Tomato Lentil Soup with Manzanilla Olives
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 little spinach, a splash of cream, and some delicious Manzanilla olives.
This post is sponsored by European Olives.
Tomato Lentil Soup
You're looking at one of our favorite vegetarian soup recipes.
The flavor is rich and dreamy, with a hint of smokiness from the paprika and an umami bite from the Manzanilla olives.
Tender lentils make this soup hearty enough to call dinner.
We usually like to serve soup with a slice of buttered bread on the side, but this one is so rich and filling that it makes a meal all on its own.
Why we love European olives
The Manzanilla olives we use in this recipe are stuffed with pimientos, buttery soft, and have the most beautiful, delicate flavor.
They're also incredibly versatile and we love snacking on them as much as we love cooking with them. It's a good thing they're so healthy!
Did you know that in Canada, one out of every two olives eaten comes from Spain, including these Manzanilla olives used in this tomato lentil soup recipe?
How to make tomato lentil soup
Making tomato lentil soup is very easy. You'll need to set aside about one hour, but most of that time is hands-off while you let the lentils cook.
- Sauté minced onion, garlic, celery, and carrots until they begin to caramelize.
- Add the spices to the veggies and cook them for a moment to bring out their flavor.
- Add the lentils, stock, and canned diced tomatoes to the pot and simmer until the lentils are nice and soft.
- Now stir in a little cream, some spinach, and the best part, chopped Manzanilla olives.
Full instructions in the recipe card below.
How long does tomato lentil soup last?
This soup keeps well for at least 5 days in your fridge making it ideal for meal-prep.
Make a pot of tomato lentil soup tonight and enjoy the leftovers for lunch this week!
Does this soup recipe freeze well?
Yes, this tomato lentil soup can easily be frozen. Simply let it cool completely before transfrering it to a freezer-safe container.
It will keep well for up to three months in your freezer.
Note: it will thicken and the lentils will become extra soft. Simply add a little more stock when you reheat it.
More recipes using European olives
- Breakfast Strata with Hojiblanca Olives
- White Bean Dip with Hojiblanca Olives from Spain
- Spanish Chicken and Cauliflower Rice with Manzanilla Olives from Spain
- Easy Marinated Olives from Spain
- Stuffed Spanish Pork Chops with Gordal Olives
Popular vegetarian soup recipes
- Coconut Red Lentil Peanut Soup
- Carrot Soup with Coconut and Ginger
- Best Kale Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Cashew Cream of Mushroom Soup
Tomato Lentil Soup with Manzanilla Olives
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
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.
- 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
Pin this tomato lentil soup recipe to save it for later!
***I forgot to select five stars in my previous review. Please use this one with the five stars? Sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you for this great lentil soup recipe! It was a little salty for me, so I added a cup of water at the end, and it was still delicious. Next time, I think I will try omitting the salt during cooking. We can add salt at the table if necessary.
Thank you for this great lentil soup recipe! It was a little salty for me, so I added a cup of water at the end, and it was still delicious. Next time, I think I will try omitting the salt during cooking. We can add salt at the table if necessary.
So easy to make and it tasted sensational.
Delicious! Used beef stock.
This soup is SO flavourful and delicious. Definitely a family favourite!!!
Very simple and yummy recipe. However both my husband and I thought it was a little bland for our taste. (Which is easy, as we’re both herb/spice enthusiasts.) I definitely want to make again but am wondering how we might “up” the flavor? Add more of each herb? Throw in new ingredients (like onion or garlic powder)? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
If you eat meat then I would recommend using bone broth. It’s the best way to add depth to your soup recipes. You can also add additional salt – and you may need it if the stock you’re using isn’t salted. Or you could try a little extra herbs!
This soup was divine. The complexity of flavor was even better the next day!! Will definitely be making this again!
Simple and delicious lentil soup recipe. I had a bunch of cherry tomatoes I needed to use so I roasted them along with the garlic and put them in the soup. We are dairy free so I tried one bowl with a dollop of dairy free sour cream. That was really good too.
Going to try this next week, as I have most of the ingredients. Would it be okay to use Kalamata Black Olives. I bought a jar for another recipe, and am trying to get rid of them haha
That should work fine!
This soup is AMAZING! I’d serve this to company!
Can you use red lentils instead of brown?
Yes, but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time to 20-30 minutes. 🙂
One of my favourites!
This was one one of the best soups I ever made!
I used chicken-less vegan broth & coconut milk in place of the heavy cream…this soup was DIVINE!!
OMG I love how you wrote this recipe with the ingredients IN the instructions. I hate scrolling back and forth between the ingredient list and instructions. Aaaand I can’t wait to try this recipe. Maybe with a little shredded rotisserie chicken.
I’m so happy to hear that you find that helpful! It’s something we just added to the site. 🙂
Agreed! The ingredients and amounts IN the recipe steps is a pro move and makes it so much easier! Thank you for doing that, and this delicious recipe 🙂
Delicious Sautéed with vegetable stock instead of oil. Used oat milk instead of cream. Turned out tasty!
And it freezes well too!
YES! Added parmesan on top! What a perfect meal!
