This smooth lentil soup is the perfect budget pantry meal. Great for when you reach the end of the week and are not sure what to make. It’s flavourful and cozy, a delicious healthy easy meal.
Lentil soup is also amazing for using up those vegetables that are leftover and just sitting in the fridge at the end of the week. It’s made up of pantry staples that you can scrounge up, I just went digging and found everything needed! Plus it’s vegan and vegetarian.
Key Ingredients
- Aromatics: are made up of garlic and onion. Like many savoury dishes, these build the flavour foundation. They are sautéed with the toasted spices, infused with them means it builds the most delicious base.
- Carrot: adds a natural sweetness. It contributes to the nutritional value of the lentil soup, but is not an overpowering flavour. They absorb the flavour of the broth beautifully before being blended as well.
- Potato: doesn’t add too much to the taste of the lentil soup. However, they are a key to building the perfect texture of the smooth soup.
- Lentils: the star of the show! Can’t have lentil soup without lentils. I use dried Persian red lentils, as they are best for soups and stews. Think of them like mini sponges, they soak up all the gorgeous flavours of the broth. These little pearls are rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as a great source of fibre for your diet.
- Crushed tomatoes: are a great acidic balance to the sweetness from the carrots. Some recipes use fresh tomatoes, but for convenience and inexpensiveness I use tinned tomatoes. Especially with tomatoes currently going for $12 a kg in New Zealand! I used crushed tomatoes in juice and olive oil, an extra flavour boost that avoids potential wateriness.
- Chicken stock: if you have some homemade on hand that’s great, if not store bought is perfect too. Adding already made stock helps with enhancing the flavour. As mentioned above, lentils are like mini sponges so you want to be sure they are absorbing maximum flavour. Otherwise, you will have a bland bowl of mush in your bowl… definitely don’t want that! To keep it vegan, use vegetable stock.
- Coconut cream: by using this over regular cream it helps keep the soup light. It also means that those with dietary intolerances, such as dairy, get to experience the creaminess as well. It adds a slight nutty and sweet flavour, that balances out the savoury elements of the lentil soup.
- Spice mix: the key to making this lentil soup super flavourful and delicious! This spice mix consists of cumin, turmeric, curry powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chicken powder. Turmeric has healing anti-inflammatory properties. Cumin and curry powder give the lentil soup a gorgeous aromatic and rich flavour. Garlic, onion, and chicken are all brilliant flavour enhancers. And smoked paprika brings an amazing depth to the soup, I add a tad more of this than the other spices.
How to make this lentil soup
Prepare the vegetables.
Prepare the vegetables by peeling the onion, potatoes, and carrots. Cut the ends off the potatoes and carrots. Then roughly chop all the vegetables into medium sized pieces, it does not have to be precise.
Toast the spice mix.
Bring a large pot to a medium-high heat. Add all of the spices to the pot, mix to combine. Toast the spice mix by itself for a couple minutes. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn.
Sauté the aromatics.
Add the onion and crush garlic into the pot with spices. Stir to coat in the spice mix. Pour olive oil into the pot as well, making a paste. Sauté the aromatics until the onion begins to soften.
Remaining vegetables.
To the aromatics and spice paste, add the chopped potato and carrot. Then pour in the crushed tomatoes. Mix so that all the flavours are combined. Let cook for a couple minutes to deepen the flavours.
Add the lentils.
Rinse the lentils, then pour into the pot. Also stir these so that they get coated in the spices and mixed in with vegetables.
Deglaze and simmer the lentil soup.
Pour a small amount of the chicken stock in, deglaze any of the flavours stuck to the bottom. Then pour in the remaining stock, so that everything is submerged. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and leave for 20 minutes.
Coconut cream.
After 20 minutes, add the coconut cream. Stir so that it is all incorporated. Let simmer for a further 20 minutes – or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
Blend and serve the lentil soup.
When everything is tender, turn the heat off and let the soup cool for a few minutes. Add the lentil soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blitz until smooth. Serve whilst hot!
What to serve the lentil soup with
I usually have the lentil soup served on its own, due to its ingredients the soup is already quite filling. However, if you’re wanting to add something a little extra, you can’t go wrong with some freshly toasted bread. I have also seen someone top it with beef mince.
Can I use a different type of lentil
You can, although I recommend the red lentils due to them cooking into a soft texture. Brown and green lentils are better for when you aren’t stewing them, and want the lentils to hold their shape. I would not recommend using French or black lentils (Puy and Beluga). For soups it is also important to use dried lentils too.
Storage for the lentil soup
Lentil soup is great to save for another day! Let the soup cool first, then place in an airtight container. If refrigerated, it can keep for up to 4 days. This lentil soup is also super freezer friendly, and can last around 4 months.
More vegan/vegetarian recipes:
Alrighty, ready to make this flavour packed lentil soup?! You’ve now got everything you need to know to make this delicious, easy, and budget friendly meal. So come on, let’s get cooking!
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot
- 2 potatoes
- 1 cup red lentils
- 200 grams crushed tomatoes
- 200 mL coconut cream
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chicken powder
Instructions
- Bring a pot to medium heat. Add in all of the spices and seasonings. Mix and let the spices toast for a couple minutes.
- Prepare the vegetables by peeling the onion, potatoes, carrot, and garlic. Chop them all into rough medium size pieces.
- Add olive oil to the spice mix, and combine to make a paste. Then add the onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften.
- To the onion, garlic, and spice paste, mix in the carrots and potato.
- Add in the tomatoes and lentils. Stir so that they are coated in the spices as well.
- Pour a small amount of the chicken stock in, deglaze any of the flavours stuck to the bottom.
- Then pour in the remaining stock, so that everything is submerged. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and leave for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, add the coconut cream. Stir so that it is all incorporated. Let simmer for a further 20 minutes – or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
- Turn the heat off and let the soup cool for a few minutes.
- Add the lentil soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blitz until smooth. Serve whilst hot!
