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This cozy Italian lentil soup is so tasty, you’ll immediately want seconds! It’s easy, hearty, and full of bold flavor — a family favorite everyone requests for winter dinners.
This Italian lentil soup recipe originally came together by chance. I envisioned creating an Italian lentil soup recipe with artichokes, tomatoes, and lentils. I was skeptical that it would all work together, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well it came out!
This soup recipe pairs earthy and tangy flavors in a way that draws you in bite after bite. The Italian seasonings and tangy fire-roasted tomatoes make it totally irresistible. My extended family loves it so much that I have to make it every Christmas Eve!
Tips for this delicious soup
This Italian lentil soup comes together in just over 30 minutes and requires very little skill. Here are a few keys to the flavor in this lentil soup recipe:
- Fire-roasted tomatoes are a must in this lentil soup. The tomatoes add a subtly sweet flavor you won’t get if you use regular canned tomatoes. If you can’t find them, use the highest-quality tomatoes you can find.
- Season as needed throughout the cooking process. Depending on the tomato and artichoke brands, you may need to add a different amount of salt to this Tuscan lentil soup. Taste as you go and add salt until the flavor pops.
- Don’t overcook the lentils. Red lentils need about 20 minutes to cook through fully. If you overcook them, they’ll lose shape and become incredibly soft. Your Italian lentil soup may get too thick if the lentils become too soft, so watch closely during the last few minutes of cooking.
About red lentils
Red lentils are named for their beautiful orange-pink color, though they turn yellow when cooked. Of all the lentil varieties, the texture of red lentils breaks down the quickest. Because they cook faster than regular brown and green lentils, I love adding them to soups and stews like this one.
If your store doesn’t carry red lentils, what can you substitute? This Italian lentil soup also works with green or brown lentils. Just keep in mind that using different types of lentils affects the cook time! You may need to cook brown and green lentils longer than the red variety.
Looking for more red lentil recipes? Masoor Dal is a cozy and nuanced recipe to try. Mediterranean-style Creamy Red Lentil Soup is spiced with cumin and paprika, and absolutely delicious. Also, check out more of my Best Lentil Recipes.
Use Tuscan kale if possible
Try to find Tuscan kale for this recipe! Tuscan kale is an Italian variety with a dark green color and mild flavor. It may also be labeled as Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale, black kale, or cavolo nero (black cabbage in Italian).
Compared to curly kale, which has frilly, brighter green leaves, the leaves are very dark green and flat. If you can’t find Tuscan kale by any of these names, you can substitute curly kale or other leafy greens like spinach or chard.
Why is Tuscan kale best to use in this Italian lentil soup? It’s only fitting to use Italian-style kale in an Italian soup, but the flavor is also important. The flavor of Tuscan kale is milder and sweeter than curly kale, which can taste bitter and spicy.
Ways to serve
To serve this Italian lentil soup recipe as a meal, I suggest a side salad or bread to go along with it. Here are a few suggestions:
- Bread: Try your hand at our no-knead bread, artisan bread, Dutch oven bread, or famous sourdough bread.
- Cornbread: It’s not Italian, but this vegan cornbread is extra special!
- Salad: Some salads that fit the vibe: arugula salad, chopped salad, tossed salad, or Brussels sprout salad.
Dietary notes
This Italian lentil soup recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free (without the Parmesan cheese garnish).
Italian Lentil Soup
This cozy Italian lentil soup is so tasty, you’ll immediately want seconds! It’s easy, hearty, and full of bold flavor — a family favorite everyone requests for winter dinners.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 15-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts
- ½ bunch Tuscan kale (also labeled as Lacinato, dinosaur kale or cavolo nero)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 28-ounce cans fire roasted whole tomatoes
- Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional), for garnish
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Drain the artichoke hearts, and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- Wash and thinly slice the kale into ribbons.
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil. Sauté for another minute.
- Add the red lentils, water, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and 1 bay leaf, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the kale, artichokes, and the liquid from the whole tomatoes. Then chop the whole tomatoes into bite-sized pieces, and add them to the pot.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Be careful not to overcook the lentils, or they will become too soft.
