Easy Red Lentil Soup Recipe (Smooth, Lemony, Ready in 40 Minutes)

Easy Red Lentil Soup Recipe (Smooth, Lemony, Ready in 40 Minutes)

Red lentil soup is one of the most forgiving dishes you can cook at home. Split red lentils need no soaking, they break down on their own as they simmer, and a few pantry spices turn them into a thick, silky bowl with a bright squeeze of lemon on top. Versions of it are cooked across Turkey, the Levant, North Africa, and South Asia, and this one keeps to the simple, smooth style you can make on any weeknight.

Servings: 4 (about 350 ml each) Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Equipment: large heavy pot with a lid, sieve, stick blender or countertop blender, ladle

Ingredients

• 250 g split red lentils
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion (about 150 g), finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot (about 100 g), peeled and diced small
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 0.25 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
• 1.25 litres water or low-salt vegetable stock
• 0.75 tsp fine salt, then more to taste
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (about half a lemon)

To serve

• 4 lemon wedges
• 1 tsp dried mint or 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp olive oil or melted butter mixed with 0.5 tsp paprika (optional)

Steps

1. Rinse the lentils. Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water, rubbing them with your fingers, until the water runs mostly clear. Pick out any small stones or damaged lentils. This takes about 1 minute and stops the soup from tasting dusty or foaming too much.

2. Soften the vegetables. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot with a pinch of the salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and golden at the edges.

3. Toast the aromatics. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, and chilli flakes. Stir for 1 minute until the paste darkens slightly and the spices smell fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

4. Add lentils and liquid. Tip in the rinsed lentils and pour in the 1.25 litres of water or stock. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil over high heat.

5. Simmer. Lower the heat so the soup bubbles gently. Skim off any foam that rises in the first few minutes. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the lentils have completely collapsed and the carrot is very soft.

6. Blend. Take the pot off the heat. Blend with a stick blender until smooth. If you use a countertop blender, let the soup cool for 5 minutes first, fill the jug no more than half full, and hold the lid down with a folded towel while you blend.

7. Season. Return the soup to low heat. Stir in the remaining salt, the black pepper, and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Taste and adjust. If it's thicker than you like, add hot water 100 ml at a time. If it's too thin, simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes.

8. Serve. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with dried mint or parsley, drizzle with the paprika oil if using, and serve with lemon wedges and bread on the side.

Tips for the best red lentil soup

• Use split red lentils. Whole brown or green lentils hold their shape and won't give you the same smooth texture in this cooking time.
• Cook the tomato paste. One minute in the oil takes away its raw edge and gives the soup a deeper colour.
• Add lemon at the end. Acid added at the start can slow how quickly pulses soften, and lemon tastes brighter when it goes in just before serving.
• Go easy on salt if using stock. Many stock cubes and bouillon powders already contain a lot of salt, so taste before adding more.
• Make it heartier. Stir in 50 g of fine bulgur or 50 g of short-grain rice along with the lentils and add an extra 250 ml water.

Why it fits a healthy home kitchen

Lentils are pulses, and the World Health Organization names pulses such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, and dried peas as a good source of the carbohydrates in a healthy diet, alongside whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. WHO also advises adults to eat at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day and at least 25 g of naturally occurring dietary fibre.

The NHS counts 80 g of pulses as one of your 5 A Day, though pulses only count once a day no matter how much you eat. A bowl of this soup also carries onion, carrot, and tomato, so it helps you toward that target.

Salt is the part to watch. WHO recommends adults keep salt below 5 g a day. This recipe uses 0.75 tsp for four servings, and you can cut it further if your stock is salted.

Storing and reheating

• Cool it quickly. USDA food safety guidance says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Split a big pot into shallow containers so it cools faster.
• Fridge: keep covered for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: freeze in portions for 3 to 4 months for best quality.
• Reheat: bring soups back to a rolling boil, or to 74°C (165°F) on a food thermometer. The soup thickens as it sits, so add a splash of water while reheating.

FAQ

Do I need to soak red lentils before cooking? No. Split red lentils are small and thin, so they cook in 20 to 25 minutes without soaking. Just rinse them well.

Why is my lentil soup grainy? It usually needs more time. Keep simmering until the lentils have fully broken down, then blend again. A stick blender held at the bottom of the pot for a full minute gives the smoothest result.

Can I make red lentil soup without a blender? Yes. Simmer for an extra 5 to 10 minutes and whisk hard with a balloon whisk. The lentils will break down into a rustic, slightly textured soup.

Is red lentil soup vegan? Yes, when you use water or vegetable stock and serve it with olive oil instead of butter.

Can I use canned lentils? Canned lentils are usually brown or green, so the soup won't turn as smooth or as orange. If you try it, use two 400 g cans, drained and rinsed, cut the liquid to 750 ml, and simmer for 10 minutes before blending.

How do I make it spicier? Increase the chilli flakes to 0.5 tsp, or add half a fresh green chilli with the garlic.

More from BaytCooks

Looking for more ideas for everyday cooking? Read our guide on how to build a balanced home-cooked plate, try our crispy homemade fried chicken recipe, or explore home-cooked dishes on BaytCooks. Cook at home yourself? You can start selling on BaytCooks.

Sources

• World Health Organization, Healthy diet fact sheet
• NHS, 5 A Day: what counts?
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety

Cover photo: "Red lentil soup from Turkey" by E4024, Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.