Protein Packed Black Bean and Lentil Soup

4.44 from 427 votes

A meatless, one-pot meal packed with superfoods.

black bean and lentil soup

We’ve all had days when we need a lunch that’s sustaining and satisfying. If you’ve got a lot on your plate this week, consider making a batch of this protein-packed Black Bean and Lentil Soup. It will keep your energy up for hours with its high fiber, high protein mix of black beans and lentils. Add in some sweet carrots, diced tomatoes, and a dash of cumin and chili powder to create a flavorful lunch. You’ll want to make this soup a regular part of your healthy eating menu plan!

The best part about this energy-inducing, filling soup? It’s ready in only 30 minutes, so you can whip up a batch in no time at all. And, because it uses all plant-based ingredients, it’s relatively inexpensive as well. You can make this soup for less than ten dollars, and it makes eight servings. Talk about a great way to save money without sacrificing flavor!

Give Meatless Monday a Try

This flavorful, protein-packed Black Bean and Lentil Soup has created a lot of Meatless Monday converts! We always recommend trying to incorporate at least one vegetarian day into your weight-loss routine, whether that day is Monday or any other day of the week. It’s a great way to take a break from unhealthy fats (like the saturated fats found in most meats).

You also might be surprised at how fulfilling vegetarian meals can be! Choosing Monday isn’t just about creating a clever name; it happens to be the ideal meatless day for many people. You can take a step back from any indulgences you may have allowed yourself over the weekend and reset your body with some delicious, plant-based food.

Once you learn how to cook vegetarian meals, you’ll find that you won’t miss the meat at all. You’ll still get plenty of protein from the beans and lentils, and their fiber content helps you feel full for hours afterward. We also like this combination because it creates a meaty texture, something that helps newer vegetarian eaters get over the no-meat hump.

Whether you’re switching to an entirely plant-based diet or you just want to dip your foot into the waters, this Black Bean and Lentil Soup is a great way to get started. Each serving has only 171 calories, making it a great addition to your list of lunches and dinners under 300 calories. Give it a try and let us know what you thought in the comments!

If you enjoy this healthy, vegetarian-friendly soup, we think you might also like to try:

4.44 from 427 votes

Protein Packed Black Bean and Lentil Soup

Keep your energy up while enjoying this delicious and hearty soup full of wholesome ingredients.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 8 servings
Serving Size 1 cup (approximately)
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Author SkinnyMs.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 yellow onion diced small
  • 2 carrots peeled and diced small
  • 15 ounces diced tomatoes can
  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 15 ounces black beans can, drained
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

  • In a large pot add olive oil and sauté garlic for one minute. Add diced onions and carrots and continue to sauté until onion is tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover.
  • Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until lentils and carrots are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Notes

Still hungry but watching calories? In order to stay under 300 calories, make it 1.5 cups. Either way, you'll have a delicious, nutritious, and filling bowl of soup. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup (approximately) | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2979IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 5
Keywords Budget-Friendly, dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Plant-Based, Vegetarian

Have you made this recipe?
Tag @skinnyms on Instagram or hashtag it #skinnyms

Clean eating does not have to be difficult; it can be easy, fun, and delicious! For more tasty and healthy recipes, like us on Facebook, and follow us Pinterest.

Also, check out our amazing ebooks for more simple and tasty recipes. Have any delicious clean eating recipes that are just too good not to share? Let us know with a comment below!

This post may include affiliate links.

SkinnyMs.

The SkinnyMs. team believes that all people, regardless of age, size, and fitness level, have the power to transform their lives — they just need the resources to do so. The SkinnyMs. method promotes healthy living through a combination of clean eating and regular exercise. We offer everything you need to be successful.

More by Skinny

195 Comments

  1. Delicious soup. I made it for lunch today. Had a bit of kale still in the garden so tossed some finely diced in as well at the last. Feeling very health eating this.

      1. This soup was so good. I did add a handful of spinach, corn and celery, but it does not need any meat. I have been making small batch soups instead of buying canned for lunch. This fits the bill!

  2. This soup is AMAZING! So easy to fix and tasty. My 11 month old loved it and I feel like a good mom feeding it to him. Thanks!!!!

