Lentil soup has the tendency to be one of those underdog soups, fairly balanced, extremely easy, so cheap yet falling behind the fancy creamy soups out there.
tl;dr: tackle it like any soups but just soak the lentils in water beforehand.
There are two main lentils which you will be able to find in almost any supermarket. There are a bunch of different other lentil types, that makes for a different type of soup and require a different type of recipe, but here are the most common ones:
- The black ones which require soaking in water for at least 1.5-2 hours
- The red ones are the easiest to cook and the literally become paste after boiling them for 30 minutes.
Today we will do the black lentils.
Ingredients:
- 200gr of black lentils
- half of an onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- Half a can of peeled tomatoes
- 1 liter of liquid (that being some stock and some water, most stock and the rest water, or just water)
- Salt, pepper, and olive oil
Easy lentil soup recipe
- Soak the lentils in water for around 2 hours;
- After the 2 hours are almost up, put a big pot, on medium-high heat, and add some olive oil;
- Add the onions and saute them until they are translucent;
- After they are translucent, add the carrots and the celery;
- Mix them up so they are coated in oil. Cook them for about 1 minute or so;
- Drain the lentils and then add them to the mixture;
- Add the tomatoes and work them with a wooden spoon so you break it down a bit;
- Give them a quick stir and then add the liquid;
- Bring the whole thing to boil and then lower the heat to medium-low;
- Cover the pot and let it simmer for around 1 hour.
Call me weird, but I usually like to add a tablespoon of vinegar and that is my favorite ingredient. Also, I think that this should go very well with some Brussel sprouts.
