So boring but tell me how to make lentil soup

[mrmagpie]

When I buy lentil soup in a cafe or wherever it's always lovely but whenever I have made it in the past it's rubbish.

So - how do I make it nice?!? Needs to be vegetarian. Thank you

You need a really good stock/ bouillon cube as a base. Use your favourite and don’t over dilute.

Mine is not vegetarian normally as I use knot ham stock cubes, but that’s all you would need to change.
I make it in my Instant Pot pressure cooker , pressure cooking makes all the difference to lentils.
Use a mix of lentils - red, yellow split peas, green lentils.

Basic recipe
Large onion finely chopped
2 Large Carrots, finally chopped
swede or turnip - about equal measure to the carrots, finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
I US cup ( 8 fl oz level on measuring jug) mixed lentils, thoroughly rinsed
1.7 l stock of choice
pinch of chilli flakes or small piece fresh ginger, finely grated ( about top segment of thumb size)
little pit of veg or groundnut oil

Saute the chopped veg in the oil for about 5 mins
Add the ginger or chilli
add the lentils, stir thoroughly
add the stock.

Switch to pressure cook - 20 mins
Leave to naturally release pressure

Once pressure is released, I purée with a stick blender

Alternatives -
add cumin or ground coriander , or even madras curry powder instead of ginger
use ready chopped soup pack from supermarket
add tin chopped tomatoes
Add bouquet garni.

My mother will be spinning in her grave if she can see this, but this is a staple in our house.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-carrot-lentil-soup

This is a really nice one. I have a slow cooker which I can use on the hob. I fried the onion and carrots etc in that and then stick everything in the bowl and put it in the slow cooker for a few hours. I use a hand blender to blend it. It's delicious.

I use the marigold stock powder. I think that's the nicest one and it is vegetarian, actually vegan I think.

Lentil soup from a scottish girl- 2 large onions, few carrots, good couple of handfuls of red lentils and ham stock. Nothing fancy just hearty soup.

This is how I do it:
(sorry I do it by eye so no quantities!)
Fry onion, celery and chopped carrot gently till soft. Add red lentils, stir around, add veg stock and a squirt of tomato puree. Bring to the boil then simmer till the lentils are soft and mushy. You can whizz it up if you like but don't have to. Season to your taste. I sometimes add a tiny touch of curry powder.

It probably needs more salt than you think it does….

What's rubbish about it when you make it usually? Underseasoning can make a soup really meh. It needs more salt than you think. When I make lentil soup I whizz three quarters of it in the blender and leave the rest unwhizzed and then add it back in. It makes for a good texture. What stock do you use?

Lentil soup I make this

Definitely needs chilli flakes, or cumin or curry powder i find, or it's a bit bland. I use bacon but obviously that's not for you. I agree with more salt and pepper than you'd think. Must make some soon, cheap and yum.

Scottish here ,
Stock is the key. Use x2 as many cubes or whatever as normal
Wash the lentils a few times
Onion
Celery
Leek
And the secret....a small potato

This is my fav lentil soup, has a bit of a kick, reduce the chili if you don't like it too hot!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/red-lentil-chickpea-chilli-soup

As said above, do not underestimate the amount of seasoning you need, starting with good stock plus salt, pepper, herbs, spices. A squeeze of lemon juice and a splash of cream/sour cream added just at the point of serving it are delicious too.

I love a good lentil soup. I like to put my mine in the blender to make the texture smooth. My mum often made carrot and lentil soup when I was growing up; we called it Lentil Lush!

Top tip: if you accidentally add too much salt to any soup, put one or two potatoes in and simmer for a while longer, they absorb the taste.

Easy lentil soup

Onion chopped
Leek chopped
3 carrots grated
Clove garlic chopped

Put all in pan with butter and sweat for 3-5 mins

Add 100g lentils and cook for one min

Add good squirt of tomato purée and I tsp of curry powder (madras best) cook for one min

Add tin tomatoes

Add 1400 mls of boiling water and 3-4 vegetable stock cubes

Salt and pepper

Reduce and simmer for 20 mins.

Never fails. If you don't like the spice don't add the curry powder. You can blend but I like the texture.

I think it might be the salt... my kids are quite young and I've just always avoided salting food since they were babies.

Also, are people soaking the lentils? I'm just talking about big standard red ones from Aldi and the like

I'm not Scottish but live in Scotland so it's probably the basic Scottish lentil I'm after, at least that's what I get in cafes!!

Do you soak your lentils or just rinse?

This is a useful thread!

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/red-lentil-chickpea-chilli-soup

this is my go to lentil soup atm - so easy and really yummy.

I do what others have said which is a base of onion, celery & carrot and then add the lentils and either a tin of tomatoes or some tomato purée and milk.

You don't need to soak red lentils, green or brown you do.

I make it by sauteing a chopped onion for a few minutes, then adding an unholy amount of garlic, a cup of lentils, a couple of cubed potatoes, can of tomatoes and a good stock cube. Add a couple of cups of water and cook for about 20 mins until the lentils are soft and the potatoes are cooked through.

Then blend, add a dollop of sour cream and chilli flakes and serve. Unless you're my 8 year old in which case under no circumstances must it be blended, she just eats it as a stew 🤷🏼‍♀️

Also Scottish and agree that good lentil
soup in cafes is always really salty! I don’t make mine quite as salty at home. I always like a good chunk of butter in with the oil for frying at the start as well. I’ve also played around with how ingredients are chopped/processed, in the quest for delicious ‘cafe lentil soup’! Have noticed often they grate rather than chop the carrot, that can be nice, as long as there’s enough brothy liquid.

Personally I don’t like any blending for lentil soup, but notice that if I add loads of lentils it gets that kind of consistency anyway. I think my favourite iteration is when it’s a bit more brothy.

Yeah just rinse lentils don’t soak..

I use this recipe it really nice

www.slimmingeats.com/blog/spicy-carrot-and-lentil-soup

Lentils have an affinity with lemon juice or cider vinegar, and adding these cuts down the need for salt. I would also add some turmeric powder, to avoid gaseous digestive effects!