How to Make Red Lentil, Root-Veggie Soup (Gastritis/GERD Friendly)

This red lentil and root vegetable soup is the kind of recipe you make once and immediately add to your weekly rotation. It’s incredibly easy, built on simple chopping and one pot, yet the flavor is warm, naturally sweet, and deeply comforting thanks to leeks, carrots, parsnips, and butternut squash. Red lentils melt into the broth as they cook, creating a naturally creamy texture without dairy, thickeners, or anything heavy. It’s a clean‑eating, whole‑food soup that tastes far more complex than the short ingredient list suggests, making it perfect for busy weeknights, meal prep, or freezing for later.

It’s also an excellent fit for anyone following a gastritis diet, GERD‑friendly eating plan, reflux‑safe cooking, or anti‑inflammatory lifestyle. The ingredients are low‑acid, gentle on digestion, and free from common triggers like tomato, onion, vinegar, and spicy seasonings. Red lentils provide plant‑based protein without heaviness, while root vegetables offer soothing fiber and natural sweetness that’s easy on the stomach. Whether you’re managing reflux, healing your gut, or simply looking for a nourishing, all‑natural soup made from clean ingredients, this recipe checks every box.

If you’d like to check out my LOW ACID COOKBOOK with 60 other gastritis/GERD recipes, please click this link! Lots more delicious soup recipes too!

Yield:

Serves 6–8 (about 8 bowls)

Halve the recipe to serve 3–4

Equipment:

• Large stock pot
• Chef’s knife & cutting board
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Immersion blender (recommended) or standard blender, blended in batches

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups dry red lentils (285g)
• 3 leeks, whites only, cleaned well and chopped (200g)
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (275g)
• 2 medium/large parsnips, peeled and chopped (200g)
• 10 oz frozen butternut squash cubes (283g; or fresh, peeled and cubed)
• 1.5 tbsp organic avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 tsp salt (adjust to tolerance)
• ½ tsp garlic powder (as tolerated)
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Optional: ½ tsp cumin
• Optional: ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 8 cups clean, all‑natural chicken stock or vegetable stock (ensure no vinegar, sugar, tomato, black pepper, or other non‑compliant ingredients; this product is compliant but has a small amount of onion powder for those who tolerate it)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over high heat until shimmering.

2. Add the vegetables—leek, carrot, parsnip, and butternut squash—and season with salt, garlic powder, coriander, cinnamon, and optional cumin. Cook for about 7 minutes over medium‑high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

3. Add the lentils and stir continuously for 1 minute to lightly toast them and coat them in the aromatics.

4. Pour in the stock and stir well. Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a full boil.

5. Simmer the soup by covering the pot, reducing heat to low, and cooking for 30 minutes until everything is very soft.

6. Rest briefly by removing the pot from heat and letting it sit for about 10 minutes. (Not required, but it reduces splatter and makes blending smoother.)

7. Blend until creamy using an immersion blender directly in the pot. If using a standard blender, work in batches and vent the lid slightly to release steam.

8. Serve warm or cool to lukewarm before portioning into containers for freezing. Reheat gently as needed.

Notes:

Making the full recipe to serve 8 is a great way to come up with lunch prep meals for the freezer. A bowl of this alone could keep me sated for hours, but sometimes I will eat it with a slice of my low-gluten rye bread recipe from my low-acid cookbook, rice, quinoa, sorghum, or other healthy (typically gluten-free) grains.

Swap up the veggies as desired…