Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup with Cashew Cream and Dill

Creamy vegan lentil soup with cashew cream and dill delivers silky, luxurious comfort without any dairy, featuring tender lentils in a velvety cashew-based broth with fresh dill that adds bright, aromatic flavor. This dairy-free soup is ready in 40 minutes, naturally thickens from the blended cashews, and the fresh dill makes it taste elegant and refreshing. It’s perfect for meal prep since it tastes even better the next day and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.

What Makes This Vegan Lentil Soup Special

The cashew cream is made by blending soaked cashews until silky smooth, creating a dairy-free cream that’s just as rich and luxurious as heavy cream but healthier and naturally plant-based.

Red or yellow lentils break down as they cook, thickening the soup naturally and creating a creamy base even before you add the cashew cream. The combination gives you incredible richness without any heaviness.

Fresh dill is the star herb here, adding bright, slightly tangy flavor with hints of anise that make this soup taste sophisticated and special. This is comfort food that feels light and nourishing rather than heavy.

Ingredients

You need lentils, cashews and fresh dill for this elegant dairy-free soup.

For the soup:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups red or yellow lentils, rinsed
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

For the cashew cream:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
• 1 cup water or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Soaking the cashews makes them blend into an incredibly smooth, silky cream without any graininess.

How to Make This Dairy-Free Creamy Soup

1. Soak the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes while you prepare the soup.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, carrots and celery; sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened and the onion is translucent.
4. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
5. Add the rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaves and thyme.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are very soft and starting to break down.
7. While the soup simmers, make the cashew cream: drain the soaked cashews and add them to a high-speed blender with 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt.
8. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth and creamy with no graininess; scrape down sides as needed.
9. Remove bay leaves from the soup.
10. Stir the cashew cream into the soup until fully incorporated.
11. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and taste; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
12. Stir in the fresh dill and let it infuse for 2-3 minutes.
13. Serve hot with extra fresh dill on top and a drizzle of olive oil.

Substitutions/Variations

Green or brown lentils create a chunkier soup; increase cooking time to 35 minutes. For a nut-free version, use blended silken tofu or coconut cream instead of cashew cream.

Add diced potatoes with the lentils for even more creaminess and substance. Spinach or kale (2 cups chopped) stirred in at the end adds more greens.

For extra richness, use full-fat coconut milk instead of some of the broth. A pinch of nutmeg adds warm, aromatic depth.

Make it even more lemony by adding lemon zest with the juice. Fresh parsley can replace half the dill for different but equally fresh flavor.

What to Serve With This Elegant Vegan Soup

Crusty sourdough bread for dipping is essential; the tangy bread complements the lemony, creamy soup perfectly.

A simple cucumber salad with red onion and dill adds crunchy, refreshing contrast that echoes the dill in the soup.

Roasted vegetables or a grain salad on the side makes this a complete, nourishing meal that’s satisfying and balanced.

More Creamy Lentil Soup Recipes

My lentil potato soup with brown butter and fried sage has similar creamy texture but with brown butter instead of cashew cream.

Try my Lebanese lentil soup with crispy pita chips which uses red lentils for creaminess but with Middle Eastern flavors.

For another soup with fresh dill, make my bright lemon lentil soup with dill and mint which has similar bright, fresh flavors.

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