Healthy and Hearty Red Lentil Soup (Vegan)

I love a hearty soup. This particular red lentil version is incredibly healthy, full of flavour, and very easy to cook. The most difficult part is waiting for it to be done cooking…

I do confess - this recipe was gifted to me by a lovely woman named Claire, who cooked it for me a few times back in Wales. The original recipe was non-vegan, but I’ve modified it to suit vegan diets. I did include the non-vegan alternative, as per the original recipe, if that’s your fancy.

Here is the TLDR if you’re a returning reader, and want a quick recap:

Fry veg
Add lentil
Add tomato and stock
Let cook
Yum yum

Gluten Free Buckwheat (or Sarrasin) Cookies Recipe - Get these babies done in under 15 minutes!

The Recipe

Time allotment

Chopping Time: 15-20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Total Time: ~1h15 minutes

Yield: A whole lotta soup (about 2L)

Cooking Utensils

One large pot
Immersion blender
Soup spoon
Knife
Cutting board
Can opener
Microplane (for ginger)
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Large glass bowl (for storage)

Ingredients

Base Recipe:

1 large carrot
1 red bell pepper
2 shallots (or 1/2 onion)
1-2 spicy chili peppers
3 garlic cloves
2 cups red lentil
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can of non-crushed tomatoes
Olive oil (for cooking)

Spices:

1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp paprika

Optional:

1/2 cup red wine
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 anchovies (will not be vegan)

Instructions

Prepare 4 litres of vegetable stock
Chop into cubes 1 carrot, 1 red bell pepper, 2 shallots, 3 cloves of garlic (vegetable mixture)
Coat the bottom of a large pit with olive oil
When oil has heated up, fry the vegetable mixture on medium heat until softened
(Optional - non-vegan) Add 2 anchovies for extra flavour
(Optional) Add 1/2 cup red wine, and let the alcohol cook off for 1 minute
Add the 2 cup red lentils, and stir for 30 seconds with spoon
Open can of tomatoes, and crush with hands
Pour in crushed tomatoes
Add 4 cups vegetable stock
Add in desired spices and balsamic vinegar
Place the lid on the pot, and allow mixture to cook for 1 hour
1. Lentils will absorb the water - don’t be alarmed if it looks too watery by this step!
After 1 hour, place half of the mixture from the pot into a large glass bowl. With an immersion blender, blend the other half of the mixture in the pot until a softened - but not puréed - consistency is achieved.
Pour the mixture in the large glass bowl back into the pot
Allow to simmer for a few minutes
Plate up and enjoy!