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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A wonderful, creamy, and flavorful lentil soup with a nice change to the usual tomato lentil soup I have had for a perfect below zero weekend evening in. Thank you!
This was ‘soup’er comforting & so easy in the Instant Pot . I used a bit of fresh turmeric root as well & served it with wild rice & a drizzle of sriracha !
Could I use a can of coconut milk instead of the cashews? Or would that not come out good?
Hi Haley, I have not tried that so I’m not sure how much it would alter the taste or thicken the soup, but I would try starting out with adding 3/4 cup coconut milk and go from there.
This creamy lentil soup is so good! It’s not complicated and comes together quickly. I was having a blah kind of Saturday night, I was in need of some comforting soup. This soup was the perfect warm hug my soul was needing tonight.
That is just wonderful to hear Tricia, thank you so much for taking the time out to leave a review!
Absolutely delicious high protein soup. You’ve created a quick to put together wonderfully unique soup. Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it Teresa!
This soup is very flavourful, I followed the recipe, only added two dried whole bullet chillies for heat. Thank you for sharing it!
Sounds amazing!
I’ve been making this soup about a year now. Everyone always loves it! I just started adding in cauliflower florets with the carrots. This soup is delicious and so quick in the instant pot! Have you tried freezing it?
So thrilled to hear that you love it, Dawn! I have not tried freezing it, but most soups freeze fine, so I think you should be good!
I’ve been making this soup about a year now. Everyone always loves it! I just started adding in cauliflower florets with the carrots. This soup is delicious and so quick in the instant pot!
I love to make this in my Instant Pot. Made with both green and French green lentils. Made for someone allergic to carrots – subbed turnip. Still delicious.
Love hearing this Anita!!
This is my favorite soup!! We make it all the time, any time it is the littlest bit chilly. So flavorful and easy to make. Thank you!
Hi Julia! I’m so glad to hear this is your favorite soup!
Outstanding! Thanks so much for this recipe! Starting when the weather got cold, I make a different soup every Sunday and that’s my dinners for the week. I think yesterday was week 8. I made this wonderful lentil soup and it is by far the best soup I have made to date. It was great yesterday, but tonight the flavors have melded a bit more. The combo of herbs and spices are heavenly. I made it in the instant pot, what a breeze! And I appreciate your adapting the recipe for that, too. Thanks again for a great recipe and Happy Holidays!
This was amazing to hear, thank you Julie!
Lovely recipe! Made as is and it’s such a great balance of flavors and hearty & healthy while being fairly simple to make. Thank you for the recipe!
Yay, glad to hear this Natalie!
First soup of the fall season and I couldn’t have chosen a better one to try! The flavors are so warming and comforting, and I love the little hint of lemon. It really is the perfect amount and not overwhelming at all. This soup is going into my “favorites” file!
So very happy you loved it Coby!!
Holy WOW! I was really worried I would not enjoy this soup. So much that I actually delayed making it one week. Now I’m wondering how often I can make this without getting burnt out. This soup is absolutely fantastic! Thank YOU for yet another amazing dinner!
So happy you loved it!! But why were you worried you wouldn’t enjoy it?? Haha. It has 100% rave reviews, are you not typically a lentil fan?
I haven’t had such a wonderful tasting soup in a long time! The flavor was outstanding! I made it in the pressure cooker, but only used 6 cups of broth total, plus what what used for sautéing. Any more and the soup would have been too liquidy for me. This made enough for four adult bowls and one lunch leftover. Can’t wait to make this one again.
So happy to hear this!!
Seriously one of the best things I have ever made!!!! Thank you for this recipe!!! It is going in my regular rotation of repeat recipes for sure!!!
Yay, so happy to hear that!
This was super easy and really, reallllly yummy! I used frozen kale instead of spinach. Will be making again.
I was tired of my old lentil soup standby which is delicious. But, this recipe caught my eye and the reviews convinced me to try it. It’s FABULOUS! Love the taste. Another winner Brandi! I so love all your recipes.