This red lentil soup is hearty, nourishing and comes together in a snap. Each household should have a good lentil soup recipe in their repertoire and this is mine.

With lentils being so mild and versatile, you have the option to change up the flavour easily too.

In this recipe, I have given my traditional red lentil soup a Greek twist, with the addition of lemon, feta and oregano.

SIX THINGS TO LOVE ABOUT THIS SOUP:

1. Dinner on a budget. Lentils are a relatively inexpensive ingredient and widely available.  
2. Store cupboard ingredients. This soup is made with pantry staples, so can be thrown together at a moment’s notice. Particularly useful for those zero-inspiration-unplanned-one-hour-before-supper nights.
3. High nutritional value. Not only are the lentils themselves rich in protein, fibre and many essential minerals, the addition of several vegetables just adds extra healthy variety. I often add leftover squash to my lentil soup.
4. It’s a meal on its own. The lentil adds a heartiness to the soup and once blended, creates a wonderfully creamy, smooth texture. This makes for a very satisfying dish.
5. Easy-freezy. Pureed soups are easy to freeze, so I often make a double batch. You can also freeze the soup pre-puree and use it as a base to add a different flavour element for next time.
6. Versatility. As I’ve already mentioned, my love for lentils stems from their versatility. This soup lends itself to so many flavours that you can experiment endlessly. Having said that, the basic red lentil soup recipe stands just as well on its own.

If you’d like more lentil inspiration, why not try my Lentil Sloppy Joes or this delicious Lentil Curry?

I love hearing from you, so do share your thoughts on this or any of my posts.

THE RECIPE

Best Lentil Soup Recipe

Print Recipe

Hearty, adaptable and so easy to make. This recipe is a must for the family repertoire.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 stalks celery, halved lengthways and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 tbspn tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed in a sieve
• 1.5 litres vegetable (or chicken) stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• zest and juice of half a lemon
• 1 cup crumbled feta
• 1 cup fresh parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To garnish

• Chilli flakes

Optional additions

• Leftover roasted vegetables like squash, peppers, courgette.
• Fresh spinach

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Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot
2. Saute’ the onion for 2 minutes, with the lid on the pan (this keeps the moisture in and lessens the chance of onions burning)
3. Add the celery and garlic and saute’ for a further two minutes, keeping the lid on and stirring once or twice
4. Add the cumin and paprika, stir to incorporate and cook for a minute or two (keep that lid on and stir a couple of times so that it doesn’t stick)
5. Add the carrots, corn, lentils and tomato puree, giving them a good stir so that all ingredients are well coated
6. Add the vegetable stock, bay leaves, oregano and lemon juice (save the zest for garnish)
7. Bring to a simmer and then cook for 30 minutes, with the lid partially on, until the lentils are soft and begin to disintegrate
8. Remove half to three-quarters of the mixture and blend until smooth (blend it all, if you prefer a completely smooth soup)
9. Add this back into the pot
10. Add salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can also add more lemon juice, if you wish.
11. Serve topped with feta, chopped parsley and lemon zest and chilli flakes on the side

Notes

Leave out the lemon and feta if you prefer a basic lentil soup. Parmesan, chorizo or sour cream are delicious alternatives.

All ingredients differ, so make sure you taste the soup as you go.

If you feel that that soup is too thick, add more vegetable stock to thin it out

Keywords: dinner, pantry, easy, nutritious, quick