This delicious Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup has delicious subtle flavors of ginger, turmeric and lemon for a bright, but warming flavor and it’s easy to make, oil-free and plant-based! Instant pot directions included!
CREAMY VEGAN LENTIL SOUP
This is the perfect vegan lentil soup for the cold weather, or just anytime you want a comforting, warm soup that will completely satisfy you. I normally eat this easy vegan lentil soup, but it’s tomato-based, so I’m really loving this creamy, warming, but bright lentil soup with no tomatoes now.
With a creamy base, subtle notes of ginger and lemon, and a gorgeous color from turmeric, this creamy vegan lentil soup is not only gorgeous, it is absolutely delicious and high in plant-based protein!
It also happens to be completely healthy, nutritious, oil-free and packed with warming spices and vegetables.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Raw cashews or sunflower seeds
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Spices: garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, turmeric
- Low-sodium veggie broth: Use a flavorful one here, it is important to the overall soup flavor. I like the Pacific and the Imagine brands the best.
- Fresh spinach
- Lemon
- Maple syrup: Just a tiny amount of syrup enhances the overall flavor, it does not make it sweet.
- Green lentils
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY VEGAN LENTIL SOUP
Step 1: Cook the onion until tender. Add the carrots and garlic and cook 5 more minutes.
Step 2: Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add the broth, syrup and lentils. Cook, partially covered, over low heat for about 20 minutes until lentils are tender to your liking.
Step 4: Add the cashew cream, spinach and lemon juice and cook another 5 minutes until thickened.
This soup is bright, yet warming and so comforting at the same time. I hope you love it.
MORE VEGAN SOUP RECIPES
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
- Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque
- Classic Vegan Noodle Soup
- Vegan Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Smoky Sweet Potato Black-eyed Pea Soup
- Hearty Veggie Potato Stew
Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup (With Turmeric and Lemon)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (75g) raw cashews (see step 1 how to make and NOTES for nut-free)
- 4 1/2 cups quality flavorful low-sodium veggie broth (I love the Pacific and Imagine brands)
- 1 cup (160g) finely diced yellow onion
- 5 large cloves (15g) minced garlic
- 1 heaping cup (150g) 1/4 inch sliced carrots
- SPICES: 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 cups (280g) rinsed uncooked green lentils
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave
- 2 tablespoons (30g) fresh lemon juice
- 4 large handfuls fresh spinach
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients measured and ready to go since the soup comes together pretty quickly. Make the cashew cream first or sunflower cream first. See NOTES below. If you have a Vitamix, no need to soak them. If you don't, I would soak them in a bowl of water overnight to soften or boil them for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse well and then proceed. Blend the cashews (or sunflower seeds) with 1 cup (240g) water until completely smooth.
- Add only 1/2 cup of the broth to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring a bit, until soft.
- Add the carrots and garlic and cook another 3-5 minutes until the carrots are mostly tender, but not fully. Add small amounts of broth as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add all of the spices (garlic powder, onion powder, ginger, turmeric, salt and the black pepper. Stir in the veggies for about 30 seconds.
- Add the rinsed lentils, the remaining broth (4 cups) and the maple syrup. Stir well and bring to a boil on high. Once boiling, cover partially just allowing a small amount of steam to escape, reduce the heat to low and simmer about 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender to your liking.
- Add the cashew cream, spinach and lemon juice and stir through. Cook another 5 minutes until it thickens a bit and the spinach is wilted.
- Taste the soup. Add any more salt or pepper if needed. This can really vary depending on the broth used. Mine needed another good pinch. The lemon should be noticeable but not overpowering. The lemon flavor does settle down after awhile of sitting. If you'd like more, add more to serving bowls. I like to add extra freshly ground black pepper on top for serving.
Notes
- NUT-FREE: If you are allergic to cashews, then I would suggest subbing with a scant 1/2 cup of raw unsalted sunflower seeds plus 1 cup water. Since these are more bitter and less creamy, you may need an extra teaspoon of syrup. I would wait to taste the soup after it is done and decide then.
- SWEETENER: If preferred, you can sub the maple syrup with agave or a smooth date syrup.
- Add the onion and 1/2 cup broth to the IP and press the saute button and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the spices, but NOT the salt. So you will only be adding the garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, ginger and pepper. Stir for 30 seconds in the onion mixture.
- Add 4 1/2 cups more broth, the carrots, syrup and lentils. Stir well. Seal the pot and press the "Pressure Cook" button on high pressure for 6 or 7 minutes. 6 gives the lentils more of a bite and 7 makes them extra soft to wear they melt in your mouth, so choose your preference. I tested both times. Note that it will take about 10 minutes for the IP to come to pressure before the 7 minutes starts counting down, so keep an eye on it.
- When the 7 minutes is up, the IP will beep several times (mine beeps 10 times). Now leave the pot to naturally release for just 10 minutes. Unplug the IP. Do a quick release to release any remaining pressure by pressing the venting button. The float valve will drop down once all the pressure is released. Remove the lid carefully.
