Carrot and lentil soup – new recipe

This warming and hearty carrot and lentil soup is thick and tasty, and makes the perfect filling lunch served warm with a hunk of crusty bread.

A winter warmer of a soup

Blimey it’s been cold this week! Although I always used to complain about the heating (or lack of) in the office, it’s impossible to get the temperature optimal at home. Andrew is back at home and working in our study, so I have been banished to the conservatory, which is rather chilly. So this carrot and lentil soup is the best kind of lunch to warm up during the day.

A soup-erbly healthy soup

Carrots, onion, potato, red lentil, tomato purée, water, and stock. No fat, just vegetable goodness in this soup. It’s tasty enough to feel indulgent even though it’s deliciously healthy. And we all need a bit of healthiness after the indulgence of Christmas.

A soup good enough for my five year old

Soup has always been one of the ways I have been able to get veg into Ioan. He loves soup (probably because it requires no chewing and he can just slurp it down), and although broccoli soup has long been one of his favourites, he loves carrot soup. A few handfuls of red lentils really does bulk out the soup and make it more filling, so a bowl of it will keep you going until dinner.

The magic soup ingredient

I came across it a year or so ago when it was recommended in the Table Manners cookbook for chicken soup with matzo balls. A heaped tablespoon mixed into your soup pot instead of stock adds a real umami flavour which makes you smack your lips together as you appreciate the tastiness. I highly recommend that you keep a box of it in your kitchen. And note that it is suitable for vegetarians.

Easy soupy lunches

So I like to make a big pot of this carrot and lentil soup at the start of the week, and it lasts until Thursday, feeding me, my mum, and Ioan (Andrew is not a soup lover – he prefers meals that you have to chew!).

Carrot and lentil soup

Tracy

A warming and hearty carrot and lentil soup, packed with goodness

Print Recipe

Course lunch, Soup, starter

Cuisine British

Servings 8 Bowls

Ingredients

  

• 10 Carrots
• 1 Onion
• 1 Potato
• 1 Tbsp lazy garlic
• 1 Tbsp tomato purée
• 200 G Red lentils
• 2 Tbsp Stock Or use two stock cubes

Instructions

 

• Peel and roughly chop the carrots and add them to a large saucepan.
• Peel and roughly chop the onion and add it to the saucepan with the carrots.
• Dice the potato (no need to peel) and add it to the saucepan with the carrots and onion.
• Add the lazy garlic, tomato purée and lentils to the saucepan.
• Fill the saucepan with water and bring to the boil.
• Add the chicken stock or stock cubes of choice, stir well, and simmer for 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender if poked with a fork, and the lentils are mushy.
• Take the saucepan off the heat and blitz with a stick blender (or blend in a food processor or blender).
• Taste and season accordingly, and serve while hot.

Notes

After the leftover soup has cooled, I store it in the fridge and re-heat as needed. As the soup thickens when cool, you might want to add a splash of hot water to the soup as you re-heat it.

Keyword carrot, healthy, lentils, soup

Other soup recipes to try

• Simple broccoli soup recipe (Vegan) – new recipe
• Classic French onion soup – new recipe (vegan, gluten free)
• Curried sweet potato soup (new Froothie recipe)
• Ioan’s chicken and vegetable soup (new Froothie UK recipe)
• Cookbook Challenge – Vietnam: Salt & Pepper Prawns and Beef Noodle Soup
• Dealing with Christmas leftovers, and a simple tomato soup