutes · Cook: 28 minutes · Total: 40 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large sweet potato (about 500 g), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1 1/4 cups (about 225 g) red lentils, rinsed
• 4 cups (950 ml) vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Olive oil and chili flakes, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and soften the onion with a pinch of salt for 6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and chili flakes. Stir 45 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add the sweet potato, lentils and broth. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer 25 to 28 minutes until the sweet potato is completely soft and the lentils have broken down.
5. Blend with an immersion blender right in the pot, or carefully in batches, until smooth. The soup is ready when it pours like loose cream.
6. Taste, season with salt, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of chili flakes.

Tip: Blend in the pot with an immersion blender if you have one. Transferring hot soup to a blender in batches is where most blended soups spill.

Swap it: For a thicker bowl, add 1/2 cup (about 110 g) cooked sweet potato back into the soup after blending. Freeze it flat in bags if you want weeknight portions.

Storage: 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Freezes for up to 3 months; stir in a splash of broth or water when reheating on low heat.

8. Mediterranean Lentil Soup with Lemon

Green lentils, chickpeas, lemon and dill, and the pot tastes bright rather than heavy. This is my pick when I want a cold-weather soup that is still a bowl of vegetables instead of a bowl of starch.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 35 minutes · Total: 45 minutes · Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 cups (about 285 g) dried green lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes
• 5 cups (1.2 L) vegetable broth
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, for serving
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 8 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic and oregano, stir 30 seconds, then add the lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes and broth.
3. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 to 35 minutes until the lentils are tender and hold their shape.
4. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining olive oil.
5. Taste and season. The soup should taste bright, with the lemon at the front.
6. Serve with a generous handful of fresh dill.

Tip: Add the lemon with the heat off. Boiled lemon juice turns bitter, and that bitterness kills the fresh character of the dish.

Swap it: Add 1/2 cup (about 45 g) cooked bulgur or quinoa at the end for more staying power. Mint works in place of dill if that is what you have.

Storage: 4 to 5 days in the fridge, but hold the fresh dill until serving. Freezes for up to 3 months, with the lemon juice added after thawing.

9. Beef and Lentil Barley Soup

This is the one for a proper winter Sunday, with beef stew meat simmered low and slow until the marrow softens and the barley swells. It takes a while, and that is exactly the point.

Yield: 8 servings · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes · Total: 1 hour 40 minutes · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb (450 g) beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup (about 200 g) dried green lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup (about 160 g) pearl barley, rinsed
• 8 cups (1.9 L) beef broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown it in the olive oil over medium-high heat in batches, 2 to 3 minutes a batch, until each side is browned. Set it aside.
2. In the same pot, cook the onion, carrots and celery over medium heat for 8 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and oregano and stir 30 seconds.
4. Return the beef to the pot. Add the lentils, barley, broth and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
5. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is very tender and the barley is swollen and chewy.
6. Cooked beef should reach 145°F (63°C) internally with a 3-minute rest, which a simmer this long achieves well past.
7. Remove the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and serve with parsley.

Tip: Keep the heat at a bare simmer. A rolling boil breaks the lentils down too fast and turns the broth cloudy and starchy before the beef softens.

Swap it: Swap the beef for turkey sausage, chopped and browned first, and cut the simmer to 35 minutes. A vegetable version with extra mushrooms and 1/2 cup red lentils works too.

Storage: 4 days in the fridge. The barley keeps drawing liquid, so add a cup of broth when reheating. Freezes for up to 3 months in single portions.

10. Creamy French Onion Lentil Soup

Three onions cooked down slowly for half an hour, green lentils, and a splash of cream at the end. It is the longest recipe here and the one that looks the most impressive when it reaches the table. Contains dairy and wheat if you serve it with bread.

Yield: 6 servings · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 50 minutes · Total: 1 hour 5 minutes · Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

• 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups (about 285 g) dried green lentils, rinsed
• 5 cups (1.2 L) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or an extra cup of broth
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, for serving
• Fresh thyme leaves, for serving

Instructions

1. Melt the butter or oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the onions and brown sugar with a pinch of salt and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until deep golden and collapsed to about a third of their original volume.
2. Push the onions to the edges, add the garlic and thyme, and stir 30 seconds.
3. Add the wine and let it bubble for 1 minute, scraping the browned bits off the base.
4. Stir in the lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender.
5. Pour in the cream and stir well, then simmer 5 minutes until the soup coats a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle into bowls, scatter the grated cheese over the top, and let it melt under a hot grill or broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Finish with fresh thyme.

