I’m so all about the hearty soups and stews this time of year and I’ve been kind of obsessed lately with using coconut to make savory soups and stews creamy. This Creamy Lentil and Vegetable Soup started out as a lentil mushroom soup, but then I decided to toss in the extra veggies I had in my fridge. The end result was a super cozy bowl full of colors, flavors, and textures that made all of my Autumn cottage-core dreams come true. 🥰
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What Kind oF lentils to Use
I used quick-cooking brown (or green, depending on where you are) lentils for this recipe. If you’re unsure of the type of lentil you have, check the cooking instructions on the package. You’ll want a variety that cooks with about 20 minutes of simmering with no soaking required.
I don’t suggest using red or yellow lentils for this recipe because they break down very quickly when cooked and you’ll end up with a texture closer to mashed potatoes than soup in the end.
Coconut Alternatives
I used full-fat coconut milk (the kind in a can, not the kind meant for use as a dairy milk alternative) for this soup because it’s an easy way to make soups ultra-rich and creamy without using dairy. If you’re not trying to avoid dairy you can simply use a splash or two of heavy cream. OR, if you want to make this a simply brothy soup, just skip the cream all together!
What to Serve with Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup
This creamy, cozy soup is just begging for some good bread for dipping. Whip up a batch of some homemade no-knead bread or soda bread and you’ll be in heaven.
How to Store
To store this soup, first divide it into single-serving portions to facilitate quicker cooling. Store the soup in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or once chilled, transfer to the freezer for longer storage (up to three months). You can reheat the soup in the microwave or in a sauce pot over medium-low heat, stirring often.
Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup
Servings 4 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 16 oz. mushrooms ($3.98)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
- 3 carrots ($0.57)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.55)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp rubbed sage ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary ($0.05)
- 1 cup brown lentils ($0.61)
- 3 cups vegetable broth ($0.39)
- 1 13.5oz. can full-fat coconut milk ($2.29)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris, then slice them into thick slices.
- Add the mushrooms to a large soup pot or Dutch oven along with the cooking oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until the mushrooms have released all of their water and it has evaporated out of the pot.
- Meanwhile, dice the carrots, celery, and onion, and mince the garlic. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to the soup pot along with the thyme, sage, and rosemary. Continue to sauté the vegetables until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add the lentils and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine, then place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to high. Allow the soup to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
- Once the lentils are tender, add the coconut milk, stir to combine, and let it simmer for another five minutes.
- Finally, taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. We used about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Enjoy the soup hot with bread for dipping!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Nutrition
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How to Make Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup – Step by Step Photos
Rinse 16oz. mushrooms to remove any dirt or debris, then cut them into thick slices. Add the sliced mushrooms to a large soup pot along with 2 Tbsp cooking oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they’ve released all of their water and the water has evaporated from the bottom of the pot.
While the mushrooms are sautéing, dice three carrots, dice three ribs of celery, dice one yellow onion, and mince two cloves of garlic. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to the pot along with ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp rubbed sage, and ½ tsp rosemary.
Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add one cup of uncooked brown lentils to the pot along with three cups of vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high to bring the soup up to a boil, then immediately turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the soup simmer over medium-low for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Add one 13.5oz. can of full-fat coconut milk to the soup and stir to combine. Let the soup simmer for an additional five minutes.
Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. Remember, adding a bit of salt helps amplify the flavors in the soup. I added about ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper.
Serve your delicious creamy lentil vegetable soup hot with some hearty bread for dipping!
Really delicious soup. Will definitely be putting this into my regular rotation! Thanks!
I like to use frozen chopped onions instead of fresh. It saves time and the price seems pretty comparable to fresh onions. $1.99 for a 12 ounce bag at my grocery store. Also since I’m not a huge onion fan, I can choose how much I want to put in a dish without worrying about any remaining part going bad. I use what I want and put the rest back in the freezer. Just putting this out there because it’s something I wish I knew about sooner.
I also hate the step of cutting onions! If you’re wanting to be even more budget conscious, I chop my onions in bulk using a food processor, then freeze them on a piece of parchment paper on a tray in the freezer. then once they’re frozen I transfer them to a ziploc bag and keep it in the freezer!