- Taste, and add additional kosher salt as necessary. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and shaved Parmesan cheese.
thank you for great recipes. we need hi protein recipes. your ingredients are basic and easy!
The recipe needs WAY more liquid than it calls for. it also has too much oregano and basil. If I make this again I would halve those spices.
I added beans, bacon, and cheese which helped make it taste better.
My husband and I loved this soup.
The flavor was superb.
Look so forward to the leftovers!
Thank you!
Hi, I noticed that you did not use any broth for this soup.. which we would normally do.. Any particular reason? because the ingredients are “strong enough” to carry the flavor?
Thanks!
We just made this ourselves for christmas eve! No need for broth with all of the tomatoes.
I have made this dish numerous times and absolutely LOVE it!! Can it be done in a crockpot??
Thank you,
Brenda
We haven’t tried it! Let us know if you do.
Yes! I cook the onions first, but threw all the rest in on low for 4-5 hours! Had requests for the recipe!
This was a delicious soup! I’ve made it over and over with different kinds of lentils. Most recently, I added some cannellini beans for extra heartiness, and they fit right in.
The only advice I’d give is that I find myself adding 3 to 4 times the amount of water in the recipe, and then I have to up the other spices so it doesn’t get bland. If I don’t add more water, the soup turns into more of a salad- there simply is not enough broth.
All in all though, a staple in my meal prep rotation as a college student!
I noticed you do not include sodium content on your recipes. I would love to try some of these but I am someone who needs to watch my sodium intake.
Thanks!
Hi! Our nutrition analyzer doesn’t do well with sodium because brands of broth, beans, etc have vastly different amounts of sodium. We always call for kosher salt which has has 1,920 mg of sodium per teaspoon.
This is a delicious recipe and came together quickly and easily! I used fire roasted diced tomatoes and added some cannellini beans for extra protein. I did not add any salt because my diced tomatoes added plenty to the dish. SO DELICIOUS. This will be on repeat at our house!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is a wonderful recipe! The combination of roasted tomatoes and artichokes is fabulous. I decided to add a couple drops of “liquid smoke” (similar to smoked paprika). This was a flavour that my kids and guests enjoyed. I highly recommend this recipe to all… so flavourful!! (and folks who are not fans of lentils will not notice this hearty ingredient.) Thanks for sharing!
I made this today, for work lunches all week, it is delicious! I added chopped carrots just to make it more filling. Thank you for a tasty week of lunches!
This so easy and delicious. It’s very thick so will add a little additional water next time. This is a keeper.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Delicious! So, so delicious… and filling.
Made this tonight and it was SUCH a hit for the whole family! My 4 year old ate his whole bowl (not always the case with new recipes!) and so did my husband- huge win!
Ohhhh hooray! We’re so glad to hear this Stephanie! Thanks for making it :)
Long time follower here but rare commenter – just had to share that I made this over the weekend after finding a can of artichokes in the bottom of the pantry. Based on other reviewer comments I cut down the tomatoes to just one 28oz can and it was superb! I made your pretty simple popovers as well, and fed this to both my husband and brother who looked at each other and in surprise my husband goes, “huh, this tastes better than I was expecting!” Huge win! And then he ate 6 popovers….maybe effectively canceling out the lentils? Haha I’ll still take it :) thank you guys!
HAHA, I love it! I’m SO glad this was a hit with your husband and brother — it’s the best when it works for the whole family. THANK YOU for your comment!
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! Do you think it would work in a slow cooker?
Hi Natalia! We would recommend making this on the stovetop so that the flavors are bright — making it in a slow cooker would probably make the lentils disintegrate! It’s fairly quick to put together, so hopefully it works for you! Let us know if you try!
This is the first recipe I’ve made off your site (previously used your pizza posts for inspiration) and it was absolutely lovely. I even made it with kale I had previously chopped and frozen and it was still perfect. My partner and I are not vegetarian but are moving towards a predominantly veggie diet and recipes like this make it so easy! Loved the artichoke flavor and how tomato-y it was! Will definitely make it again.
