Red Lentil Soup
Thirty minutes from cupboard to bowl. Lentils need no soaking and thicken the soup themselves.
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 40m
- Serves
- 4
- Effort
- Easy
Scale
Units
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 2 tbsp | Soften the aromatics 8m | Add and stir to coat 3m | Simmer until the lentils collapse 25m | Blend about half, leaving some texture, then finish with lemon 4m Half-blended is the sweet spot — body without baby food. | |
| 1 | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| 3 cloves | |||||
| 2 tsp | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 1 tbsp | |||||
| 1 1/2 cups | |||||
| 1.2 l | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 2 tbsp | |||||
| to drizzle | |||||
| a pinch | |||||
-
Soften the aromatics
8m- olive oil 2 tbsp
- onion 1
- carrot 1
- garlic 3 cloves
-
Add and stir to coat
3m- from 1 Soften the aromatics
- ground cumin 2 tsp
- ground coriander 1 tsp
- tomato purée 1 tbsp
-
Simmer until the lentils collapse
25m- from 2 Add and stir to coat
- red split lentils 1 1/2 cups
- vegetable stock 1.2 l
- salt 1 tsp
-
Blend about half, leaving some texture, then finish with lemon
4m- from 3 Simmer until the lentils collapse
- lemon juice 2 tbsp
- olive oil to drizzle
- chilli flakes (optional) a pinch
Half-blended is the sweet spot — body without baby food.
Why red lentils
Split red lentils have had their seed coat removed, so they cook in twenty-five minutes and break down completely — they thicken the soup as they go. Brown or green lentils hold their shape and take twice as long, which makes a different and thinner soup.
Notes
- Rinse until the water runs clear. The dust that comes off makes the soup taste muddy.
- Lemon at the end is not a garnish. Lentils are flat without acid.
- It thickens to a paste in the fridge. Loosen with stock when reheating.