Cozy, Healthy, and Easy Vegan Lentil and Rice Soup

This vegan lentil and rice soup is so easy that I often say anyone you trust with a knife can make it.

I’m serious! Don’t confuse a rich, layered flavor with a complicated recipe. This one is as simple as it gets—a great choice for beginner cooks or anyone short on time who still wants a hearty, healthy dinner that feeds a family or lasts the week.

Dinner Prep in Less Than 20 Minutes

Most days, I make this soup in the late afternoon and let it simmer until dinner. But the last time I made it, I knew I’d be home late (can you relate?). I had about 20 minutes to spare before heading to work in the morning—just enough time for a plan.

I rinsed the lentils and rice, chopped some vegetables, tossed in the herbs, salt, and pepper, and combined everything in a soup pot. Then I covered it and popped it into the fridge. When I got home that evening, all I had to do was put it on the stove, bring it to a boil, and let it simmer for 40–50 minutes. While it cooked, I had a few quiet moments to unwind before dinner.

It was delicious, hearty, and exactly what I needed. Honestly, this lentil and rice soup is so simple, anyone can make it. You can even watch me make vegan lentil and rice soup on our YouTube channel! 🙂

Why It Works So Well

The secret to this recipe’s success is simple: lentils and brown rice take about the same amount of time to cook. That means everything goes in one pot—no complicated timing or extra dishes. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for about 45 minutes. Done!

And the best part? Soup is forgiving. Unlike a lentil salad, where texture is everything, this cozy soup stays delicious even if it simmers a little longer.

My basic formula for a vegan lentil soup is this:

• For every cup of lentils, use 4 cups of water.
• For every cup of rice, use 2 cups of water.
  You can substitute broth for water using the same ratios. I like a hearty, almost stew-like soup, but you can easily adjust the liquid to your preferred consistency.

What’s in the Fridge?

I usually add onions, carrots, and greens because I always have some on hand, but this recipe is flexible—use what you’ve got! A can of diced tomatoes (with the juice) is a favorite addition, but fresh tomatoes, celery, corn, green beans, or leftover veggies all work beautifully.

For seasoning, I typically use thyme, oregano, a bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Want to mix it up? Try Indian spices with onion, garlic, sweet potatoes, and greens for a completely different flavor.

Homemade Fast Food (That’s Actually Healthy)

Life gets busy. Having a pot of vegan lentil and rice soup ready to go makes it easy to serve a healthy, nutrient-dense meal for a family on the run. With just a little planning, this can be your version of fast food—it takes less time to prep than waiting for a pizza delivery or driving to a take-out place.

Simple, wholesome, and comforting—this is one meal you’ll come back to again and again.

Quick and Easy Vegan Lentil and Rice Soup

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• Author: Georgia @ fullofbeans.us
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: About 6
• Category: Soup
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Super fast and flexible, you can make this vegan lentil with rice soup in no time. Short prep time and 40 minutes or so of cook time and a hearty, healthy, meal is ready to go!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup brown lentils
• 1/2 cup rice (we usually use brown)
• 4-6 cups water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 chopped celery stalks
• 3-4 medium carrots, sliced
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 10 oz bag of frozen corn
• 10 oz bag of frozen spinach
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 14 oz can of diced tomatoes (with juice)

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Instructions

1. Chop the onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms (we like nice thick slices of mushrooms)
2. Add to a large saucepan
3. Add the corn, spinach and spices to the pan
4. Pour the diced tomatoes and juice into the pan
5. Add the rice and lentils and the water
6. Bring to a boil
7. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally
8. after the soup has simmered for at least 30 minutes add water to your preference of thickness (the rice and lentils absorb a surprising amount of liquid)
9. Enjoy!

Notes

• Prep note: some people are compelled to sauté onions in a pot and then build the soup from there. I have done it both ways and find no difference. I prefer the easier and lower fat option of just adding the raw onions.
• this is a fair amount of soup. our original recipe was DOUBLE this when we had two hungry teenage athletes to feed.  That amount would easily do dinner, plus seconds, and several work lunches.
• water. your first time we suggest starting with 4 cups and evaluating after at least 30 minutes of cooking how “stew-like” or how “soup-like” it is. Add water as you prefer it.
• Feel free to adjust. If you happen to have kale in the house – don’t feel you need to go to the store for spinach. if you love mushrooms, add more. Do you!
• Serve in bowls with chopped fresh parsley as a garnish. Sourdough bread is lovely on the side.