Simple Lentil Soup

Red lentils are the reason this soup is on the list: they need no soaking, they collapse into a thick, filling texture in twenty-odd minutes, and a bag of them costs very little. Everything else is the standard onion-carrot-celery base, plus a squeeze of lemon at the end that does more for the flavour than any extra spice would.

Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 30 minutes · Total: 40 minutes · Serves 4

Equipment

• Large saucepan
• Stick blender (optional)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 200g dried red lentils, rinsed
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
• Salt and black pepper
• Lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 8 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the garlic, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
3. Add the rinsed lentils, stock and chopped tomatoes. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the soup has thickened.
4. Season with salt and pepper. For a smoother soup, blend some or all of it with a stick blender.
5. Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice to taste before serving.

Tips

• Rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs clear — it keeps the soup from tasting starchy.
• The lemon at the end is not optional in spirit: it lifts everything.
• The soup thickens as it cools, so loosen it with extra stock or water when reheating.

Substitutions

• Use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock if it doesn't need to be vegetarian.
• Swap the turmeric and cumin for a couple of teaspoons of curry powder.
• Add a handful of spinach at the end for extra greens.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat until piping hot throughout.

Food safety

Divide a big batch between shallow containers so it cools quickly, and refrigerate within two hours. Reheat each portion once, to a full simmer, rather than reheating the whole pot repeatedly.

Allergens as written

• Celery
• Check the stock (often contains celery, and sometimes wheat or milk)

Nutrition estimate

• Calories: Roughly 260 kcal per serving (estimate, based on 4 servings)
• Protein: Roughly 15g
• Carbohydrates: Roughly 38g
• Fat: Roughly 6g

Half a bag of lentils and not much else? Ask Eat In AI what else you can make with what's already in the press.

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