Tip: Give the onions the full 25 to 30 minutes and keep the heat moderate. Rush them and the soup tastes raw-onion sharp with none of the sweetness.

Swap it: Use olive oil and a splash of cream at the end for a dairy-free version, and skip the cheese. Swiss chard stirred in with the cream adds greens.

Storage: 4 days in the fridge. Cream soups can split when boiled hard, so reheat gently with a splash of broth and a whisk. Freezes for up to 2 months, though the texture is best fresh.

Tips for Making These

What is the secret ingredient in a great lentil soup?

There is no single magic ingredient. What makes lentil soup taste finished is three things happening in order: brown the aromatics in oil until they soften and colour, toast the ground spices in that same fat for a full minute before any liquid goes in, and finish the pot with acid, either lemon juice or a splash of vinegar. Salt and a final drizzle of good olive oil complete it. Home cooks on cooking forums repeat the broth-over-water point constantly, and they are right: broth carries flavour that water cannot.

What are the common mistakes in making lentil soup?

• Not rinsing the dried lentils. A fine mesh strainer and cold water pulls out grit and stones. Skip it and somebody finds a pebble.
• Dumping spices in after the liquid. Spices need hot fat to release their aroma. Add them to the sautéed vegetables and give them 45 to 60 seconds.
• Using too little liquid. Lentils should stay submerged by 1 to 2 inches the whole time, or the bottom scorches and the centre stays hard.
• Forgetting to check the level. Water evaporates during a long simmer. Add hot water in a cup at a time every 20 to 30 minutes.
• Salting at the start. Early salt toughens the skins. Season in the last five minutes instead.
• Using the wrong variety for the time. Green lentils need 40 to 45 minutes and red lentils need under 10. Cooking them on the same clock gives you mush or crunch, not soup.

Which lentils should I use, and how long do they take?

Variety	Cook Time	Texture	Best In
Red	5 to 10 minutes	Breaks down, thickens	Dal-style and blended soups
Brown	25 to 30 minutes	Holds shape, thickens	Everyday tomato and broth soups
Green	40 to 45 minutes	Holds shape, chewy	Chunky soups with firm vegetables
Black beluga	30 to 35 minutes	Firm, glossy, stays whole	Soups where lentils should look whole
Yellow	20 to 25 minutes	Soft, creamy	Quick soups and curries

Short on time? Soak is not required for any of them. A 20-minute soak helps slightly with cooking time and digestibility, but the difference in a soup is small, and many home cooks skip it entirely without noticing.

How do I thicken a watery lentil soup?

1. Mash about a quarter of the lentils against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir them back in.
2. Blend one ladleful of soup until smooth, return it to the pot, and stir. Repeat if you need more body.
3. For a heavier thickening, simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the liquid reduces and coats the bottom of the pot.

A cornstarch slurry works too, but the starch the lentils release on their own is what gives you the cleanest texture, and it tastes better.

How do leftovers and batch cooking work?

Most of these soups improve on day two as the flavours settle, which makes them ideal for Sunday batch cooking. Cool them completely before they go in the fridge, portion into single servings, and leave a finger of headroom in any container you freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on low with a splash of broth. Cooks regularly turn leftover lentil soup into a thin curry with coconut milk, or loosen it and spoon it over pasta.

For the rest of the season, our fall soup recipes for cozy bowls roundup has the lighter soups, and this chicken and cream of mushroom soup recipe covers the creamy side of cold-weather cooking. If you want more ideas before you shop, our cozy one-pot soup recipes list is worth a scroll too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Easy Lentil Soup Should You Make First?

Start with the Classic Tomato-Lentil Soup. It is forgiving, it feeds six, and it teaches you the one technique the other nine recipes share, which is giving the spices a full minute in hot fat before the liquid goes in. Once you have that habit down, the rest of this list takes about the same effort.

If tonight is too tired for a forty-minute pot, make the One-Pot Garlic Lentil Soup instead and save these easy lentil soup recipes for a Sunday when you have time to let something simmer.