I linked to this recipe after your post about staying warm this winter. I made it last night and loved it, but it was even better the second day! I used diced fire-roasted tomatoes and substituted veggie stock for the water, using a bit more because it was kind of thick with just 2 cups. So delicious!
Oh, we’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for letting us know and thank you for linking to the recipe!
Putting these soup in my meal plan for the week as we speak! Thanks!!
Ooo let me know what you thought of it! :)
Heard you mention this on your podcast the other day (which I love, by the way)…sounds delicious! I have a frozen bag of artichoke hearts in my freezer that I’d love to use up. I can’t even remember why I bought them in the first place! Think I could use them in the stew, in place of jarred artichokes? Thanks for all of the great recipes and ideas, Sonja & Alex :)
Thank you for the kind words about the podcast! So glad you’re enjoying it — we love connecting with listeners who are experiencing it along with us! For me it’s almost more fun than having a blog, haha! Anyway, in terms of frozen artichoke hearts…I would think they would work? I’ve never tried it, but I can’t see why not. Let us know if you try it out! Thanks again for listening :)
Thank you for this delicious recipe! Made it this evening with shavings of parmesan and some thick seeded wholemeal bread. Fire-roasted tomatoes are very difficult to come by in the UK – I don’t think they are sold here at all, in fact – so I had to use tinned plum tomatoes and lost some of the smokiness/depth to the stew, but it was still super delicious and so easy!
Thank you for a wonderful share!
So glad you enjoyed this! Sorry to hear about the fire-roasted tomatoes — I wish they were available everywhere! We’re kind of obsessed with them :) Thanks for writing!
My husband is not very fond of Kale…what are your thoughts for a substitute. I was thinking Spinach or Bok choy.
Thanks for all the great recipes have forwarded your blog to my friends
Spinach would work great as a substitute :)
Saw this recipe on a 2016 cooking calendar my friends received as a Christmas gift. Made it tonight and wasn’t impressed- it was a good base recipe, but needed twice the lentils (and maybe green instead?) and a Parmesan rind while stewing for more flavor. Overall, it was so tomato-heavy that it resembled a thick marinara sauce dotted with lentils. Hoping it’ll taste more complex tomorrow after it sits overnight.
Thanks for the feedback! Sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
This recipe looks delicious! Do you by any chance have the nutrition info along with calories per serving available anywhere?
Made this today, w/o the cheese. I was feeling lazy so I used a 12 oz. bag of pre-washed and chopped baby kale, and two 14-oz cans of diced fire-roasted tomatoes. Absolutely fantastic, will definitely be making again. I served it with brown rice that I had around.
I’m making this tonight for a couple of vegans friends for dinner. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Thanks for a great recipe that I will make again! Just as Alex above asked, I used crushed fire-roasted tomatoes b/c that’s all my grocery store had (either that or regular whole tomatoes, but I wanted to get the flavor from the fire-roasted ones). The broth is definitely thicker, more tomatoe-y, not sure I would use crushed again–but was still great! (I’ll have to try it with regular and see which way I like better!)
Made this last night and it was hearty and delicious, just as promised. Artichokes are probably the vegetable I cook with the least but this soup is a reminder of what a great addition they can be. Thanks guys!!
Made this last night for my family and everyone loved it. We had prepared steak for my picky brothers, but they both went back for seconds of the stew and could not stop eating it! This was so easy and quick to pull together and definitely hit all the right notes of warmth and comfort during this time of subzero temperatures. Thanks for such a delicious, healthy, and hearty recipe that the whole family loved!! This will definitely be put on repeat in my house.
This is so wonderful to hear! This is one of our favorite recipes for the winter, and it is so great to hear from another family who enjoys it too! We actually made it for Christmas Eve this year – it was a hit! Thanks so much for writing and letting us know :)
Ooh thank you for sending me to this post – yum! (gorgeous photos too…) ^__^
Great recipe! Dinner tonight was wonderful! Even the “boys” liked it!