Fabulous recipe. I’m always looking for ways to get plant-based protein and this did the trick. The olives are a special touch. I used just 1/4 cup of half and half instead of the heavy cream and, while not as velvety, was still very good.
Thank you for sharing this easy and delicious recipe. I think this one will go in the regular rotation. Betty
Love the sound of this dish and plan to make it. Fresh or dried herbs?
We use dried herbs in this recipe 🙂
Delicious! Will make this again . Used frozen tomato sauce from last year I needed to use up added extra. Topped with Shredded Parmesan cheese !
Great dinner.
not only does the soup look stunning with its beautiful array of colors, but it tastes so good.
I used french green lentils in place of the brown lentils (it’s what I had on hand) and I also added about 2 Tbs of tomato paste because I felt that the broth was lacking in depth. Otherwise, this was a great soup! I will definitely add to my winter soup rotation.
I have a lot of fresh tomatoes from my garden. Could I use them?
Garden fresh tomatoes would be wonderful in this!
Love this recipe. I have a lot of fresh cherry tomatoes. I would like to use them in this. Maybe I would have to increase the broth! ??
I think fresh cherry tomatoes would be a wonderful addition!
This soup looks so rich and creamy! I can’t wait to try it out and REALLY looking forward to trying a soup with olives!
This is the absolute BEST lentil soup I have ever eaten. I made it last week and am making it again tonight. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Oh my goodness!!! So delicious!!! I added a can of coconut milk, and used frozen spinach heated on the stove top. I made this in my instapot on the “slow cook” setting. It was a family hit!
I love this soup! I replaced a few items such as manzanita olives swapped for mushrooms. I also added a can of coconut milk and added yellow bell peppers to the mix. It’s fantastic!
Oh my gosh! This is SOO good! I made it this past weekend and it’s even better the next day. The only think I changed was using baby kale instead of spinach. Gotta make it – next time with French green lentils.
This is now a weekly recipe at our house. I added kale instead of spinach and I use a plant based creamer instead of regular cream to make it vegan!
Can’t wait to try this. Do the calories per serving include the optional 1/2 cup of cream?
It does!
This is by far one of my favorite recipes to make. Curves many cravings and lasts for two people for a few servings over a grain – rice/couscous.
The best lentil soup I’ve had!
The best pot of soup I have ever made! I didn’t have olives but added in chickpeas in their place until grocery shopping day for some olives, excited to try it that way too. Thank you so much, this will be a weekly family meal!
Pretty sure this exact soup was what Eve and Gwen Stefani were saying about in “Let me blow ya mind”. WOW. so much flavour, and so filling! I followed the recipe to a T and even my picky meat-loving significant other loved it.
Having a really wet miserable day here in Ireland so I have this soup on boiling at the moment. Haven’t tasted yet but at 6 degrees outside I hope that it will hit the spot for lunch time.
Wonderful! Made as written and it was delicious. The first recipe I’ve made from your site and certainly not the last!!
Can I use frozen spinach, or should I stick with fresh?
I would stick with fresh. 🙂
This recipe looks great, so I plan to make it. Are the spices called for dried or fresh? Thank you!
I use dried!
Hi Kristen, is this canned lentils or packet ones?
Dried lentils!
Found this on instagram and liked it a lot! It’s definitely a salty soup because of the olives, so I’d almost recommend using a low-sodium broth, or not adding salt with the other spices. Other than that, I really enjoyed it. Healthy(ish, if you add the cream) and hearty!
I followed this recipe exactly as written…my family loved it!!! I will definitely be adding this to our meal rotations.
I make a lot of vegetarian soups, and this is our new favorite! It’s beautifully spiced. And don’t skip the olives—they make the dish!
I would definitely use low sodium stock and tomatoes and leave out the 1 tsp of salt until you can taste it with the olives. I love salt and this was far too salty for me. Otherwise the flavors were great.
I made this recipe today. I saved it and was really looking forward to it. I am very happy I made it. I am a pretty big meat eater, but this recipe – I don’t miss it. I had everything on hand and usually do with the ingredients listed. I am not a fan of olives, so I put in some capers. This soup is great without the cream. I did add some in, but I don’t think I would have missed it. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for a healthy, easy and affordable recipe. Much appreciated!
Reheated this from frozen today. I can attest it does freeze well. I will be making this again soon. So good!
This looks amazing! Are the thyme and oregano dried or fresh?
I use dried, but fresh would work, too. Fresh herbs are not as potent so you’ll want to use 2 tablespoons of each instead. 🙂
Thanks for the response! We made it tonight and it was delicious! The olives add such a tangy flavor. Kids asked for seconds, which is always a bonus!
looks delish, do you think you could use cashew cream in place of dairy cream?
Yes I think that would work!
Would coconut cream also work? We are dairy free in this house, but gimme ALLLL the olives.
I would suggest using cashew cream instead as I’m not sure the flavor of coconut would work in this recipe. Simply mix 2 tablespoons of cashew butter to ½ cup of water and add that to the pot. It will thicken as it cooks. 🙂
Hi. Can I substitute with black olives instead?
That should work. Just know that manzanilla olives are quite mild so you’ll want to opt for a different mild-flavored black olive. Hojiblancas would be a good choice!