Easy Lentil Potato Soup

How to Serve

I love serving this soup hot, with the pasta added right into each bowl and a good piece of crusty bread on the side for dipping. It is the kind of meal that really does not need much else, but a simple green salad can be lovely if you want to round things out a little. For drinks, I would keep it easy and comforting, water, sparkling water, or even a glass of red wine for the grown-ups all work beautifully with a soup like this.

Tips for Success

• Give the onion and carrots a few proper minutes at the beginning. It might seem like a small thing, but that first step builds a lot of the flavour, and a soup like this really benefits from a good, gentle start.
• Rinse the lentils before adding them to the pot. It is quick, easy, and helps get rid of any dust or little bits hanging around from the packet.
• Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. It does not have to be perfect, but it does help everything soften at the same time, which makes life easier.
• Cook the pasta separately, just like the recipe says. I really think it is worth it here. It keeps the soup from becoming too thick and stops the pasta from soaking up all the broth while the soup sits.
• Taste the soup near the end and adjust the seasoning properly. Lentils and potatoes are lovely, but they do need enough salt and pepper to really wake everything up.
• And finally, do not panic if the soup thickens as it sits. Lentils like to do that. Just add a splash of hot water or stock when reheating, give it a stir, and it will be absolutely fine.

Substitutions & Variations

• You can use green or brown lentils here, whichever you have on hand. Both hold their shape nicely and work really well in this kind of soup.
• If you do not have elbow pasta, use any small pasta shape you like, such as ditalini, small shells, or broken spaghetti. And if you want to skip the pasta altogether, the soup is still lovely without it.
• For the stock, vegetable stock keeps it simple and wholesome, but if you are not worried about keeping it vegetarian, chicken stock also works beautifully.
• You can add a little extra flavour with a bay leaf, a pinch of dried oregano, or even a touch of paprika if you want to nudge it in a slightly different direction.
• If you would like a greener version, stir in a handful of spinach or kale near the end. It is an easy way to add a little extra colour and goodness without changing the soup too much.
• For a heartier bowl, you can add more potatoes and slightly less pasta, or even serve it with a good slice of bread and call it done, which I fully support.
• And if you already love my Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup, you can think of this as the more rustic everyday cousin, just as comforting, but with a slightly different personali

Storage, Reheating & Freezer Tips

Store any leftover Lentil Potato Soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If possible, keep the pasta separate, because it will keep soaking up the broth as it sits and the soup will get much thicker by the next day. Not a disaster, just a very enthusiastic pasta situation.

To reheat, I like to warm the soup gently on the stove over low to medium heat, adding a splash of water or stock if it needs loosening up. The microwave works too, especially for lunch, but I still think soup always feels a little more loved when reheated in a pot.

This soup also freezes really well, which is always nice news. I would freeze it without the pasta if you can, then just cook fresh pasta when you are ready to serve. The soup base will keep well in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat gently and stir well before serving.