A simple, healthy, vegetarian, red lentil soup with smoky notes from roasted red peppers and smoked paprika. Without tomatoes this time, just a little flavor from organic San Marzano tomato paste instead.
There is no ham hock and no soaking of the lentils required. Everything goes in one pot. My kind of soup!
You can go for a touch of cumin, or leave it out If that spice seems overpowering to you. There’s so much flavor happening here already from the roasted pepper base that you won’t miss a thing.
I also like to keep a rustic texture of the lentils here, so no need to blend either.
As is the case with any soups, this hearty lentil soup is best served with a thick chunk of bruschetta or crusty bread to mop up all that good for you wonderful broth.
Okay friends, I know not everyone here has become a vegan or vegetarian yet, or maybe you also have meat eaters in your home still. To make everyone happy you can add in about 1 cup of vegan diced Italian sausage or chorizo at the very end. I won’t ever tell and nobody will know the difference 😉
Fresh baby spinach, Tuscan kale or chard added at the last minute to wilt from the steam, is a perfect way to bump up the nutrition of this good for you soup. As a huge fan of green peas, I can’t help but suggest a handful of those too. Aren’t they so cute ?!
Let’s Talk Lentils!
Red, Green, Yellow or Black ? What should you choose ?
Well, I seem to be partial to red, but whatever you have in the pantry works here, so don’t let that hold you back from making this. I love how the red lentil variety disintegrates in the soup to give it a beautiful, rustic charming texture.
Red Lentil Soup Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hrs
Total Time
1 hrs 10 mins
A simple, healthy, vegetarian, red lentil soup with smoky notes from roasted red peppers and smoked paprika.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 316 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup red lentils
- 3 bell peppers -roasted and cleaned
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil -organic
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 small yellow onion -diced
- 1 large carrot -sliced
- 1/2 cup green peas -frozen
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 leaf bay
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin + more to your taste
- 1 pinch sea salt (to your taste buds)
- 1/2 cup Herbs -for garnish
- 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
- 1 cup vegan sausage diced – optional
- 2 1/2 qt filtered water
Instructions
- In a large cast iron pot heat up 2 tbsp of the olive oil and cook the whole garlic cloves on medium flame until golden. Add the onion with a pinch of sea salt and saute together until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, bay leaf and thyme. Add the lentils and pour in the water. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Meanwhile add the roasted peppers with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the red wine vinegar to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth and add it to the soup.
Stir to combine, partially cover with a lid and allow the soup to simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through and the broth has reduced to a thick soup consistency.
Add the frozen green peas and vegan sausage, simmer a few more minutes until heated through. Adjust seasoning to your taste with sea salt and serve hot garnished with fresh herbs, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a few toasted pumpkin seeds.
Nutrition Facts
Red Lentil Soup Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 316 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 129mg 5%
Potassium 879mg 25%
Total Carbohydrates 39g 13%
Dietary Fiber 17g 68%
Sugars 6g
Protein 15g 30%
Vitamin A 109.7%
Vitamin C 112.4%
Calcium 10.5%
Iron 32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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