Red Lentil Soup

Incredibly tasty, appetizing, and easy to make! This red lentil purée soup turns out extraordinary even with just a few ingredients — very smooth, with nutty notes. Thanks to its velvety texture and beautiful color, you can serve it even to kids: a nourishing, filling soup that's good for you, too!

Anna

Recipe author

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Red lentils

200

Carrot

Onion

Tomato paste

Tomatoes

Water

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable oil

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 25 % 3 g

Fats 8 % 1 g

Carbohydrates 67 % 8 g

58 kcal

GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1:

How do you make red lentil purée soup? Gather the ingredients listed. Red lentils break down into a smoother purée than other varieties, so I recommend them — but you can use another type if you prefer. Use medium-sized onion and carrot. Have the water hot. For the tomato, I'll use canned tomatoes in their own juice along with the tomato paste. Salt and pepper to taste. To serve, you can offer sour cream and fresh herbs.
Step 2:

Wash, dry, and peel the vegetables. You can dice the carrot or grate it — the cut doesn't matter much, since everything gets blended later, but the finer you cut it, the faster it cooks. Dice the onion. In a heavy-bottomed pot, lightly sauté the onion and carrot.
Step 3:

Sort through the red lentils. Rinse them under running water until the water runs clear.
Step 4:

Add the rinsed lentils to the sautéed vegetables and stir everything together thoroughly.
Step 5:

Pour in the water, bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to moderate.
Step 6:

Add the peeled, chopped tomato and the tomato paste — use fresh or canned-in-juice, whichever you prefer. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Cover the pot and simmer the soup over low heat for about 20 minutes. The exact time depends on the lentil variety; ideally they should cook down completely. (When the time is up, taste a lentil — it should be perfectly soft. If not, cook a bit longer.)
Step 7:

Purée the finished soup with a blender. Serve the purée hot, topped with a spoonful of fresh sour cream if you like.

Important! Whether or not the recipe gives an exact amount of water, it's best to go by your own preference (whether you like a thick or thinner soup), the size of your pot, and the ingredients you're using. Remember that the author's idea of how much of each ingredient to use may not match yours. In practice, this means that if you're making it for the first time, don't cook a whole pot at once. Make a tasting batch — for one or two people. Scale all the ingredients down to 1–2 servings and figure the water at roughly one cup per serving for a very thick soup, up to 1.5–2 cups for a thinner one. And remember that some of the liquid will boil off as it cooks. After tasting a small batch, you can fine-tune both the amount of liquid and the proportions to your taste. After that, like most seasoned cooks, you'll be able to add the water and ingredients by eye.
Since everyone's tolerance for salt, sweetness, bitterness, heat, acidity, and pungency is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own taste! If you're using a seasoning for the first time, keep in mind that some are especially easy to overdo (chili pepper, for one).
Lentils contain a wealth of micro- and macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins that make them very good for you. They're rich in iron, which helps maintain healthy hemoglobin levels and ward off anemia. The B vitamins, especially thiamine and riboflavin, support the nervous system and more, and play a big role in cardiovascular health. On top of that, red lentils are rich in fiber and pectins, essential for a well-functioning digestive tract.