Name: Lebanese Lentil Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 1 cup diced celery – Dandy brand is sweet, crisp, and creates a delicious base flavor for our soup!; 2 carrots, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon Lebanese Seven Spice, optional; 1 teaspoon turmeric, optional for color; 2 cups split red lentils, rinsed well; 1/4 cup basmati rice; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth; 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, from about 1 large juicy lemon; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

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This Lebanese Lentil Soup recipe with rice, red lentils, and lemon is both hearty and light. A flavorful one pot meal!

Lebanese lentil soup recipe in white bowls.

This post is sponsored by Dandy®. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Darn Good Veggies!

If I could eat just one soup for the rest of time, it may have to be this Lebanese Lentil Soup recipe. It is perfectly balanced – it’s creamy, but still has some texture and chew. Hearty but leaves you feeling light. It has big depth of flavor and brightness from a juicy squeeze of lemon and lots of fresh herbs.

It is made with simple, everyday ingredients, and for me, brings new and exciting flavors together for a fresh spin on dinner.

Reasons to love this recipe!

A perfect one pot meal when served with crusty bread and butter.
Is naturally vegan, gluten free, and packed to the brim with nutritious beans, grains, and veggies.
It’s an adaptable recipe. Feel free to add more veggies or stir in greens at the end!

A big bowl of Lebanese lentil soup with lemon and cilantro.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Olive oil – or another neutral oil. Butter can work too.
Onion – yellow, red, or white.
Celery – Dandy brand is sweet, crisp, and creates a delicious base flavor for our soup!
Carrots
Garlic
Red lentils – use split red lentils which cook down and create a creamy consistancy. Substitutes would be either golden lentils or moong dal. Moong dal will take slightly longer to cook and may need more liquid, but you can use leftover beans to make Kitchari!
Basmati rice – white basmati cooks down to create the best consistancy. If using brown basmati, cook the rice separately, then add it to the soup. You can also use jasmine rice.
Cumin – adds traditional flavor and is best not to omit or substitute.
Lebanese Seven Spice – completely optional but adds a nice depth of flavor.
Turmeric – optional, but adds great color.
Vegetable broth – or chicken broth.
Lemon juice – use fresh squeezed, and fresh squeezed only!
Cilantro – or parsley.

How to make Lebanese Lentil Soup:

Sauté the vegetables: In a large dutch oven, sauté the onion until tender and golden. This builds LOTs of flavor. Add in the celery, carrots and cook until tender.

Bloom the spices: Add the garlic, cumin, seven spice, and turmeric. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant. This awakens the spices and doubles the flavor!

Simmer: Add in the lentils, rice, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and rice have partially broken down and the soup is thick and creamy.

Finish: Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. This brightens up the soup dramatically! Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Lebanese red lentil and rice soup with cilantro and lemon.

Storage:

Fridge: Store leftovers in a lidded container, or put a lid on your Dutch oven, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove, adding a little more water if needed, or in the microwave. Add another squeeze of lemon, if desired.

Freezer: Store leftovers in a lidded container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove, adding a little more water if needed, or in the microwave.

A spoon in a bowl of Lebanese lentil soup.

More soup recipes to try!