Serves 6 to 8
Total time: 1 hour || Active time: 15 minutes

Easy smoky tomato lentil soup

This is a quick to prep and very easy vegan tomato lentil soup absolutely bursting with flavor. A weeknight staple that is delish enough to serve for special occasions, too. Most of the work is the lentils simmering away.

Brown lentils are the little black dress of the legume world. They go with everything, take on whatever flavors you throw at them, and in this economy they are a great bang for their buck. I make some version of vegan lentil soup a few times a week and there is almost always a brown lentil situation in the mix.

This one started with a windfall of smoked paprika. It’s one of those spices that can sit empty in the jar for months because I don’t always find it where I shop, so when I got a fresh fragrant bag I wanted to use it in absolutely copious amounts. Add some kalamata olives and a pile of spinach and suddenly you have something that tastes like it took all day. Rich, smoky, flavored like WOW in about an hour with 15 minutes of actual work. It’s also gluten-free if that’s your thing.

The fire-roasted tomatoes go in halfway through, which gives the lentils time to get almost tender first and then finish cooking in the tomato broth. The olives and spinach come in at the very end so that the olives stay nice and firm and the spinach doesn’t wilt into oblivion. Serve it with a crusty baguette and some hummus, or ladle it over polenta if you want to make it a full situation.

Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup FAQ

Can I use a different kind of lentil? Green lentils work great and hold their shape a little better. Red lentils will dissolve and give you a thicker, creamier soup — totally different texture but still good. De puy or black lentils are also fine if you like a sturdy lentil. Just check for doneness since cook times vary.

I can’t find fire-roasted tomatoes. Can I use regular? Yup. Regular crushed or diced tomatoes will work. You lose a little of the smoky depth but the smoked paprika more than carries it.

Can I use hot smoked paprika instead of sweet? For sure, but know that it’s significantly hotter. Start with 1 tablespoon and taste as you go.

Can I add anything to make it more of a meal? Hells yeah. A few people in the comments have added vegan sausage — Field Roast apple sage is a particularly good call with the sweet smoked paprika. Or you can go the homemade sausage route. You could also ladle it over polenta, serve it with a big hunk of crusty bread and hummus, or stir in some cooked pasta or grains at the end.

Can I substitute the spinach? Yup yup yup. Chard works great. Kale would need a few extra minutes to wilt down properly.

Does this freeze well? Better than most soups since lentils hold up well in the freezer. Just add a splash of water or broth when reheating since it thickens up.

How did I end up here? You were probably searching for “vegan lentil soup,” “smoky lentil soup,” or “tomato lentil soup.” This is a simple, deeply flavored plant-based soup that comes together in about an hour with almost no active time. No meat, no dairy, just a really good pot of lentils. You’re in the right place.

Quick and easy vegan lentil soup with olives and lentils

Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup With Spinach & Olives

Isa Chandra
Rich, smoky vegan lentil soup with fire-roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, and spinach. One pot, mostly hands-off, and it tastes like it took all day.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Soup, Stew
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6 to 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 cup dried brown lentils or green lentils
  • 5 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Fresh black pepper
  • 1 24 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped spinach
  • ¾ cup kalamata olives roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion in the oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about 15 seconds, then stir in the thyme and paprika.
  • Add the lentils, broth, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost tender.
  • Add the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, until the lentils are very tender.
  • Add the spinach and olives and stir until the spinach is wilted. Add a splash of water to thin if needed. Taste for salt — the olives are salty so hold off on adding more until after they go in. Let sit for 10 minutes or so for the flavors to settle, then serve.
Keyword vegan lentil soup, smoky lentil soup, tomato lentil soup, easy vegan soup
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