- Now stir in the salt (1 1/4 teaspoons), the cashew cream (see step 1 above in the regular directions how to make this), lemon juice and spinach for a couple of minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and add any more salt/pepper/lemon if desired.
Nutrition
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Thank you so much for creating this recipe. It was absolutely delicious! So easy to make too. I loved the fact that like all your recipes it has no oil. I did use regular vegetable broth because I didn’t have any low sodium. So I got plenty of salt without adding the extra salt in the recipe. I wonder had I used the low sodium vegetable broth if I would have missed the salt. I am having a really hard time cutting the salt for health reasons but not sacrificing the flavor. Do you have any suggestions?
So very wonderful to hear how much you loved the soup Janet! Regular broth has about 5 times as much sodium as low-sodium, so there’s a pretty big difference there. One way that I like to reduce salt, especially in soups, is to add fresh lemon juice or another type of acidic ingredient, vinegar, etc. This gives a punch of flavor to make it all come alive without the additional needed salt. Obviously, though, this will get pretty strong if too much is added though, so start slow, but I do it often on potatoes too so I can use less salt.
My family loves this receipt , only question is this, is it on purpose the 5 garlic cloves and the two teaspoons of garlic powder?
Yes! Using both gives extra flavor and dimension to the sauce 🙂 So glad you loved it!
The best lentil soup I had. I hidrated the lentils overnight so they cooked faster and I made it with sunflower seeds cream just because I had a lot of them and they are cheaper than caju’s🙄 in Romania. It turned ouț delish with an extra splash of maple syrup. Thank you for the great recipes
Looks good but it seems like I’m allergic to cashews now, unfortunately…..instead of sunflower, would coconut milk also work as sub?
Yes, coconut milk should be fine. I’d use full fat so it thickens up and is creamy and use 1 cup.
I made this exactly as directed. It was delicious! Thank you!
Made this last night as prep for the week. It was so good I ate it for dinner right away! Made exactly according to recipe and it was perfect. Thanks so much the the great recipe!
Amazing, thank you Dawn!
With the IP recipe, it says to add “4.5 cups more” broth….does that then mean you add 9 cups of broth all up? Wasn’t to sure. Thanks.
That just means 4 1/2 cups more in addition to the 1/2 cup that you add in 1 step. 5 cups total!
Excellent….have you tried substituting cashew cream with coconut milk? If not, do you think it’ll work?
No, I haven’t tried it! Yes, it should, it just may not quite thicken up the same. I’d use full-fat, 1 cup.
Wow, i didn’t notice my old question posted and was replied to already…haha. i had to test this out with the original recipe so went a head and risked any allergic reaction to cashew (had allergy pills ready anyway…hehe). I am happy to say that I didn’t have any apparent allergic reaction but more importantly, my family LOVED IT!!! Ok, my dad who is a meat guy and whose idea of having “veggies” in a dish is putting one dried laurel leaf even seemed to luv it too(he just had too much pride to admit it, i can tell) ! This actually tasted FANTASTIC when used as a filling for paratha. After testing it out, i cooked it again a couple of days later but made enough to store the other half in the freezer. Every person new to vegan- or plant-based diet or just wanna cut down on meat needs to try this delicious recipe. I would put a star on this one on your list.
That is so amazing Eric to hear how much everybody has loved this recipe, yay!!
I made this recipe tonight as written and it is so yummy! This is the first recipe of yours I have made and look forward to making so many more; they all sound delicious and are so healthful. Thank you for all the work you do for your site. Really appreciate the extra lengths you go to in providing alternatives, thorough notes, measurements, and nutritional information.
Such a kind comment, thank you Anastasia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
We loved this recipe. It is soo good. I would like to ask you what kind of food processor you have and do you like it. I need a food processor and don’t know a good one to buy. I don’t think they make them as good as they used to.
Thank you very much for all your wonderful recipes.
We loved this recipe. It is soo good. I would like to ask you what kind of food processor you have and do you like it. I need a food processor and don’t know a good one to buy. I don’t think they make them as good as they used to.
Thank you very much for all your wonderful recipes. I forgot to do the star rating, so that’s why you are getting this second comment.
I’m so happy you loved it, thank you Sandra! I have a SHOP page under my menu at the top where I link to my favorite products and here is the food processor I’ve used for years and love! https://thevegan8.com/product/food-processor/
Do you have any recommended fresh herbs to top it with?
Hi Eric! Sorry I just saw this. Cilantro goes good with turmeric and lemon but if you want something more mild, try basil or parsley.
Definite keeper! This was flavorful, comforting and delicious!
HOLY WOW. This is incredible! I didn’t have cashews or sunflowers on hand so I used a cup of full fat coconut milk as recommended in another review and it was perfect! I’ll be raving about this to everyone I know. New favorite!!!
OMG, delish! I am hooked on this lentil soup. It comes together quickly and ready to eat in less than 30 mins! Thank you so much!! Donna J
Aww yay Donna!