Recipe development by Mitzi de Maa RD, LDN

Food photography and copywriting by Isabel Vasquez Larson RD, LDN

As the weather cools off, nothing beats a warm bowl of lentil soup. This low-effort meal is ready in about 40 minutes. Make a big batch and freeze it for later or keep it in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week. It goes great with white rice, tortillas, crusty bread, or a sandwich. Plus, it’s full of fiber for healthy cholesterol, digestion, and blood sugars.

Photo of a blue bowl of sopa de lentejas with a small plate of avocado and cilantro in the background

What You’ll Need

To make this lentil soup, you’ll need a few ingredients—many of which you may already have in your pantry, fridge, or freezer.

The ingredients for this recipe include:

Vegetable or canola oil. Both have a high smoke point, making them great for this recipe.
Diced carrots
Diced onions
Diced celery
Ground cumin
Minced garlic
Vegetable or chicken broth. If you’d like, you can use a combination of both like we did when we prepared this recipe.
Dried lentils

Some stores sell a pre-chopped blend of carrots, onions, and celery called mirepoix. Feel free to use that to save time!

If you’d like, you can add shredded chicken and/or canned peas to this recipe for additional protein and fiber.

For finishing touches, add toppings like cilantro, avocado, queso fresco, chile serrano, and/or lime.

Image of ingredients to make sopa de lentejas: lentils, celery, carrots, onion, cumin, canola oil, veggie and chicken stock, and minced garlic

1. Heat oil in a large pot

To start, heat vegetable oil or canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. These oils work well since they have high smoke points.

2. Add the veggies

Next, dice the onion, carrots, and celery if you didn’t purchase them pre-chopped, and add them to the pot. If you’re using canned peas, add those now, too. Cook them until the veggies begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to stir them occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Photo of a big pot with diced carrots, onions, and celery

3. Stir in the garlic and cumin

Once the veggies have softened, stir in the minced garlic and ground cumin. Cook until it becomes aromatic. This should take about 1–2 minutes.

Photo of a hot pot with diced veggies, minced garlic, and cumin

4. Pour in the stock

It’s time to add the stock! We used low-sodium chicken and vegetable stock for this recipe to avoid unnecessary excess sodium.

Simply pour it in and get ready to add the lentils next.

Photo of a big pot on a stove with chicken stock being poured into it

5. Stir in the lentils

Right after you add the stock, stir in the dried lentils. We used brown lentils, but you can use any color lentils for this recipe.

Just make sure to rinse them first to wash away any dust or debris.

Photo of a big pot of broth with lentils being poured in

6. Simmer

After you’ve stirred in the lentils, bring the mixture to a boil. Once it comes to a bowl, turn the heat down and let the soup simmer uncovered for about 25-30 minutes. Stir occasionally. You’ll know it’s ready when the lentils are tender.

If you’re adding chicken, do so during the last 5 minutes of simmering.

Photo of a big steaming pot of lentil soup simmering on the stove

7. Add salt, pepper, and toppings to your liking. Enjoy!

Give the soup a try and add salt and pepper to taste. If you like, add toppings like cilantro, avocado, lime, or crumbled queso fresco. Finally, it’s time to enjoy!

Photo of a blue bowl of lentil soup with cilantro sprigs and a small plate of avocado, lime, and cilantro on the side

Sopa de Lentejas Health Benefits and Considerations

High cholesterol and heart Health

The lentils, carrots, celery, onions, and any other veggies you choose to add to this soup provide essential minerals. This includes two key minerals for heart health—potassium and magnesium—which help lower blood pressure, per a 2023 study in Nutrients.

For more blood pressure benefits, use low-sodium or no-salt-added chicken or vegetable stock.

When prepared without added meat, the soup is very low in saturated fat, which is beneficial for cardiovascular health, especially cholesterol.

Even if you do choose to add chicken—particularly chicken breast meat—it will still be relatively low in saturated fat since chicken breast is a lean protein.

The lentils provide additional benefits when it comes to managing your cholesterol. They’re rich in soluble fiber which can help lower cholesterol, per MedlinePlus. In fact, a 2024 study in Nutrients found that eating a lentil-based lunch for 12 weeks helped lower participants’ LDL and total cholesterol levels.

Furthermore, the other veggies—like onions, garlic, carrots, and celery—add antioxidants and compounds that further support healthy cholesterol levels.

Diabetes

The fiber in lentils doesn’t just support heart health, it also helps prevent blood sugar spikes, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That 2024 Nutrients study we mentioned earlier also found that after eating, participants who had a lentil-based lunch had lower blood sugars than those who ate a meat-based lunch.

This lentil soup is a well rounded meal for balancing blood sugars because it provides all the necessary macronutrients, along with fiber, to promote satiety and stabilize blood sugars. Here’s how you get these nutrients from this meal:

Carbohydrates: lentils, vegetables, tortillas (if added)
Protein: lentils (and chicken, if added)
Fat: oil, avocado (if added)
Fiber: lentils, vegetables, avocado (if added)

For more recipes and education on how to ADD nutrition to your favorite Latine cultural dishes, make peace with food, and focus on your health without dieting, join our nutrition library for only $27/month.

Lentil soup, sopa de lentejas, soups, stews, plant-based meal

Lunch, Dinner

Mexican, Latin American

Yield: 6-8

Author: Mitzi de Maa RD, LDN

Sopa de Lentejas

This plant-based, fiber-full recipe is simple to prepare and the ideal way to cozy up on a cool day.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Optional

1 cup canned peas
1–2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Lime wedges
Queso fresco, crumbled
Chile serrano, sliced
Avocado, sliced
Tortillas

Instructions

In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium heat.
Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery (and peas, if using). Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion becomes translucent.
Stir in the minced garlic and ground cumin. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the chicken and/or vegetable stock to the pot.
Rinse the lentils well, then add them to the pot right after you add the stock. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. If using chicken, add it during the last 5 minutes of simmering. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed, and add your desired toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

406

Fat

10 g

Sat. Fat

2 g

Carbs

55 g

Fiber

23 g

Net carbs

31 g

Sugar

7 g

Protein

25 g

Sodium

1260 mg

Iron

6 mg

Vitamin D

0 µg

Potassium

933 mg

Calcium

78 mg

*Note that the exact nutritional information varies depending on the ingredients you use. For example, if you use low-sodium stock the sodium content will likely be lower than these nutrition facts state.