I went through a phase a couple of winters ago where I was just eating soup constantly, trying to figure out why some bowls felt like a full meal and others left me reaching for crackers ten minutes later. This lentil soup was my answer. It has this layered texture that I kept coming back to: tender whole lentils, golden roasted carrots, and a base made from pureed white beans with lime zest and juice that gives the whole thing a creamy body without any cream at all.
The curry-spiced onion that gets sauteed and stirred through at the end is what ties it all together. There’s warmth without heat, a little earthiness, and that bright lime note cutting through at the finish. Roasting the carrots before adding them might seem like an extra step, but it’s worth it. They get a little caramelized and sweet, which plays nicely against the lentils.
This is a soup I make on Sundays when I want to feel like I’m set up for the week. It stores well, thickens nicely in the fridge, and just needs a bit of water or stock when you reheat it. It’s vegetarian, it’s satisfying, and it’s the thing I’ve served to meat eaters who didn’t miss the protein at all. A piece of crusty bread on the side and you have a dinner worth sitting down for.
Roast the Carrots and Cook the Lentils
Toss the carrot chunks with olive oil and roast at 400°F for 20 minutes until tender and lightly golden. Rinse the lentils, bring to a boil in 4 cups of water, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but not mushy.
Puree the White Beans and Sauté the Onion
In a food processor, combine the 2 cups of white beans with the lime zest and lime juice and pulse into a thick, creamy mixture. In a separate pan, sauté the diced onion with yellow curry powder, salt, and black pepper until softened.
Combine and Simmer
Add the cooked lentils, pureed white bean mixture, sautéed onion, and roasted carrots to a large pot. Add water as needed to reach your preferred consistency, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and lime juice.
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Creamy Lentil Soup
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
Lentils and pureed white beans make this soup creamy without a drop of cream, brightened with lime and warmed by curry-spiced onion. The carrots are roasted separately, which brings out a sweetness that simmering them in the pot never does.
Ingredients
- 1 cup lentils
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups white beans
- 4 carrots
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
- zest from one lime
- juice from one lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash and cut carrots into small chunks and toss in olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes until tender and slightly golden.
- Rinse and pick through lentils. Bring lentils and water to a boil in a medium pot. Cook 20-25 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy.
- In a food processor, add the zest of the lime and juice of the lime to the 2 cups of white beans. Pulse to combine into a thick, creamy mixture.
- Saute onion with yellow curry powder, salt, and black pepper until soft. Once cooked, combine with lentils, pureed white beans, and chopped carrots. Add more water if necessary to bring soup to your desired consistency. Simmer 10-15 minutes.
Notes
- Only the beans get pureed. The lentils and carrots stay whole, which is what gives you a creamy base with texture still suspended in it rather than a smooth puree.
- The lime goes into the food processor with the beans, not into the pot at the end, so the acidity is built into the base. Taste before you add more.
- Roast the carrots rather than simmering them. Dry oven heat concentrates their sugar in a way boiling never will, and that sweetness is what stands up to a tablespoon of curry powder.
- Use whole green or brown lentils. The 20 to 25 minute simmer and the “tender but not mushy” target are wrong for split red lentils, which collapse into the base and turn the whole thing porridgey.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 400
- Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 15
- Protein: 12
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned lentils to save time?
Yes. Drain and rinse two 15-ounce cans of lentils and skip the stovetop cooking step. Add them directly to the pot when combining all the components and simmer for just 5 to 10 minutes to heat through.
Can I skip roasting the carrots?
You can add raw diced carrots to the pot and let them simmer in the soup. Roasting adds a deeper, slightly sweet flavor and a firmer texture to the carrots, but the soup will still be good without that step.
How long does this soup keep?
It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and freezes for up to 3 months. Thin it with a little water or stock when reheating, as the lentils continue to absorb liquid as it sits.