I found your recipe at Oh My Veggies. I’m a critical care nurse at Vandy. I made this today. It was easy peasy, and delicious! I had a bowl at 5 p.m., plan on another bowl at 2 a.m. and more the next 2 nights I work. Thank you for saving me from fried chicken tenders offered by the hospital at 2 a.m. :)
Such a delicious sounding recipe. Artichokes aren’t a common cooking ingredient in the U.K but I’m going to find some and make this. Are fire roasted tomatoes just roasted tomatoes? If using plum tomatoes would adding a touch of smoked paprika produce a similar taste? Your house is just gorgeous, a dream house also, especially in the snow.
Thanks so much for your nice comments! You can definitely substitute “normal” tomatoes for fire-roasted here; the fire roasting just adds some sweetness and depth of flavor. I wouldn’t think you’d need to add smoked paprika since that is such a distinctive smoked flavor (which fire roasted tomatoes do not have), but it definitely would add a nice kick! Let us know how it turns out.
This sounds so yummy! But hubby doesn’t like artichokes and he does the shopping…I have to figure out a way to get him to buy the ingredients… I’ll figure out a way…it sounds too good to not try!
Haha! Maybe this is the recipe that will change his mind :)
I made this for dinner last night and we loved it! My husband was wary when I told him the name, he said it sounded “granola-y”, but was a convert from his first bite. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch!
Made this for dinner tonight and it’s delicious! We love artichokes so I might double them next time + add some more heat with the red pepper flakes but it’s definitely going into rotation at our house. Thanks for sharing!
I was lucky enough that my friend made this last night. I had already eaten all of my pathetic attempt at indian daal, so I didn’t appreciate the soup when I took a bite last night. She sent me home with a container that I brought with me to work…
DIVINE! SO GOOD! Licking bowl…
P.S. – she doubled the artichoke and I wouldn’t make it any other way.
I made this last night and it was absolutely wonderful. Looking at the list of ingredients, both my wife and I were expecting something much less than what came out of the pot.
Thank you again for this absolutely beautiful recipe!
So glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Thanks for the comment :)
Thanks for another excellent recipe. Great stew for these cold snowy days. However, I do have a couple of suggestions.
I found that 1 TBS of oregano overwhelms all of the other wonderful flavors of this dish, so next time I’ll cut back to 1 tsp or a little more.
Also our local Whole Foods did not have anything called Tuscan Kale, only something called Lacinato and a few others. When I got home I googled Tuscan Kale only to find out it is the same as Lacinato, or Dinosaur, or Italian, or Black Kale (who knew?). I had assumed that you mentioned a specific type of kale because the particular variety is important to the recipe (degree of bitterness, cooking time, etc). So I ended up using another variety of kale – “Chou Vert Frise” – mostly because it was organic, but it never seemed to fully cook. I noticed that you mentioned the other names for Tuscan Kale in a reply above, but not in the original recipe. That would have been helpful.
I do enjoy your blog and I always look forward to new recipes.
Thanks for the feedback! We will update the recipe ingredients list. Thanks for reading!
I want to try this recipe and have a question … approximately how much kale do you consider to be a bunch (or half-bunch, in this case)?
I know it probably varies, but I’m never sure how much “a bunch” is supposed to imply since I can only find curly kale chopped and bagged in the store closest to me, and would appreciate any estimation!
I’ve seen 4-5 cups mentioned online. Does that sound correct? That would indicate 2-3 cups for this soup.
(Also, my husband and I plan to start house-shopping this year and yours is absolutely gorgeous! The real estate pictures I’ve seen online are somewhat terrifying. Lol. I’m jealous.)
Good question! I think greens are really hard to measure in cups because that totally depends on how tight you pack the measuring cup… for the Tuscan kale (aka lacinato or dinosaur kale) in this recipe, I’d call about 6 stems worth a half-bunch. The quantity doesn’t matter too much for this recipe :) And thanks! We love our 1920’s neighborhood :)
Thanks! That helps me visualize it better. I’m looking forward to trying it!
This soup is awesome! I messed up the recipe so I was a bit worried, but it tastes SO delicious. This was my first time cooking with lentils, also.
I accidentally put in too many lentils. (The entire bag.) I also couldn’t find enough fire-roasted tomatoes. (I used stewed and diced.)
I added some extra water, more canned tomatoes and parmesan rind.
It still tastes AMAZING! I will be definitely making this again. THANK YOU!
