Tomato Lentil Soup with Manzanilla Olives
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This tomato lentil soup is easy to make and a super cozy vegetarian meal. The lentils are cooked in a rich broth with tomatoes, carrots, celery, garlic, and spices. The soup is finished with a bit of spinach, a splash of cream, and some delicious Manzanilla olives.
You’re looking at one of my all-time favorite vegetarian soup recipes. It’s the kind of soup I make when I want something cozy and satisfying, but also full of big, interesting flavor.
The broth is rich and dreamy, with just a slight smokiness from paprika and a savory, almost briny depth from the Manzanilla olives. The tender lentils soak up all that goodness and make the soup hearty enough to count as dinner — no sides required.
I almost always serve soup with a slice of buttered bread or garlic bread, but this one is so full and flavorful that I’m perfectly happy with a big bowl on its own. It’s comforting and the kind of recipe I find myself coming back to again and again.
Also, be sure to check out my two other vegetarian lentil soup recipes: coconut red lentil peanut soup, a hearty one-pot meal, and my coconut lentil soup with ginger kale.
Store, freeze, and reheat
Store: This soup keeps well for at least 5 days in your fridge, making it ideal for meal prep. Make a pot of this creamy vegetarian lentil soup tonight and enjoy the leftovers for lunch this week!
Freeze: You can freeze this olive soup for up to three months. Let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Note: it will thicken, and the lentils will become extra soft. Simply add a little more stock when reheating.
Reheat: I like to reheat this in a pot on the stovetop, but a microwave works well, too.
Tomato Lentil Soup with Olives Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 carrots (minced)
- 2 stalks celery (minced)
- 2 teaspoons EACH: thyme, oregano, and smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 6 cups vegetable stock (can use chicken stock)
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3 ounces chopped fresh spinach (or baby spinach leaves)
- 1 cup chopped Manzanilla olives
- ½ cup cream (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and let it cook until it softens, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery to the pot and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in the thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2 teaspoons EACH: thyme, oregano, and smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Add the lentils, stock, and tomatoes to the pot and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft.1 cup brown lentils, 6 cups vegetable stock, 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- Add the spinach, Manzanilla olives, and if using, the cream and stir until the spinach wilts.3 ounces chopped fresh spinach, 1 cup chopped Manzanilla olives, ½ cup cream
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Nutrition
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I always double this which makes a huge pot of soup, but we never have a hard time eating it all. Absolutely delicious flavors!
That makes me so happy to hear! 🥰 A big pot that somehow disappears is always a good sign. I’m so glad you love the flavors — thanks so much for making it (twice!) and taking the time to leave a note.
Hello! I’ve been making this for years, it is divine. I’m wondering what your thoughts are on adding some diced chicken thighs?
I love that you’ve been making this for years—it makes me so happy to hear that! Diced chicken thighs would be a great addition; they’ll add richness and extra protein without taking away from the flavor. I would add them about 20 minutes before the end of cooking and let them simmer until cooked through. 🙂
Love this recipe, have made it many and shared with friends.
That makes me so happy to hear! I’m thrilled it’s become a go-to for you—and thank you for sharing it with friends, too!
Hi, if using a crockpot, what temp and time do you recommend for this recipe?
I would cook this on high heat for 3-4 hours. 🙂
I keep coming back to this recipe. I make Lentil soup a lot and this is my favorite recipe. I think olives should go in every soup after trying this one lol! Very delicious and not boring old lentil soup. I don’t ever remember to add the cream but I always add 2T of red wine vinegar to lentil soup (or lemon).
I’m glad you agree about the olives! I love them, too!
This recipe is awesome and very versatile! I used garbanzo beans instead of lentils and added mushrooms! Thank you!!
Love the swaps you made!
This soup is really delicious, we all loved it. I also really like how you write your recipes, they are very easy to follow. Explaining what to do with a reminder of the ingredients and amounts helps a lot in this format. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Heidi!
This soup is delicious as are all of your recipes. I just want to say thank you for how you present your recipes with the ingredients re-listed in the steps. It seriously makes life so much easier than having to scroll up with fingers often covered with food while cooking or baking. There are so many recipe blogs out there and I usually just google recipes but I’ve found myself checking your site first more often than not lately. So just a heartfelt thank you for providing a space that makes life a little easier and yummier! 😊
Awww Jenn that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!!
I made this today in the crockpot! I put all the ingredients up to the spinach in the crockpot. Cooked on low for 8 hours. Then, added Spinach, Cream, and olives. Topped with some fresh Parmesan! So Delicious!! We have no leftovers!
I’m so happy to hear that this worked out well in the slow cooker!!
Excellent soup , extremely filling with plenty of umami , just perfect for an autumnal evening with some multiseed sourdough
Thanks, Andrew!
I’ve been making this soup for a couple years now and my family loves it! Thank you for including the measurements within the instructions for the recipe! It makes life so much easier.
You’re very welcome!
This seemed odd, yet intriguing. So glad I tried it. Bold flavor. It is delicious. I never would have thought to incorporate olives. My only variation was to use kale instead of spinich. Making again this week!
I’m so glad you gave it a go and enjoyed it!
Could we use kalamata for this recipe?
Yes you sure can!
I have green lentils on hand will these work? I know different lentils behave differently.
Hi Bee! Yes, they will work well. Green and brown lentils cook similarly so these two you can use interchangeably in most recipes.
About to make this, wondering if it freezes well?
This soup freezes very well!