      1. lea, Yes, you can use dry beans. Cook your beans according to the package instructions. Then, simply follow the soup directions using the cooked beans. 🙂

        1. Hi Jim!

          The nutritonal information can be found at the very bottom of the recipe card. Here’s the info for this particular recipe: Serving: 1cup (approximately) | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 510mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2979IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg | SmartPoints (Freestyle): 5

          Hope that helps! 🙂

  3. Hi, are the lentils in this recipe cooked or uncooked? I used cooked lentils. Not sure if the measurements are accurate.

        1. Blythe, Hands down, cubed sweet potato. I use sweet potato any time I’m out of carrots.You’ll love the soup!

    1. Incredible recipe! Lentils are seriously so underated. I bet leftovers will be even more delicious! I added baby spinach towards the end of cooking since I had some in the fridge.5 stars

    1. We haven’t tried freezing this particular recipe, but don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t freeze well.

    1. Elaine, I haven’t just because it takes so little time to cook on top of the stove. I used Sprouted Lentils the other day and just stired them in about 5 minutes before removing from the heat. I also added in 1/3 cup of dry quinoa, before cooking. That added a little more protein to the recipe. Keep us posted if you decide to try it in the slow cooker. 🙂

  4. This is extremely delicious and very easy to make! My husband and I love it! Thank you and God bless you!

  5. I tried this in pressure cooker, and it turned out awesome. Just some variations. I cooked beans in pressure cooker and the all veggies in recipe including additional spinach & zucchini in a pot. Then added the beans to the pot and gave a boil to mix all together. Everything from start until the end was done in half an hour. YUM recipe! Thanks

    1. We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the Black Bean and Lentil soup – and you were able to use a pressure cooker! Great idea!

  6. This is my first recipe post of the numerous dishes I have prepared. The recipe is a keeper. Absolutely delicious with the perfect blend of spices. I added an extra clove of garlic, one stalk of celery and another can of charro beans. Since we live in Mexico and receive fresh produce daily, we substituted the canned tomatoes for fresh tomatoes. We liked the thickness and thought we were eating chili with ground beef. Thank you! Will share with friends and family!
    Best!

    1. We’re so glad to hear how much you enjoyed the recipe, Linda! I love garlic and also add extra to almost all recipes. Thank you for sharing your success!

    1. Jayme, I used “simple truth” organic green lentils. However, the brand isn’t so important. I like green because they are super high in fiber.

  7. My boyfriend and I are trying this cleanse for this first time and we did this soup first since we thought it was a good transition from eating regular food! Kept me full all day and had a nice but subtle kick!

    1. Hi! The Smart Points are not the current Freestyle points. We are in the process of converting all of our recipes to the new points system!

  8. If you were to use dry black beans instead of canned, how long would it take to make this soup in the Instant Pot? Thanks!

    1. Hi Deborah, dried black beans take 20-25 minutes in the Instant Pot. Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot, substituting 1/2 cup dried black beans for canned black beans. Keep in mind that dried beans will increase in volume (about double) when cooked, so you will need to add an additional cup of broth to compensate. Be sure that the inner pot of your Instant Pot is not more than a little over 2/3 full because the liquid will expand during cooking as well, and you don’t want to risk injury during the cooking process. Set Instant Pot to manual, high pressure for 20-25 minutes. Be sure to use the natural pressure release method, since the beans are gaseous, and there is a substantial amount of liquid that could spray out if you use the quick release method. Enjoy!

  9. Agree, this should be 0-1 Freestyle point. The only ingrediant of 1 tblspn of Olive Oil= 4 points, the rest is 0 points. So, actually, yeah! Can’t wait to try!

  10. Really delicious soup.

    Just checking — I used red lentils instead of the green lentils — is this ok? as I noticed you say you use green lentils because they are super high in fibre. How do the red lentils fare in the fibre stakes?

    I also added bean sprouts, turmeric and curry leaves. Thanks.

    1. Yes, it’s definitely okay! The red lentils will be slightly lower in fiber (15 grams per cup) than green lentils (16 grams per cup), and will disintegrate if cooked for a long time, but you can certainly substitute them.

    1. Hi Wendy, we always recommend using your own homemade vegetable broth if possible. Otherwise any low-sodium broth will help keep the sodium down.

  11. I make your delicious recipe all of the time and LOVE IT. Today I noticed that we only have chicken broth (sigh) and I can’t get to the store. Any idea if this will alter the taste (for hubby who is not vegan). Thank you 🙂

    1. Hi Debbie, Thank you for being a loyal recipe maker. 🙂 That should not affect the taste to any noticeable degree. Enjoy!

