• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Lost in Food

  • recipe index
  • supperclub
  • Ultimate Guides
    • Ultimate Guide to Brunch
    • Baking with Kids … our Ultimate Guide
    • family dinners … an ultimate guide
  • VA Services
  • contact
  • about
Home » light meals, salads & soups » spiced lentil soup with tomato

spiced lentil soup with tomato

2 February, 2018

76shares
  • 43
Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

Spiced lentil soup with tomato, warming on a cold day and the perfect way to get more vegetables into our diet, working towards our 5-a-day!

Spiced lentil soup is a favourite in our house. My family all love making soup, consequently we are prolific soup makers.

I was taught me how to make a great bowl of soup by my parents. Soup was a staple part of my diet growing up.

We had a huge vegetable garden and as a result we ate fresh seasonal produce, hence lots of soup.

The smell of Scotch Broth bubbling on the stove-top still evokes memories of my Dad cooking soup on a Saturday night for Sunday’s lunch. Ask my kids who makes the best bowl of broth and they still say Granda!

Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup

A great way to your 5-a-day!

Hence to this day I continue to make lots of soup on a weekly basis. After all is there a better way to load in extra vegetables for our 5-a-day?

I find soup, particularly if you plan to blitz it to smooth, is a great way of setting soup into a child’s diet. You can disguise pretty much any vegetable once its been blended!

My youngest daughter is challenging to cook for (I’m putting this very politely). She loves this spiced lentil soup, as there was a time when she would only eat soup if it was orange.

I’m glad she settled on this colour as it’s surprising just how much soup you can make that has a good orange hue to it! However, we were all getting a bit fed up with basic lentil so I decided to spice things up a bit. That’s when I created this spiced lentil soup.

A great lunch or dinner dish?

Given the choice for lunch, more often than not I have a pan of soup at the ready. Furthermore, soup is the perfect food to serve on a night where I’m juggling dinner children’s activities. It’s always homemade as I can’t abide tinned soup.

How to make lentil soup?

This soup is a basic tomato and lentil soup which some added spice. As with many soups I cook, I like to start with a simple base of onion, carrot, celery and garlic. This gives a good flavour base to the soup.

Chilli and ginger:

To this base I then added fresh root ginger and chilli for some added depth and a little fresh heat.

However, if you don’t like chilli heat then simply leave the chilli out of the soup.

Dried spices:

The spice flavour in the soup is further enhanced by the addition of dried spices: ground cumin; ground coriander; ground turmeric; smoked paprika and a cinnamon stick.

These spices add warmth to the spiced lentil soup, but without any harsh chilli heat.

If there is a spice that you don’t like then simply leave it out or substitute it with something else!

Add the dried spices to the vegetables to cook out for a minute or two, to allow the spices to release their aroma.

Adding tomatoes:

You can use fresh tomatoes in this soup, however, for ease I always use tinned plum tomatoes.

Add the tinned tomatoes, red lentils and vegetable stock to the soup and cook until the lentils and vegetables have softened.

Once the soup has finished cooking, blitz to smooth using a stick blender or food processor, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Adding a creamy element to lentil soup:

A creamy element can be added to the spiced lentil soup therefore softening the spice. Simply stir through a spoon of yogurt before serving.

If following a Vegan diet, use either coconut milk or a Vegan coconut yogurt.

Can you prepare this soup ahead of time?

This is a great prep ahead dish. Once the soup has cooked, cool it down and place it in a container with a tight fitting lid and pop it in the fridge. It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze spicy lentil soup?

Like most soup, spicy lentil soup freezes really well. Once cooked, cool the soup down and place it in a container and pop it into the freezer. It will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Pin the recipe:

Spicy tomato & lentil Soup PIN

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 our other Vegan soup recipes:

  • Spicy Pumpkin Soup
  • Leek & Barley Broth
  • Leek & Potato Soup
  • Curried Chickpea & Vegetable Soup

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

Spicy Tomato & Lentil Soup

spicy tomato & lentil soup

A creamy tomato and lentil soup with a good punch of spice, perfect for crisp autumn days when the weather is just that bit chilly outside.
4.6 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 183kcal
Author: Lesley Garden

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 turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 400 g tin plum tomatoes
  • 150 g red lentils (washed and drained)
  • 1 ltr vegetable stock
  • salt & pepper (to season)

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. 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 cooked, blitz the soup with a stick blender. Season to taste and serve when ready.

