Red lentil soup, a dish bringing you plenty of health benefits, while keeping its taste at the maximum, thanks to a wide range of utilised spices and vegetables. Let’s find out how delicious it can get with Hana’s Recipes portal!
Also, do not hesitate to take a look at other types of strongly flavourful soups right here!
Red lentil soup and its positive impact on our health
Needed ingredients
- 100 g of red lentils (in dry state),
- 1 carrot,
- 3 cloves of garlic,
- 1 medium sweet potato,
- 2 bay leaves,
- ½ tsp of curry pepper,
- ½ tsp of chilli pepper (optional),
- A piece of fresh ginger,
- 1 l of water or vegetable broth,
- 200 ml of cream (whipped or a vegetable alternative),
- 1 tbsp of olive oil,
- Salt,
- Ground black pepper,
- 1 tbsp of sugar (optional),
- 1 tbsp of vinegar (optional)
Red lentil soup: Its whole preparation under 30 minutes
1
Start by preparing the ingredients. Peel and dice the vegetables, including garlic. No need to press it, just cut it in half. Rinse the lentils in a strainer under the cold water. Then begin with frying the carrot in the oil at a higher temperature. After a few minutes, add whole bay leaves and a chilli pepper, if you want your soup to be spicy.
2
After a few minutes again, add chopped garlic and a piece of ginger. Stir and fry until the garlic and ginger are perfectly aromatic. Then throw in the sweet potato. Mix altogether briefly.
3
Cover it all with a broth or hot water. Next, add the curry pepper. Boil the vegetables themselves for 10 minutes and right after add the rinsed lentils.
4
Cook until both the vegetables and lentils are soft enough. Then add the cream, salt and ground black pepper.
5
Mix, remove from the heat and blend. If desired, add sugar and vinegar to enhance the taste.
And you’re done! Enjoy your healthy red lentil soup! You can serve it with the pumpkin oil, croutons or pumpkin seeds. It is all based on your preference!
No idea what to serve as a main course to combine with the flavours of the red lentil soup? How about trying out creamy zucchini risotto or any kind of tofu meal? Both ideas are 100% vegetarian, which goes ideally with the soup! Bon appetite!
Read more: 3 fun facts about the red lentil soup
Although the red lentil soup is quite unique amongst other soup types, we bet you have not heard yet of these fun facts that it carries with itself. Did you know that:
- lentils are actually one of the oldest cultivated crops? Their origin goes back over 9,000 years. They have quickly become a staple in diets of the ancient civilisations, particularly in the Near East and Mediterranean. This highlights their globally long-lasting importance as a food source.
- lentils as well as red lentils are highly eco-friendly? They do not require much energy and water for their production, compared to other similar protein sources. Therefore, making a soup like the red lentil soup is considered to be sustainable as well as suitable for eco-conscious eaters.
- lentils are a symbol of prosperity and luck in some cultures around the world? To be more precise, in Italy, lentils are often consumed during the New Year’s Eve, as their shape in the form of a coin is believed to bring wealth for the upcoming year. With this mindset, the red lentil soup itself has become even more popular in many countries. For instance, in Turkey, the soup is referred to a name “Mercimek Çorbası”, within the Indian cuisine they call it “Masoor Dal”. Although each culture adds unique local spices and ingredients to the soup, it does not change the fact that the red lentil soup is being globally enjoyed and significantly admired.
Red lentil soup: Similar videorecipe to obtain more health benefits
FAQ: What can I do if my soup becomes too thick?
If your red lentil soup becomes too thick, you may thin it out by adding more vegetable broth or water, until the desired consistency is achieved. The amount is completely up to you and your general preference!