  12. This was really good! Didn’t have Black beans, so I used Pinto beans instead. I also added Kale into this the last 5 minutes. My 7 year old loved it, she had seconds and asked to take more for lunch today. Thank you!

    1. You will need to cook the beans before adding them to the recipe. Once cooked, you will need about 15 ounces of beans (a little over one cup) to substitute for one can of beans.

  13. Just made this recipe! Simply delicious ! Somewhat on the thick side, do you think adding coconut milk a good idea? This would be excellent on rice as well!

    1. We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe, Noel! You could definitely add a little coconut milk to thin the recipe and make a creamy option.

  14. This soup was absolutely delicious! I am not a vegan or vegetarian, but would be totally satisfied to eat it as is. I did add a handful of diced smoked sausage to my bowl before adding the soup and it gave it just one more layer of flavor. The only thing I will change next time I make it is to reverse the garlic and onion/carrot cooking order. I have a hard time judging the oil temp and garlic tends to burn easily. Thanks for sharing.

  15. This looks really tasty. Do you have any suggestions for flavoring this soup for someone who needs to avoid onions and garlic.

  16. I rarely ever leave reviews on recipes but this one was SO good I just had to. The only adjustment I made was adding celery, kept everything else the same. This soup is absolutely delicious and one of my new favorites for sure! Thank you for sharing!

  17. I’ve made this several times and it’s amazing! I omit the oil and use more cumin but have yet to get 8-1.5 c servings but certainly not complaining!

  18. I just finished making this soup. It is delicious!!!!! I followed your recipe and it came out perfect. I will definitely be making it again.

  19. This soup is absolutely delicious! Sometimes I make a few swaps to change it up a little bit. I roasted some red peppers in the oven then chopped it up and used those instead of carrots. One time I didn’t have any lentils so I just threw a large can of hominy in there and that was delicious! This soup is super customizable and always delicious and very healthy.

  20. I didn’t add carrots, as I forgot to get some. I did add extra cumin and cilantro to the soup, and added vegetable broth instead of water. I feel so full! This is spicy like we like, and excellent with the tomatoes in it! Definitely will enjoy this again! Hard to find a good lentil soup recipe. This one takes First place!!!!

  21. I found this just ok. I used red lentils. I added some lime juice, but it still seems like it’s missing something.

  22. LOVED this recipe! Hearty and delicious along with healthy. How great is that? I did make few additions. I added spinach and also 1/2 tsp smoked paprika. Delicious!

  23. I made this the other day. It is the best lentil recipe I have ever came across. The spices used are perfect. I did add to it a bit though. I added a green bell pepper, two more carrots than called for, and two jalapeño peppers deveined and seeded. I will be making this again. This is a keeper!!!

  24. This recipe is awesome and extremely flexible if adding additional ingredients. I prepare mine with 1/2 cup of quinoa, 1lb of lean ground turkey, and 1 additional cup of vegetable broth, tastes so good and extremely filling!

  25. This got rave reviews from my entire family. Perfect meal for our Shelter-In-Place pantry. I cooked this all day in my slow cooker. It was perfect. In addition to the spices listed, I added more garlic, some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, and I was out of veggie broth so I used a teaspoon of Trader Joe’s Chickenless Seasoning. I omited the salt and probably used 4-5 cups of water. Oh, and I added celery. This is a keeper for sure. Thank you. 🙂

    1. That’s so awesome, Aimee! We’re happy to hear that you and the family enjoyed it. Sounds delicious! 😀

  26. This soup is so tasty! I followed the recipe exactly. It’s just the right amount of spice and is so good. Thanks for this. I’ll be making it a lot as we love soup dinners.

    1. Yes! You can follow the directions as written, and instead cook on low for about 6 hours or on high for 3 hours on high.

  27. Looks to be a delicious, easy meal. I have one question: I see your recipe serves 8, but for calorie tracking purposes what constitutes a serving size? Thank you.

  28. Hello! Want to make this recipe but I’m just learning how to cook. What temp when sautéing garlic, onion carrots etc should I have it on if cooking on stove? Ty in advance 🙂

  29. This was delicious. I used a cup of dried green lentils which took about 50 minutes to cook so I had to adjust the time. I’m assuming because it took longer to cook I had to add about 2 cups of water. I also added chopped kale after cooking the soup was cooking for about 30 minutes or so. It turned out really tasty though!4 stars

  30. This soup is the best! I never thought I would like lentils in soup but it was great. I became a vegan for health reasons and so far this is the best soup I’ve tasted. Even my daughter who never likes my food flavor ( she’s a vegetarian) said it was good and went back for seconds!5 stars

      1. Has anyone tried freezing this recipe? We love it so much I try to have some on hand through the week. How long will this keep in the refrigerator? Thank you for sharing this recipe!5 stars

        1. Susie, I’m so happy you love the recipe. YES, you sure can freeze this soup, I make it all the time and always freeze leftovers. YUM!