Notes

If you wish to add a creamy element to this soup, you can stir through either a spoon of natural yogurt or if following a vegan or dairy-free diet, a spoon of coconut milk, just before serving.
Nutrition Facts
spicy tomato & lentil soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 183 Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Sodium 109mg5%
Potassium 616mg18%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 3865IU77%
Vitamin C 31.8mg39%
Calcium 69mg7%
Iron 3.8mg21%
* 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 : Simple, vegan, vegetarian
Tried this recipe? We’d love to see your photos!Mention @lostinf00d or tag #lostinfood!
Share on Facebook

Shared with CookBlogShare, where you will also find recipes by fellow food bloggers.

Tagged With: comfort food, one pot, simple 11 Comments

Previous Post: « ham, fig & blue cheese salad
Next Post: spice kitchen – brand ambassador programme »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. GILL TATLOCK

    19 June, 2020 at 12:56

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Michelle

      12 August, 2020 at 11:06

      Thanks Gail! Cheers, Michelle

      Reply
  2. louise Gunstone

    16 January, 2020 at 16:19

    5 stars
    Love this. I also have a challenging son to cook for (also putting it politely. lol). We’ll give this a whirl!

    Reply
    • Michelle

      20 January, 2020 at 11:15

      Such a lovely soup, and I fully understand with children and trying to get them to eat healthy, often hiding other vegetables among tomato soups!:-) Michelle

      Reply
  3. Fiona

    9 March, 2018 at 08:54

    Lentil is my go to soup as well as that’s all E will eat but I secretly add other things to it and she hasn’t a clue!

    Reply
  4. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder

    8 February, 2018 at 11:05

    Beautiful soup and that colour! I love lentils in soups as they act as wonderful thickener and make it so much more substantial and delicious. There is nothing better that soup for lunch and homemade is definitely the way to go for me too! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lesley

      8 February, 2018 at 13:32

      Thank you Jo, I couldn’t agree more homemade is the only way to go. Lesley x

      Reply
  5. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie

    7 February, 2018 at 20:02

    This sounds utterly delicious…I am always partial to a spot of soup…or rather a big pot of it bubbing away on the hob!! I love how it is such an easy way to make a tasty, nutritious meal and how easy it is to make extra too…to put in the fridge or freezer to have at a later date! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare this week. Eb x

    Reply
    • Lesley

      8 February, 2018 at 13:31

      You’re welcome Eb, like you I always make extra for the freezer. Soup is always my go to lunch at this time of year when the temperature is still low. Lesley x

      Reply
  6. Donna

    6 February, 2018 at 14:15

    This looks gorgeous, I absolutely love making soup, I do always add the cream though! Thanks for sharing! #CookBlogShare

    Reply
    • Lesley

      6 February, 2018 at 18:34

      Thank you Donna, you’re more than welcome. I love a bit of coconut milk or yoghurt stirred through if I’m honest, however the minute my youngest sees anything creamy added and the barriers go up! I tend to sneak it into my own bowl once served.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet the Lost in Food Ladies

Lost in Food Ladies

Read our interview with Society Aberdeen

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up to receive news and updates from Lost in Food to your inbox!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up to Lost in Food!

“One of the delights of life is eating with friends; second to that is talking about eating. And, for an unsurpassed double whammy, there is talking about eating while you are eating with friends. People who like to cook like to talk about food.” (Laurie Colwin, Home Cooking, 1988) more about us...

trending recipes

cajun chicken one pot dish ready to serve with plates ready in the background

cajun chicken tray bake

Apricot, Almond and Honey Flapjacks

apricot & almond flapjacks

A pale grey plate filled with spaghetti bolognese topped with basil leaves and fresh tomatoes and basil in the back.

homemade Bolognese sauce

Groups

CookBlogShare Logo with Recipes Made Easy and Lost in Food

my foodgawker gallery
BritMums

Footer

blank

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up to receive news and updates from Lost in Food to your inbox!

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up to Lost in Food!

© 2021 ·Foodie Pro Theme · Genesis Framework · Log in . Privacy Policy, Disclosures & Disclaimers