I absolutely love soup. This spiced lentil soup recipe is one of my favorites, especially in the colder months. What I don’t love is a soup recipe with 20 ingredients. This lentil soup has far fewer ingredients, is easy to make and is nutritious, too. It’s a spicy soup that’s not only packed with protein, iron and healthy fiber, but is also low in fat!
I’m not a big fan of spicy foods. However, everyone else in my family is. I’d say this lentil soup recipe is mildly spicy. Good news: it’s easy to modify to your taste! To make it spicier, consider adding onion, garlic cloves and/or ginger. You could also increase the amount of cumin and/or chili flakes. Experiment and find out what your favorite combination is, or follow the recipe as written. This vegan soup freezes well. When you remove it from the freezer, reheat until bubbling hot and enjoy it again!
Serve this hearty red lentil soup recipe with plain or vegan yogurt and bread for a delicious dinner or lunch.
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds (or to taste)
- pinch crushed red chili flakes (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cups carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel)
- 5 ounces split red lentils
- 4 cups vegetable stock, hot
- 1/2 cup nut milk, milk or 1 can reduced-fat coconut milk
Here’s how to make it:
- Add 2 teaspoons cumin seeds and a pinch (or more) of crushed red chili flakes to a large saucepan. Dry-fry for about 1 minute, or until seeds release a distinct aroma and start to “jump” in the pan. Shake the pan occasionally and watch it carefully to prevent burning.
- Scoop out roughly half the seeds and set aside. Add the olive oil, grated carrots, split red lentils, hot vegetable stock and milk to the pan. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the lentils have softened and swollen.
- For a smooth consistency, blend the soup with a stand blender or in a food processor. If you prefer a chunkier consistency, leave it chunky! Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved dry-fried spices.
Note: Dry-frying is a method in which only melted fat/natural fat is used to fry; no oil is needed. It is a healthier way to fry food than deep frying because it keeps fat to a minimum. Dry-frying is only for spices, seeds, nuts, beans, meat and fish.
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