Recipe-Earthy Flavoursome Lentil Soup
Earthy Flavoursome Lentil Soup
Immerse yourself in a symphony of hearty lentils, vegetables and robust spices, culminating in a soul-warming satisfying soup!
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large carrot
• 2 celery sticks
• 2 cups / 400g dried lentils , green or brown, rinsed
• 400g / 14 oz crushed tomato
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) vegetable or chicken stock or broth, low sodium
• 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander powder
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 lemon (zest + juice)
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper, to taste
To Serve
• Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• Warm bread, to serve
Method
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don’t rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.
4. Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 – 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
5. Remove bay leaves.
6. Thicken Soup: Using a stick blender, do 2 or 3 quick whizzes to thicken the soup (see video below). Or transfer 2 cups to a blender, let it cool slightly, then hold lid with tea towel and blend then transfer back into pot.
7. Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty buttered bread
Recipe Notes:
1. Lentils: Brown lentils are a popular choice for lentil soup due to their earthy flavour and ability to retain their shape. You could also use green lentils or French green lentils (also known as Puy lentils), which hold their shape well and have a slightly peppery flavour. This soup is best made with dried lentils if you can as it provides better texture and flavour compared to canned… However, to make this with canned lentils, use 2 x 400g/14oz cans of lentils (drained and rinsed) and reduce the broth by 1 cup. Simmer liquid for 20 minutes before adding the lentils then cook with lentils for another 15 minutes (you don’t want to cook canned lentils for too longer otherwise they will turn into mush)
2. Storage: This freezes very well! Or keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.