Creamy French Lentil Soup with Carrots and Thyme

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-06 · Updated 2026-06-06

A comforting and velvety lentil soup simmered with carrots, onions, and fresh thyme for a rich taste of French countryside cooking. This French-inspired soup recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 55 minutes, pairs green lentils, carrots, yellow onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 310 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup, rinsed green lentils
• 3 medium, diced carrots
• 1 large, diced yellow onion
• 2, diced celery stalks
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 large diced yellow onion, 3 diced medium carrots, and 2 diced celery stalks. Sauté for 7-8 minutes until softened and fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in 1 cup rinsed green lentils, 6 cups vegetable broth, 3 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
3. Step 3: Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30-35 minutes until lentils are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
4. Step 4: Using an immersion blender, blend about half the soup until smooth to create a creamy texture while retaining some lentil chunks for body.
5. Step 5: Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Warm for 5 minutes more, then garnish with 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley before serving warm.