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Red Lentil Soup With Cooked Beets and Lemon

Ready-cooked beets make this red lentil soup with cooked beets practical on an ordinary evening. Split red lentils provide the body, beets give the soup its deep rosy color and gentle sweetness, and lemon keeps the earthy flavors balanced. The result is smooth and spoonable without adding milk or cream.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings (about 6 cups total)
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, approximately 150 g, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 cup split red lentils, approximately 145 g, picked over and rinsed
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 12 ounces plain cooked, peeled beets, approximately 340 g, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more if needed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
  • 1/2 to 1 cup hot water, only as needed

Equipment

  • 4-quart pot
  • fine sieve
  • knife
  • measuring jug
  • immersion blender suitable for hot liquids

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Soften the onion. Warm the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring, until translucent and soft. Avoid strong browning so the finished color stays clear and the flavor remains gentle.
  2. Warm the aromatics. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin. Stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in a splash of the measured broth if the bottom seems dry.
  3. Start the lentils. Add the rinsed lentils and remaining broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer, partially covered, for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring along the bottom occasionally. The lentils should begin to soften and lose their shape.
  4. Add the cooked beets. Stir in the beet pieces, remaining measured salt and pepper. Simmer for another 7 to 10 minutes, until the beets are hot and the lentils are completely tender. A lentil pressed between two spoons should crush smoothly with no gritty center.
  5. Blend carefully. Take the pot off the heat and allow the vigorous bubbling to stop. Submerge the immersion blender's blade guard fully before switching it on. Blend in short movements, keeping the head below the surface to avoid hot splashes, until the soup is smooth.
  6. Adjust and finish. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add hot water a little at a time if the soup is too thick. Taste, then add more lemon or salt as needed. Warm gently if necessary and serve with the parsley scattered over each bowl.

Notes

Plan around these estimated times and follow the doneness checks in the instructions. Allow extra time if your equipment or ingredients require it.
Where a numeric field cannot display a range, it uses the upper end of the stated planning allowance. The original range remains below; food may need more time to meet the stated doneness check.
Quick recipe reference
Yield: about 6 cups, or 4 servings. Prep: 10 minutes. Cook and blend: approximately 35–40 minutes. Total: about 45–50 minutes. Equipment: 4-quart pot, fine sieve, knife, measuring jug and an immersion blender suitable for hot liquids.
Ingredients
The recipe uses more broth than you would use to cook lentils as a side dish because the goal is soup. Hold the extra water back until after blending. Beet size and the amount of moisture inside a cooked package vary; final consistency is easier to judge once the ingredients are smooth.
Why cooked beets change the schedule
Raw beets would need extra time to soften, especially in larger pieces. The main method avoids that uncertainty by starting with a tender product. Check a piece before cooking: it should cut easily and yield when pressed with a fork. If your home-cooked beets are still firm, finish cooking them separately before beginning the soup.
Drain plain canned beets before weighing if those are what you have. With vacuum-packed beets, discard the packing liquid unless the label indicates it is simply beet juice and you want to include a small amount for color. Do not include an unknown seasoned liquid automatically. The measured broth makes the recipe easier to season consistently.
The red lentils should be the split orange variety. They soften into the base, helping the soup hold together. The Lentils.org cooking guide distinguishes their softer texture from that of whole lentils. Whole brown lentils would leave a different texture and need a revised timing assessment.
Refrigerate red lentil soup with cooked beets
Transfer soup into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and use within 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze portions for up to 2 to 3 months for quality. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat with added water as needed until it reaches 165°F. Add fresh parsley after reheating.
Beet soup can stain porous containers, towels and cutting boards. Use washable equipment and wipe spills promptly, especially around the blender. Label the stored portions with the cooking date. If using beets cooked on a previous day, count their earlier refrigerated time as part of the total storage plan.
If you have extra cooked beets, use them in quinoa and butter bean bowls with cooked beets. For a different soup from the lentil bag, try our small-batch red lentil carrot soup.
Food handling references: FDA storage guidance and FoodSafety.gov reheating temperatures.