Holy crap this is one of my new favorites. So so good, comes together quickly and makes great leftovers. I added 2 cups of lentils and added some kale and red wine vinegar, made it more of a thick stew, severed it over rice and it SLAPPPPPPEEEDDDD. 10/10 will be making again
What would be a good sub for mushrooms in this dish? I can’t have mushrooms due to an allergy
Hmm, I don’t think there’s anything that would really be a close match. You could just turn it into a creamy vegetable lentil soup, though, and leave them out. :)
Zucchini or yellow squash mimic in texture and water content
Really tasty ! I added a dash of balsamic vinegar at the end to balance out the creaminess.
Fantastic! I got a little worried about cooking the mushrooms(getting all the water out) but I went with my gut and in the end it turned out great!! I used heavy whipping cream instead of coconut milk and it turned out great! I added enough until the color in the pictures on here matched mine(2 splashes or so). I also added the 1/4 salt at the end and it was great for me(I prefer a bit more salt than others). I may try adding more broth next time too but overall 10/10.
I love this recipe.
I cook it in an Instant Pot and it works great. Always better the next day, however, just like any stew. I prefer to substitute the coconut milk with a bit of heavy cream. It’s a very versatile recipe and the spices/sauces work well for the basis of a savory stew. Don’t forget the crusty bread!
So delicious! I personally added very little salt (one crank of a mill with the mushrooms and whatever salt was in my stock) as I have to keep my sodium low-ish and it was still delightful! The flavour from the mushrooms and herbs is such a wonderful mix that I’m not craving to add salt. I’m sure it would be better with a little extra salt brightening those flavours but if you’re like me and can’t be adding too much salt I def recommend this recipe as so much flavour is being provided by the other ingredients that you don’t need salt.
Also love a recipe where my end result basically looks like yours in the pictures, sign of a well written recipe imo
I made this in my Instant Pot and it turned out very well! I sauteed the veggies on the normal setting and cooked for 3 minutes at high pressure (I used red lentils–brown will take longer) with a 15 minute natural release. After adding the coconut milk I used the saute function for 5 minutes on low to simmer. My yield was 5 servings of 3 soup ladles each.
Absolutely delicious, thank you for the recipe.
Could you use red lentils instead of brown?
Red lentils tend to break down very quickly when they’re cooked, whereas brown lentils hold their shape. So if you use a red lentil you’ll end up with something more similar in texture to split pea soup (thick, no individual lentils).
Hi Beth
I would like to make this today but I am out of veg better than bouillon Can I use my chicken bouillon.? Realize that it wont be a vegetarian dish but thats ok.
Love your recipes/
Hi, Donna! You can definitely substitute the vegetable broth with whatever kind you have on hand! Using chicken broth will slightly change the flavor of the final dish, but not in a bad way! — Marion :)
Thank you for your prompt reply! I appreciate it.
Amazingly good and simple to make!
This was delicious! Much more veggie-ful than the cream of mushroom soup I loved growing up. Great texture and herbal flavors. I like coconut milk but wanted a more classic creamy flavor this time, so I used a scoop of sour cream and upped the broth to 4 cups.
This looks great, can’t wait to try. Does the coconut milk make it taste like coconut, or does the taste boil off?
The coconut milk rounds out the flavors, and it makes it more floral than coconut like. XOXO -Monti
I just made and tasted it and it lives up to expectations! It is for lunch tomorrow- I can’t wait! My question is-will it thicken, in which case what do you recommend for thinning it again?
Best soup I have had in a while. Thanks!
Hi, Lauren! Glad you loved the soup! It will likely thicken a little bit in the fridge but not too much! If you do want it to have a thinner consistency, I would add 1/4 cup of broth (OR) 1/4 cup water + a pinch of salt and pepper (depending on your preference) when you warm up the leftovers. If you are not trying to keep this a dairy-free soup, a splash of milk or cream would also work. ~Marion :)
I replaced the fresh mushrooms with canned stems and pieces because I just didn’t feel like chopping (it was slightly cheaper), and this still killed it. Perfect for autumn.
