Cheap Tomato Lentil Soup (Budget $10, One Pot)
One pot, pantry staples, ready in 40 minutes — dinner sorted for under $10.
This is the soup you make when your fridge is nearly empty and your wallet is nearly empty too. Red lentils and canned tomatoes do the heavy lifting here — no soaking, no fancy prep, just a pot on the stove and about 40 minutes of mostly hands-off time. It comes out thick, savory, and genuinely satisfying. Expect a deeply flavored, slightly smoky broth with lentils that melt into the soup as it cooks. It feeds four people easily, and the leftovers are arguably even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil — or any neutral oil
- 1 unit medium yellow onion — diced
- 4 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes — optional, for heat
- 1 unit 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes — with juices
- 1 cup red lentils — rinsed
- 4 cup vegetable broth — or water with 1 bouillon cube
- 1 tsp salt — plus more to taste
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice — fresh or bottled, added at the end
Method
- 1 Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- 2 Add the minced garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant — the spices will toast in the oil and smell incredible.
- 3 Pour in the canned diced tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine and let cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- 4 Add the rinsed red lentils, vegetable broth, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together and bring to a boil.
- 5 Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20–22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have fully broken down and the soup is thick and creamy-looking.
- 6 Taste and adjust salt. Stir in the lemon juice — this brightens the whole pot and is worth the step.
- 7 Serve hot. If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in a splash of water or broth to loosen it up. Great with crusty bread or a simple side of rice.
Variations
- Add greens — Stir in 2 big handfuls of baby spinach or chopped kale in the last 2 minutes of cooking. It wilts right in and adds nutrition without any extra cost.
- Faster version — Use a pressure cooker or Instant Pot — sauté the aromatics using the sauté function, then add everything else and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with a quick release. Total time drops to about 25 minutes.
- No broth on hand — Swap the vegetable broth for 4 cups of water plus 1–2 teaspoons of soy sauce or a bouillon cube. The soy sauce adds depth you won't miss.
- Make it heartier — Add 1 diced carrot and 1 diced celery stalk along with the onion. Adds maybe $0.50 to the cost and makes it even more filling.
Notes
Red lentils are key here — they cook fast and dissolve into the broth, giving the soup its thick, almost creamy texture without any blending. Green or brown lentils won't behave the same way and will need significantly more cook time. If your soup thickens too much as it sits (especially the next day), just add a bit of water when reheating. Budget note: this whole pot typically costs $5–8 depending on your pantry stock.
Equipment that helps
- Large pot or Dutch oven — You need enough surface area to properly sauté the onions and room for the soup to simmer without boiling over.
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