Soup Plant-based home cooking
Red lentil and tomato soup
A thick soup of red lentils, carrot and canned tomatoes. Gently seasoned with cumin and sweet paprika, ready in about 35 minutes using ingredients that are easy to keep on hand.
Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
Scale all quantities proportionally. For 2 servings an approximately 2-litre saucepan is enough; for 8 servings use a pan of at least 5 litres. Do not double the lentil cooking time, although a larger batch takes longer to come to the boil. Season after cooking, allowing for the salt in the stock.
You’ll need
approximately 3-litre saucepan with a lid · fine sieve for the lentils · knife, chopping board and coarse grater · kitchen scales and measuring jug · spoon and ladle
Method
0/6 stepsPrepare the vegetables and lentils
Chop 150 g of onion and 10 g of garlic. Coarsely grate 200 g of carrot. Pick over 250 g of lentils, removing any debris, and rinse in a fine sieve under cold running water. Measure 1000 ml of stock; set the tomatoes aside for later.
Prepare the vegetables and lentils Soften the onion and carrot
Heat 30 ml of oil in an approximately 3-litre saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens and becomes translucent. The vegetables should not brown heavily.
05:00Soften the onion and carrot Add the garlic and spices
Add the garlic, 1 tsp of cumin and 1 tsp of sweet paprika. Stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Immediately add the rinsed lentils and measured stock so that the spices do not burn.
Add the garlic and spices Cook the lentils until tender
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently with the lid ajar for about 15 minutes. Stir every few minutes, scraping across the base. The lentils should start breaking down and squash easily with the back of a spoon; the carrot must be tender. If the lentils are still firm, cook for a few more minutes before adding the tomatoes.
15:00Cook the lentils until tender Add the tomatoes and season
Add 400 g of tomatoes with their juice. Stir and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Season with salt and pepper; add a little lemon juice if the flavour needs brightening. If the soup is too thick, thin it with hot water and bring it back to the boil.
03:00Add the tomatoes and season Serve the thick soup
Ladle into bowls. The soup should be thick but still pour freely from the ladle. The lentils partly break down and naturally thicken the liquid, so blending is not necessary.
Serve the thick soup
Tips
- Add the tomatoes after the lentils have softened. Acidic ingredients can lengthen their cooking time.
- Stir across the base as the soup thickens. If too much liquid has evaporated, add hot water so that the lentils can finish cooking.
- If you do not have cumin, omit it and season with sweet paprika alone; the aroma changes but the cooking method stays the same.
- Grated carrot softens faster than thick slices. Brown and green lentils are not direct substitutes for red lentils because they take longer to cook and thicken the soup differently.
- The stated 35 minutes assumes split red lentils with an approximately 15-minute cooking time. Older lentils or a different product may take longer; check their tenderness.
Storage
Divide leftovers between smaller containers, cool and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep covered and eat within 48 hours. The soup thickens as it cools; add a little water when reheating and stir across the base. Reheat only once until the whole portion is steaming hot.
Timing
Hands-on: 15 min · Cooking: 27 min
Cooking questions
Do red lentils need soaking?
Split red lentils do not need soaking. Pick them over and rinse before cooking. Check the packet timing and add the tomatoes only once the lentils are tender and squash easily with a spoon.
What if the soup is too thick the next day?
Lentils keep absorbing liquid as they cool. Add water a little at a time, stir across the base and reheat until the entire portion is steaming hot. Taste and adjust the seasoning after thinning. Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, eat within 48 hours and reheat only once.
