Tomato-Lentil Soup with Herbed Croutons

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-21 · Updated 2026-04-21

A hearty, comforting soup made with red lentils, tomatoes, and fresh herbs, served with homemade garlic croutons. This mediterranean-inspired soups (vegetarian) ready in about 40 minutes pairs olive oil, medium onion, carrot for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 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

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 carrot
• 2 stalks celery
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup red lentils
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper
• 1 slice baguette
• 1 clove garlic

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; cook 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Step 2: Stir in rinsed lentils, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes until lentils are tender.
3. Step 3: Remove bay leaf. Blend half the soup until smooth using an immersion blender. Return to pot and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, toast baguette slices until golden, then rub with garlic clove and drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil.