Easy Lentil Soup
To make lentil soup, soften onion, carrot, and garlic in a pot, stir in cumin and spices, then add dried lentils, canned tomatoes, and broth or water and simmer about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft. Red lentils break down into a thick, creamy soup with no soaking; brown or green lentils hold their shape. It's one of the cheapest, most filling meals you can make, and it freezes and reheats brilliantly.
Lentil soup is the champion of cheap eating — a bag of dried lentils costs a couple of dollars and turns into a big pot of hearty, filling soup that feeds you for days. It needs no soaking, no fancy equipment, and no expensive ingredients, and it happens to be genuinely good for you. For a student or anyone counting pennies, it’s a staple worth learning.
No soaking, cooks fast
Lentils are the budget cook’s secret weapon: straight from the bag, no soaking, tender in 20–30 minutes. Red lentils melt into a thick, creamy soup; brown or green hold their shape for a chunkier pot. Rinse, tip in, simmer.
Flavour for pennies
Cheap doesn’t mean bland. Soften the onion and garlic, toast the spices in the oil, use a stock cube and canned tomatoes for depth, and — the key move — finish with a squeeze of lemon to wake it all up. Salt at the end.
Cook once, eat all week
Double the batch (it costs almost nothing) and freeze portions — instant cheap lunches and dinners.
Make it yours
- Creamy: blend part or all of it.
- Heartier: add potato, spinach, or a handful of rice.
- Spiced: curry powder or harissa for a different bowl.
- Topped: yogurt, chili oil, or croutons from stale bread.
Ladle it out with bread and you’ve got a filling meal for well under a dollar a bowl. It’s proof that eating cheaply doesn’t mean eating badly — lentil soup is humble, nourishing, and genuinely satisfying.
At a glance
Easy Lentil Soup
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Soften the onion, carrot, and garlic in the oil.
- Stir in the spices and cook 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer 25–30 minutes until the lentils are soft; season.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Thin with water if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Do lentils need soaking?
No — that's part of why lentils are the budget cook's best friend. Unlike dried beans, they cook straight from the bag in 20–30 minutes. Just rinse them and pick out any grit or stones. Red lentils cook fastest and collapse into a thick, creamy soup; brown and green lentils take a little longer and keep their shape for a chunkier bowl.
How do I make cheap lentil soup taste good?
Build flavour cheaply: soften the onion and garlic properly, toast the spices (cumin, coriander, a little smoked paprika) in the oil for a minute, and finish with acid — a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar wakes the whole pot up. A stock cube, canned tomatoes, and a bay leaf add depth for pennies. Salt to taste at the end.
Can I freeze it?
Yes — lentil soup is a champion freezer meal. Make a big batch (it costs almost nothing to double) and freeze it in portions; it keeps 3 months and thaws into an instant meal. It also thickens as it sits, so loosen leftovers with a splash of water or broth when you reheat. A pot of this is several cheap, filling lunches and dinners sorted.