Spicy Red Lentil Soup

I love a bowl of homemade soup and my spicy red lentil soup is a favourite. Lentils are a great source of plant based protein, keeping you feeling fuller and satisfied for longer. I like to pair the lentils with lots of heart healthy vegetables in this healthy spicy red lentil soup recipe.

Spiced red lentil soup with tomato, is perfect for warming us up on a cold day and a great way to get more vegetables into our diet, just add a side of toasted grain or crusty bread.

As with many soups I cook, I like to start this best spicy red lentil soup recipe with a base of onion, carrot, celery and garlic. This simple combination of vegetables adds a great flavour base to any soup.

This is an easy spicy red lentil soup recipe, there really is not much preparation required making it suitable for any level of home cook. However, as with all homemade soups this spiced red lentil soup will taste better than anything you can buy in a can.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Uses basic ingredients that most of us will have in our stores at home.
• Packed full of lentils and heart healthy vegetables this soup is a great meal to help you towards your 5-a-day.
• Feed a crowd as this recipe is easily doubled up, which also makes it idea for get ahead meal prep.
• A healthy bowl of soup that is gluten free, low carb, dairy free and vegan.

Recipe ingredients

• Oil – I’ve opted for sunflower oil, but you can use your oil of choice.
• Base vegetables – I use a combination of onion, carrot and celery to form the base of this soup.
• Garlic and ginger – I use fresh garlic and root ginger to flavour the soup. If you can’t find fresh, frozen garlic and ginger are great options.
• Chilli – I like to add red chillies to the soup. You can either de-seed or add the seeds depending on how spicy you like your soup.
• Spices – I flavour the soup with ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika and a cinnamon stick.
• Tomato – I add a tin of plum tomatoes to the soup for extra flavour.
• Lentils – this soup is made with red lentils which I rinse in a sieve until the cold tap to remove any sediment.
• Vegetable stock (broth) – I use a good quality vegetable stock when making lentil soup. Use gluten free stock if required.
• Seasoning – I keep the seasoning simple with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How to make Spicy Red Lentil Soup

• Heat the sunflower oil in a large soup pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute gently for 5 minutes taking care to soften but not brown the vegetables.
• Add the garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan and continue to saute gently for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Add the dry spices to the pan and stir well to combine. Cook for 1 minute until the spices start to release their aroma.

• After a good rinse under cold water, add the lentils and the tinned tomatoes to the pan along with the vegetable stock. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Bring the soup to the boil before turning down to a simmer and covering with a lid.
• Stir the soup from time to time to avoid it sticking. The soup should cook for 40 minutes or until the lentils have softened.

• Once the soup is cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and blitz the soup with a stick blender.
• Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Recipe variations

• Add a creamy element to this soup by stirring through a spoon of natural yogurt, or if following a vegan or dairy-free diet, a spoon of coconut milk or dairy free coconut yogurt, just before serving.
• For a spicier soup don’t remove the seeds from the red chillies, instead add to the soup.
• Feel free to add in other vegetables to the soup, like courgettes (zucchini) or any colour of bell peppers.
• Add a handful of leafy greens like spinach or kale and allow to wilt into the soup before you blitz to smooth.

Serving suggestions

Lentils are full of protein making this a filling and nutritious bowl of soup. It makes a great lunch or light dinner option served with a side of crusty or toasted seeded bread.

Leftover lentil soup can be heated up next day and place in a thermos for an easy lunch on the go.

Useful hints and tips

1. Rinse the lentils under the cold water tap to remove any dirt and sediment.
2. Soup is a great way of getting vegetables into a child’s diet. You can disguise pretty much any vegetable once its been blended!
3. Use a gluten free vegetable stock and this soup is suitable for coeliacs or anyone following a gluten free diet.
4. Containing no dairy this side dish is suitable for dairy free and vegan diners.
5. Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

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Additional recipe suggestions

Soup is a great way of getting more vegetables into our diet. If you like this recipe then why not try some of my other vegan soup recipes:

• Easy Tomato Vegetable Soup with Harissa
• Potato & Leek Soup with Chickpeas (just swap butter for olive oil when sauteing the leek)
• Sweet Potato Coconut & Chilli Soup
• Tomato & Basil Soup
• Spicy Bean & Vegetable Soup
• Leek & Barley Broth
• Curried Chickpea & Vegetable Soup

For some great hints and tips on how to make a great bowl of soup, have a read of my 20 Simple Soup Recipes post. This features some delicious soup recipes for you to try!

Spicy Red Lentil Soup

For a delicious bowl of homemade soup try this spicy red lentil soup. Lentils are a great source of plant based protein, keeping you feeling fuller and satisfied for longer.

5 from 13 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Servings: 6

Calories: 175kcal

Author: Lesley Garden

Equipment

• chopping board
• Sharp kitchen knife
• measuring spoons
• sieve
• Measuring jug
• Large soup pot or Dutch oven

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• ▢ 1 onion (diced)
• ▢ 2 carrots (diced)
• ▢ 2 sticks celery (diced)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• ▢ 5 cm root ginger (grated)
• ▢ 2 red chillies (de-seeded and chopped)
• ▢ 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ▢ 2 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 2 tsp ground coriander
• ▢ 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ 400 g tin plum tomatoes
• ▢ 170 g dried red lentils (washed and drained)
• ▢ 1 ltr ltr vegetable stock
• ▢ sea salt and black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

• Heat the sunflower oil in a large soup pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and saute gently for 5 minutes taking care to soften but not brown the vegetables.
• Add the garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan and continue to saute gently for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Add the dry spices to the pan and stir well to combine. Cook for 1 minute until the spices start to release their aroma.
• After a good rinse under cold water, add the lentils and the tinned tomatoes to the pan along with the vegetable stock. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• Bring the soup to the boil before turning down to a simmer and covering with a lid.
• Stir the soup from time to time to avoid it sticking. The soup should cook for 40 minutes or until the lentils have softened.
• Once the soup is cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and blitz the soup with a stick blender. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Notes

Add a creamy element to this soup by stirring through a spoon of natural yogurt, or if following a vegan or dairy-free diet, a spoon of coconut milk, just before serving.

For a spicier soup don’t remove the seeds from the red chillies, instead add to the soup.

Nutrition Facts

Spicy Red Lentil Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 175 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Sodium 22mg1%

Potassium 463mg13%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 11g46%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 3734IU75%

Vitamin C 26mg32%

Calcium 51mg5%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •

Course : Soup

Cuisine : British

Keyword : best spicy red lentil soup recipe, easy spicy red lentil soup, healthy red lentil soup recipe, red lentil soup, Simple, spiced red lentil soup, vegan, vegetarian

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