    1. Hello! I was hoping to get some clarity regarding the nutrition information! In the post it says this is 248 calories, but the nutritional information at the bottom states it is 171 calories. Are these just for different servings sizes? If so could you share what serving size the nutritional information is based on? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this tonight!

      1. Madelyn, That was a typo. The calories are 171 for one cup of soup. Please see the note regarding serving size and calories.

  31. So tasty! So easy! I only put a dash of the crushed red pepper in this time making to reduce the heat for my 5 year-old and he ate it up (topped with grated parmesan, which is delish)! This is a great staple recipe, thank you!5 stars

  32. Just made this recipe! I wanted it to be a little spicier so I added a little more spice, I also did 2 cups of broth and 2 cups of water (because I don’t like a strong broth flavor) and it’s delicious! So easy to make. Thank you, I think this is going to be a regular in our house.5 stars

  33. I made this last night for dinner and I’m having it for lunch today – it is absolutely fantastic! I added chopped celery and cubed potatoes and topped it with some shredded cheese and light sour cream. So good and perfect for a snowy day, thank you so much for the recipe!5 stars

  34. This soup has become a weekly staple! delicious and full of flavor!!! Normally make it for meatless Monday but adding chicken and doubling the recipe for this week …. smells delicious on this snowy Super Bowl Sunday! Nice knowing dinner is ready for a few nights 🙂

    1. Judy, Thank you so much for the feedback. You’re right, perfect day for a big bowl of Black Bean and Lentil Soup. Please leave a review when you get a minute.

  35. This soup was super delicious. I loved it and will definitely make it again! Only problem was trying to not eat too much in one sitting! Thank you for a very tasty recipe!5 stars

  36. I wasn’t sure I would like this. And I didn’t. I LOVE IT! Even my hubs, who doesn’t care for beans, loves it every time I make it, which has been about 3 times a month. I make a pan of cornbread to go with it, and since the predominant flavors are chili and cumin, it is absolutely amazing with the cornbread. It freezes beautifully, and it is a keeper!5 stars

  37. I forgot to say that I have cancer, and I found this searching for super healthy recipes. This one is a true winner, packed with protein and nutrients. Beans and lentils? What’s not to love?!5 stars

  38. I modified recipe out of necessity. I wanted lentil soup for lunch so made do with ingredients I had. I used 15 oz can of tomato sauce instead of tomatoes; I used red lentils instead of green. I used “Better than Boullion vegetable base instead of vegetable stock. This soup still came out great. The red lentils do break up, but it doesn’t alter flavor. I grated some Parmesan cheese over the top to add a bit of protein and calcium. It was SO GOOD. Thanks for the recipe. Generally I like to follow to the letter, but it’s nice to be able to improvise when you have to.

  39. I only had chicken bone broth, and I also add more one more garlic clove, I rib of celery, half of a red bell pepper diced and fire roasted tomatoes. It smells delish!

  40. I can’t have oil and I’m having to keep track of calories atm. How much would that be without the oil for each serving size? 1 1/2 cups for the 8 servings. I read all the comments and seriously can’t wait to try this. Thank you 😊

    1. Denise, Got it!

      If the olive oil is removed from the recipe, and considering there are 8 servings, the saturated fat will be reduced by approximately .2375 per serving. So, it’s not really enough to calculate since the entire recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of oil.

      Hope this helps.

  41. I love this recipe! We are vegetarian and I’m always looking for a quick and easy meal that is actually filling. This is one of the few recipes I have found on the internet that is on its way to becoming a house staple. So easy to make with just a few pantry items. And delicious! (I did add double the chili flakes and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to the pot) Thank you! I hope to try more recipes from this website soon.5 stars

  42. Very flavorful quick and easy….perfect! thanks added some turmeric just because I try to add it to everything with pepper for inflamation4 stars

  43. This was excellent! I just had the leftovers for lunch, and it was even better having sat overnight. I did not change anything, followed ingredients and instructions exactly as is written. It’s an incredibly easy recipe, and excellent tasting soup.

  44. Best recipe out there for plant-based refried beans of course I had to modify it by using two jalapeños and one and a half times all spices except for salt forgot it was in the Insta pot so it sat on warm for 52 minutes instead of the 25 and the quick release, this caused the beans to absorb more liquid and I did not have to add any liquid whatsoever to the beans after Mashing them could not bring myself to toss the liquid so I’m drinking it it’s a wonderful high-protein broth.5 stars

  45. Very good. I made this in my Instant Pot. I pressure cooked dried black beans for 18 minutes then sautéed and added the remaining ingredients with a diced sweet potato and carrots. Second pressure cook for 9 minutes. I will make this again. Thanks for the recipe.

  46. This had an overall good flavor. I used a little over 3 cups of water with Vegetable Better than Bouillon and it was pretty brothy so I added some cooked rice, topped it with sour cream and green onions. I liked the reader suggestion to use hominy so will try that as well. This is a very good base recipe that you can make many variations. I will definitely make this again.5 stars

  47. it was great!! I added some light sour cream to my bowl. but it still left me feeling hungry. is there a way to make it more hardy without the hardy calories ha ha.

    1. Lisa, Unless you’re a vegan, add small bite sized chicken pieces before cooking.

      If you are a vegan or eating plant-based, toss in some bite sized tempeh or plant-based chicken pieces, about 10 minutes before removing from the heat.

  48. So so tasty! Excited about this soup – I’ve been looking for heart healthy recipes for both myself and my husband with slightly high cholesterol- I made it and sealed it in lunch sized jars for him to take to work 😊 – thanks!

    1. That’s great, Kate! Homemade soup is one of our favorite lunches to pack and take with us! We’re so happy you enjoyed it!

  49. This is delicious! We like it on the spicy side. So, I swapped out the regular diced tomatoes for Rotel’s hot diced tomatoes with habaneros. Did not want to make it too spicy so I also left out the crushed red pepper. I will be making this again. Thank so you for the great recipe!5 stars

  50. This is simply excellent. I found this recipe in fall of 2020 after being diagnosed with cancer. In cutting back meat, (I am a total carnivore!) I was searching for some decent plant-based meals. This is high in protein, but more than that, it is freakin’ delicious, and surprisingly EASY! We are from the Southwest, so of course we love the slight chili-cumin flavor. I make a pan of cornbread to go with it and we are officially in heaven.
    This has become one of our go-to dinners. Thank you so much for putting this out there!5 stars

  51. This is so easy to make and so delicious that I’ve made it at least three times. I added chopped celery and Asian yams for extra girth
    and doubled the recipe because everyone eats more than one serving and some to share.5 stars

  52. Made this tonight! However it wasn’t vegan. No negative comments please! I added thinly slight sirloin and used beef broth. My family wouldn’t eat it without meat. It turned out great! The lentil took way more than 30 minutes to cook at about twice that after I turned the heat up. Everyone loved it!

    1. That sounds great! We love that you can make adjustments to our recipes to feed the whole family!

  53. This was awesome. So easy to make and very flavorful. We poured this soup over some white rice, but it’s excellent by itself as well. Adding this to our favorite soups list!

  54. Never had lentils before, decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised This was so good! Great choice for a cold and windy day. I’ll definitely be making this again.4 stars

  55. This soup is SO good!! Very easy to make with most ingredients already in my pantry.
    I follow the WW (weight watchers) lifestyle and a bowl of It is 0 points! Amazing! It’s got a good kick and it’s very filling!5 stars

  56. I made this recipe today since it’s one of the few times that I had all the ingredients without having to go to the store. It’s very good and has plenty of fiber. Since I had left overs I took a cup of the soup and drained it and added some salsa and sour cream and put it on a tortilla wrap. That was good too.5 stars

  57. I made the recipe as written. It is delicious. That being said I would leave out the crushed red pepper, a little too spicy for my family, but I like it.4 stars

  58. Very simple yet delicious soup. I used smoked paprika instead of the chili powder, and it was wonderful! The whole house smelled like the delicious aroma of cumin and garlic for the rest of the day!5 stars

  59. Love this recipe! Quick, simple, vegan, delicious. I live by myself and even though I make the full recipe, I don’t get tired of it through the week. I share with everyone I can!5 stars

    1. That’s great, Rebekah! We’re so glad to hear that you love it! Thanks for letting us know!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating