High-Protein Lentil Soup

Name: High-Protein Lentil Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3
Ingredients: 1.5 cups dried lentils, rinsed; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 6 cups vegetable broth; Salt and black pepper, to taste

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26g Protein

480 Calories

13g Fiber

Per serving (about 2 cups)

How I calculate this → Protein calculator →

5g of protein per 100 calories.

Lentils don't need soaking and cook through in about 25 minutes, which is most of why they're the base of this soup rather than a dried bean that needs planning a day ahead. I don't puree any of this. Keeping the lentils and vegetables whole gives the soup real texture instead of turning it into a thick, uniform puree, and it comes together in one pot from start to finish.

Why you'll love this

26g of plant protein per serving, no meat or dairy needed
13g of fiber per serving, just under half the 28g Daily Value on a nutrition label
One pot, freezes well for later

Recipe

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Prep 15 min

Cook 30 min

Total 45 min

Serves 3 servings (about 2 cups)

Ingredients

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Equipment

Large pot or Dutch oven

Notes

I keep this uncovered while it simmers. It lets the soup reduce and thicken naturally instead of staying thin, without needing to add a thickener.
This freezes well for up to 3 months, and the lentils hold their texture better than most beans do after freezing and reheating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories	480
Protein	26g
Carbs	74g
Fat	11g
Fiber	13g

Where these numbers come from

I calculate every figure above from USDA FoodData Central, ingredient by ingredient, then divide by the servings the recipe makes. Each FDC number links to the exact USDA entry I used. How I calculate nutrition

Lentils: FDC #172420 (Lentils, raw), 1.5 cups dry = 288g (FDC: 1 cup = 192g), 24.6g protein / 352 kcal / 1.06g fat / 63.4g carb / 10.7g fiber per 100g. (2026-09-28: previously counted as 3 cups cooked, but 1.5 cups dry cooks to closer to 3.75 cups, so the lentils were undercounted; calculating from the dry weight the recipe actually calls for.)
Carrot: FDC #2258586 (Carrots, mature, raw), 0.94g protein / 48 kcal / 0.35g fat / 10.3g carb / 3.1g fiber per 100g.
Celery: FDC #2346405 (Celery, raw), 0.49g protein / 17 kcal / 0.16g fat / 3.32g carb per 100g.
Onion: FDC #170000 (Onions, raw), 1.1g protein / 40 kcal / 9.34g carb / 1.7g fiber per 100g.
Garlic: FDC #169230 (Garlic, raw), 6.36g protein / 149 kcal / 33.1g carb / 2.1g fiber per 100g; 1 clove = 3g.
Cumin: FDC #170923 (Spices, cumin seed), 17.8g protein / 375 kcal / 22.3g fat / 44.2g carb / 10.5g fiber per 100g.
Olive oil: FDC #171413 (Oil, olive, salad or cooking), 100g fat / 884 kcal per 100g, 0g protein.
Vegetable broth: FDC #171583 (Soup, vegetable broth, ready to serve), 6 cups = 1,326g (FDC: 1 cup = 221g).
Quantities: olive oil 2 tbsp = 27g; onion 1 medium = 110g (FDC #170000); carrots 2 medium = 122g (FDC #170393); celery 2 stalks = 80g (FDC #169988); garlic 3 cloves = 9g; cumin 1 tsp = 2.1g.
Re-verified 2026-09-28: batch totals 77.9g protein, 1,445 kcal, 32g fat, 223.2g carb, 37.8g fiber; divided by 3. Fiber is lower than the earlier figure because USDA's raw-lentil entry lists less fiber per gram of lentil than its cooked entry implies.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. The soup thickens as it sits, so thin it with a splash of broth or water when reheating if needed.

FAQ

Do I need to soak the lentils first?

No. Unlike dried beans, lentils don’t need soaking and cook through in well under an hour straight from dry.

Can I add greens to this?

Yes. A few handfuls of spinach stirred in during the last few minutes of cooking wilts down quickly and adds more volume without much extra effort.

Is this actually filling as a full meal?

Yes. Between the lentils and vegetables, this lands around 364 calories a serving with substantial protein and fiber, closer to a main course than a starter soup.

Looking for more vegan meals: the chickpea salad is a good no-cook option for a lighter day.

Lentils are in the plant-based section of Foods High in Protein, with protein per serving and per 100 calories.

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