This Carrot Lentil Ginger Soup is vegan, gluten-free, & packed with flavor all while using 10 super simple ingredients. This soup has a delicious umami flavor that is truly unique and is best served with a big slice of toast!
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What is Yondu Sauce?
For this spiced carrot and lentil soup I used Yondu which is a seasoning sauce that brings a ton of flavor to plant-based foods and eliminates the need for added sugar and salt in this recipe.
It is made from triple fermented beans and 8 different umami-rich vegetables for a flavor that is super unique while still being vegan, gluten-free, & organic!
If you can't find this umami sauce, you can substitute it with 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce for similar results.
How to make carrot lentil soup
Luckily making this 10-ingredient soup is super easy and requires just 40 minutes to make!
First, cook the carrots, shallots, & ginger
Add the oil to a pan and, once hot, add in the chopped carrots and minced shallots. I personally just wash my carrots and do not peel them to reduce waste, but peeled carrots will also work in this recipe!
Cook the carrots and shallots for 5-8 minutes until they have begun to caramelize. Then, add in the minced garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Add in lentils & ginger and toast
Next, add in the red lentils & the 2 teaspoon of dried ginger and stir everything together to toast for about 1 minute.
This really helps to bring out the flavor of the dried ginger and also leads to the best lentil texture. If using fresh ginger, you'll want to use more ginger- around 1-2 tablespoon of grated ginger for the right flavor.
Add in the water, umami sauce, & tomato paste
Then, add in the water, umami/soy sauce, & tomato paste. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until the lentils are completely cooked through.
Some lentils might take slightly longer to cook if they are older, so keep this in mind and make sure to test that the lentils are truly cooked through before blending.
Blend the soup
Once the lentils are cooked, use an immersion blender to blend everything together. You can also pour the soup into a standing blender if you do not have an immersion blender.
Add toppings & serve
Once the soup is completely blended and smooth, serve with your favorite soup toppings. I love a good swirl of coconut cream on top, fresh cilantro or parsley, and hemp seeds for extra protein. Plus, you better believe I am serving this carrot lentil soup with a slice of buttery garlic bread!
FAQ & Expert Tips:
What lentils work best in this soup?
For this recipe, you 100% have to use red/orange lentils. Red lentils get mushy and lose their texture during cooking which makes them ideal for a blended soup.
Brown or green lentils won't work as intended in this recipe as they stay firm and really hold their shape while cooking. They also don't absorb quite as much water, so the soup would be too watery with a different lentil variety.
Is this carrot soup healthy?
Ultimately, you have to decide what is healthy for you, but this soup is certainly packed with nutrients! Thanks to the carrot this recipe has a lot of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
Plus, because of lentils, each serving has around 14 grams of plant-based protein and 16 grams of fiber. It has no added sugar either. For my personal diet, I consider this soup a great nourishing dinner recipe for those two reasons alone!
How do I store leftover carrot ginger soup?
Leftover soup can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If freezing, try to store it in individual containers for the easiest defrosting process.
I truly hope you love this nourishing, gluten-free, and Vegan Carrot Lentil Ginger Soup! It is so creamy, cozy, and full of flavor. Enjoy!
More vegan soups & stews recipes you will love:
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Carrot Lentil Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups chopped carrots about 4 carrots diced
- 2 shallots minced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 5 cups water
- 3 tablespoon Yondu sauce or 2 Tablespoons soy sauce/coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- salt & pepper to taste only add salt at the end if needed as Yondu will provide the salty flavor
Instructions
- First, chop the vegetables. Then add the oil to a large pot or dutch oven and turn on the heat. Once hot, add in the diced carrots and minced shallots and cook for 5-8 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to brown and caramelize.
- Next, add in the minced garlic, stir, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the red lentils and ginger and stir with the vegetables to toast everything for about 1 minute. Then, add in the water, Yondu sauce, and tomato paste.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until the red lentils are softened and fully cooked. This may take longer for some lentils, but mine took right around 10 minutes to fully cook.
- Remove the pot of soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend into a thick creamy soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can also add the soup to a large blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve the soup in 4 bowls while warm and top with your favorite soup toppings. I like mine with a swirl of coconut cream, cilantro, hemp seeds, and a side of garlic bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- While I highly encourage using Yondu in this recipe for it's unique taste, if you cannot find it sub with 2 tablespoon of soy sauce and use vegetable broth instead of water for the best flavor. You may need to add additional salt if not using Yondu.
- ½ chopped white onion can be subbed for the 2 shallots.
- Leftover soup can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. If freezing, try to store in individual containers for the easiest defrosting process.
- If using fresh ginger instead of dried, I recommend using at around 1-2 tablespoon of grated ginger. Add more or less to your liking!
Jaime says
Made this last night. I couldn't find the yudon sauce so I used vegetable stock and tamari as suggested. It was amazing. So hearty and filling. The flavor was incredible. I will definitely make this again.
Megan says
Thank you so much for sharing and so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Sadie says
Another winner! I added a few more carrots but otherwise made to the recipe and it’s delicious. Mine was not quite the gorgeous orange but still lovely and tasty. Got the carrots, ginger and shallots all from my farm share this week so matched up perfectly!
Megan says
So happy it turned out well! Did you use a substitute for the umami sauce? That may be one reason it didn't turn out quite as orange or it could depend on the lentils you used (if they are browner in color vs. red).