Creamy Red Lentil Vegetable Soup with Greek Yogurt

A simple red lentil vegetable soup made with chicken stock, blended vegetables, and Greek yogurt. A nourishing, family friendly soup that comes together easily and reheats well.

This soup came together on a weekend when I was solo parenting, low on energy, and cooking mostly on autopilot. I had homemade chicken stock ready, a drawer of vegetables that needed to be used, and no mental space for a complicated plan. I just started chopping, sautéing, and adjusting as I went. Somewhere between forgetting about my bread and reheating my coffee for the third time, this soup turned into something I genuinely looked forward to eating.

What surprised me was how much flavor came from such simple ingredients. The vegetables melt into a thick base without any cream. The red lentils give it enough substance to actually keep you full. And the yogurt and apple cider vinegar at the end are what make it interesting. That little bit of tang wakes everything up and keeps the soup from feeling flat.

Each serving also contains a whopping 5–6 grams of fiber, thanks to the red lentils and blended vegetables, which makes this soup surprisingly filling without feeling heavy. Serve this with a slice of my No-Knead Sourdough to round out the meal and soak up every last bit of the soup.

This is the kind of meal I make when the day has been long, the kitchen is loud, and I still want to put something real and healthy on the table that everyone will eat, including me.

Main Ingredients & Swaps

• Chicken stock – This is the backbone of the soup and where most of the flavor comes from. Homemade stock gives it depth and richness, but a good quality store bought stock works well too. If using boxed stock, look for low sodium so you can control the seasoning.
• Red lentils – Red lentils cook quickly and break down easily, which makes them ideal for blended soups. They add protein and help thicken the soup naturally. Yellow lentils can work as a swap, but they may take a little longer to cook.
• Vegetables (onion, carrots, zucchini, delicata squash) – These create the body and base of the soup. Onion and carrots build flavor and sweetness, while zucchini and delicata squash blend into a thick, creamy texture without cream. The delicata adds a subtle sweetness and the skin can be left on. Butternut squash can be swapped for the delicata, and yellow squash can replace the zucchini.
• Ancho chili powder – This adds gentle warmth and a smoky note without making the soup spicy. Smoked paprika is a good alternative if you do not have ancho chili powder.
• Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt adds protein, richness, and tang at the end. Full fat or nonfat both work. Sour cream can be used, but it will be slightly richer and less tangy.
• Apple cider vinegar – This brightens the soup and balances the richness of the blended vegetables and yogurt. Lemon juice or white wine vinegar are easy swaps.

How I Make It

Start by heating olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add all of the chopped vegetables at once and season lightly with salt and pepper. This step is less about browning and more about softening everything and building a simple flavor base.

Once the vegetables have started to soften, stir in the garlic, oregano, and ancho chili powder. Let the spices bloom briefly before adding the chicken stock. Bring the pot to a boil, add the red lentils, then lower the heat and let everything simmer until the lentils are fully cooked and starting to break down.

When the vegetables and lentils are soft, turn off the heat and blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender. At this stage the soup should be thick and creamy. If it looks too dense, add a little more stock to loosen it.

Before adding the yogurt, scoop out some of the hot soup and slowly mix it into the yogurt to warm it gently. This tempering step matters and keeps the soup smooth. Stir the yogurt mixture back into the pot, finish with apple cider vinegar and salt, and serve warm. Serve this with my

👇🏻 If you want to watch this come together in real time, I walk through the full process in my weekend YouTube video:

Creamy Red Lentil Vegetable Soup

5 from 2 votes

A simple blended vegetable soup made with red lentils, homemade chicken stock, and finished with Greek yogurt and apple cider vinegar. Hearty, nourishing, and perfect for busy days when you want real food without a lot of effort.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Dinner, lunch, meatless, Soup

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
• 4 large carrots roughly chopped
• 1 zucchini roughly chopped
• 1 small delicata squash seeds removed skin on roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup red lentils rinsed
• 1½ teaspoons salt divided
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

Notes

• Reheat gently after adding the yogurt to avoid splitting
• This soup freezes well before the yogurt is added
• Butternut squash can replace the delicata squash, 2 cups cubed

Method

 

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, zucchini, and delicata squash. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add the garlic, oregano, and ancho chili powder. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the red lentils, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the lentils are fully cooked and soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and let the soup cool slightly. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Scoop out 1 to 2 cups of the hot soup and set aside.
5. Add the Greek yogurt to a bowl. Slowly whisk in the reserved hot soup to temper the yogurt.
6. Stir the yogurt mixture back into the pot. Add the remaining salt and apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve warm.

Video

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