Herbed French Lentil Soup

This French lentil soup is delicious and so satisfying! Seasoned with fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme, it’s full of savory flavor. It’s also easy to make and substantial enough for a meal. Vegan and gluten-free!

White wooden surface set with fresh herbs, pot and bowl of French Lentil Soup.

Lentil soups are a favorite of mine, not just because they tend to be hearty, delicious, and easy to make, but also because there’s such a big variety of ways to flavor them! I’ve shared quite a few versions of lentil soup featuring different flavors at this point, including an Indian-inspired dal soup, a Mediterranean red lentil soup, and a classic lentil soup.

For this French lentil soup I decided to make things super savory. We’re using flavorful fresh herbs to season this soup, and they pack quite a flavor punch. This recipe is perfect for those cold days when you’re craving some hearty, wintry comfort food.

For a totally different flavor profile in a recipe featuring French lentils, check out my French lentil stew recipe, which features more salty and acidic flavors including tomatoes and olives.

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Ingredients You’ll Need

Olive oil. You can swap this out with another high-heat oil if preferred. Vegetable oil, corn oil and coconut oil are all options.
Onion.
Carrot.
Celery.
Garlic.
Vegetable broth. I used Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
French lentils. These may also be sold as French green lentils or Puy lentils. They’re a bit smaller than the more common brown lentil, and they cook up a bit firmer.
Potato. We’re using a plain old russet potato, but yellow or red potatoes will work just fine. To really switch things up flavor-wise, you could even try using a sweet potato.
Fresh herbs. We’re using fresh thyme and rosemary. I don’t recommend substituting dried herbs for this particular recipe.
Lemon juice.
Salt and pepper.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Carrots, celery, garlic, and onion cooking in a pot with wooden spoon.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion, carrot and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften. Now add minced garlic and cook it with the vegetables very briefly.

Broth being poured into a pot of French lentils, potatoes, vegetables and herbs.

Stir in the broth, diced potato, rosemary and thyme. The thyme leaves will need to be stripped from their stems, but you can throw the whole rosemary sprigs in there.

French Lentil Soup simmering in a pot on the stove.

Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils and potato are tender.

Pot of French Lentil Soup with a wooden spoon.

Take the pot off of heat and carefully remove the rosemary sprigs. Season the soup with some lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Bowl of French Lentil Soup with wooden spoon and blue pot in the background.

Your French lentil soup is ready to enjoy. Ladle it into bowls and dig in!

Leftovers & Storage

Leftover herbed French lentil soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months. Add a bit of water when reheating it if it has thickened up too much during storage.

More Savory Soup Recipes

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Bowl of French Lentil Soup with fresh thyme on top.

Ingredients

2
tablespoons
olive oil
1
medium onion,
diced
2
medium carrots,
diced
2
medium celery stalks,
diced
4
garlic cloves,
minced
8
cups
vegetable broth
2
cups
French green lentils
(de puy lentils)
1
medium russet potato,
diced
2
(2-inch) sprigs
fresh rosemary
1
tablespoon
fresh thyme leaves
1
tablespoon
lemon juice
Salt and pepper,
to taste

Instructions

Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften.
Stir in the garlic and cook it with the vegetables for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
Stir in the broth, lentils, potato, rosemary sprigs, and thyme leaves. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the lentils and potato are tender.
Remove the pot from heat. Carefully remove the rosemary sprigs from the soup, then stir in the lemon juice and season it with salt and pepper to taste.