So easy, so delicious. My spouse couldn’t stop raving about it, and the tiny bit that was leftover after dinner made an amazing lunch. This will be in heavy rotation this winter, thank you!
I had to add a lot more vegetable broth to this! But it is delicious. So glad to find a filling meat-free soup!
My husband is a huge meat-eater, so I was pleasantly surprised when he told me he liked this soup! He’s even asked me if we can make it again next week! I served it with some freshly baked soda bread, and I think the mushrooms and coconut milk helped to give it a satisfying mouth feel. Thank you, Budget Bytes, for helping us eat less meat! :)
I’ve been wanting to make this soup and finally did tonight. It’s absolutely delicious! Like another commenter, I needed to add more salt because I use kosher, but otherwise I prepared it exactly as written except I added extra water to make it more liquid. I am at a super high altitude (7000+ feet), and water boils away faster than I can get the lentils tender. The coconut milk really ads to the flavor and mouth feel, and it feels lighter than a creamy soup that uses dairy. This is a winner I will repeat again!
Any thoughts on adapting this for the instant pot? I’m really excited to make this tomorrow!!
Sorry! We haven’t tested it in an Instant Pot and can’t offer guidance. XOXO -Monti
A new favorite. I just finished cooking this for dinner tonight. I did add Dan-Os seasoning but other than that everything as listed. So Sooo good. My coconut milk did curdle a little. Any tips on that?
Hi JC- When coconut milk is heated up, the protein changes its shape and ability to react with water and oil ( ie, denatures), which creates curds. The curds can clump and get bigger if not stirred. So, stir frequently to emulsify, which means to keep the oil, protein, and water mixed together. XOXO -Monti
I find that really shaking the can before opening makes it more homogeous and less likely to clump up.
As per usual with Budget Bytes, this was delicious. I added most of a can of corn at the very end that I had opened the night before and it was a delicious addition!
Could I substitute another plant-based milk for the coconut milk?
You can use other plant-based milks, but the soup will not have the same consistency as coconut milk has more fat than other plant-based milks. XOXO -Monti
This was SO good! I used half the amount of mushrooms and otherwise followed the recipe to a T. It is so flavorful and delicious.
I meant to mark it with 5 stars. Oops!
This was really, really good and easy – great on a fall day. Will go in the regular rotation (we eat vegan around 85% of the time, so a recipe like this is perfect.)
Excellent and easy to make. I didn’t have any rosemary, subbed chopped cabbage for the celery, and dumped the coconut milk in early and it still came out delicious and looked like your photos. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Have not made this yet, but looking forward to it. I have not been successful in making a lentil soup I am happy with, and I think the full fat coconut milk may be just the touch that was missing. Thanks for another great home-y recipe, Beth.
Absolutely delicious. The texture of both the mushrooms and lentils is perfect. Comes together pretty quickly.
Omitted celery as I didn’t have any, and threw in about 1 ounce of goat cheese to make it creamy since I didn’t have coconut milk or cream.
Nice sub Jane!!! I love a little goat cheese! XOXO -Monti
Really good recipe! Next time I would use more salt because I use kosher salt and it isn’t quite as salty. I used chicken broth (better than bouillon) because I’m not a vegetarian. Hearty and satisfying!
Love all things Lentil! Thank you Beth for another great winter soup recipe. It is creamy and hearty at the same time.
Leave out coconut milk. Unnecessary. Also more frugal and less calories. Actually mushrooms are unnecessary too. Makes a delicious soup even more frugal.
Why not leave out the soup altogether? Even more frugal!
Listen, I find the recepies on this site extremely helpful and well- researched, and it doesn´t sit well with me that you come here, haven´t made the soup, and still feel free to critizise it based on your own ideas. Not everyone counts calories, you know?
Agreed! what is wrong with people?
I use this site’s recipes all the time, keep up the great work!
Some of us need calories and like to eat delicious food. I’ve heard water is cheap and zero calories though.
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH!!!!!!!
The coconut milk makes this recipe. Maybe a *little* bit more expensive, but 100% worth it.
Gosh, you sound like a really boring person who is missing out on the Finer Things in life. Live a little and enjoy all the delicious things life has to offer. And maybe keep your opinions to yourself if they’re all like this.