Glad you made it and it *eventually* turned out! Thanks for writing!
I made this last night and it worked so well!! So full of flavour and quick to make. I look forward to trying another one of your recipes
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks!
Mmmm.. Looks great! Making this week and can’t wait… Question, did you use whole red lentils or split? I could only find split in store and I’m wondering if cooking time should be altered…
Hi! Our package says red lentils, but looking closely at them it appears they are split… perhaps most red lentils are split? I think the cooking time should be the same… you want to cook them until they have just a slightly chewy texture. The a little bite is nice for this stew, and the alternative is the lentils going to mush very quickly!
Success :) This recipe was very hearty and delicious! Thanks for the post!!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. We’re making a double batch for friends tonight :)
Yummy! I am pinteresting this, even though my husband is trying to avoid tomatoes due to Rheumatoid Arthritis. I’ll save it for when he’s gone on a work trip :) Absolutely beautiful house!
Your place is BEAUTIFUL! And this soup looks DELICIOUS.
A beautiful + hearty soup – love it. I also have total house envy about your house, let alone the dream house!
You should start IndyBakes… the cost of living here is quite a bit lower than London :)
Looks yummy! GREAT pics :)!
I’m thinking about making this (hey, hell did freeze over!/it’s a new year), but I have an aversion to the artichoke hearts…just leave out or substitute with something else?
Hmm. I can’t think of a good substitute. You should really just try them, it’s a new year! They don’t add a ton to the overall flavor of the dish, but they are a great texture for it… I think just leave them out if anything.
And, awesome! Make some stew!
Yummm! Looks incredible! I can’t wait to try it! I am noticing the delicious looking bread! I was wondering if you have a recipe for the bread as well!?
Unfortunately, this bread is store bought. However, we’ve made this multi-grain bread from Annie’s Eats before and it would be awesome with this soup: http://www.annies-eats.com/2013/10/10/multigrain-bread/
Nice mix of flavors!
This might be a silly question, but since you have to chop up the whole tomatoes, why can’t you just use diced?
Not a silly question! I experimented with diced and crushed, but just like the size and texture of the chopped whole tomatoes better than the diced. If you aren’t feeling messy, don’t think it won’t detract too much to substitute diced with their liquid :)
Thanks for the feedback! I can’t wait to make this recipe!
Stunning! Can’t wait to try this. PS Your house looks great covered in snowy white.
This soup looks delicious! And your photos are beautiful!
We cling to soup in the winter, too. It’s my belief that the harsh winter elements are easier to tolerate when there’s a hearty pot of soup hanging out on the stove, waiting to warm one’s innards. One of my favorite winter feelings, I think.
Also, do I spy Bill’s house next door? {{{HI, B!}}}
Also also, your house is a beaut.
Amen!
Yep, I’ll print out this comment and take it over to him.
:)
This stew looks perfect for winter! And your house looks so pretty tucked in with all the snow – all the more reason to enjoy comfort food like this!
Thanks Katrina!
All the yummiest of things in one heavenly sounding, hearty soup. LOVE.
And what a magical looking house – it looks like something out of a fairytale!
Haha! Thanks. And yes, it does seem like it is out of a fairy tale–Sonja tries to move in every time we walk by (though I maintain that all those beautiful trees would kill the light for photo’ing our food…).
Wow! It is like winter wonderland over there! While it maybe cold it is so pretty. Your shots are perfect!
This soup would put some soul back in to the cold winter days; Look delicious!
Thank you! I wouldn’t mind a little January summer about now… it’s all turned to brown mush at this point.
i’m always looking for new ways to use artichokes, this is such a great idea for soup!
the pictures of the snow are so beautiful, I wish DC was snow-pretty long enough during the day during the vortex…
Thanks! We had a perfect afternoon of fluffy snow and moderate freezing before the vortex fully hit. It was so fun to tromp around in the neighborhood!
Tomatoes and artichokes and lentils are some of my favorite foods. Healthy or not I love them, so this soup looks so good!!
Love the photos if the snow and your house! Plus, your dream house is beautiful as well!
Thanks Tieghan! Let us know if you try it!