Lentil and Red Pepper Soup
If you want a cosy and comforting soup bursting with fresh and vibrant Mediterranean flavour then you need to try this easy Lentil and Red Pepper Soup. Taking a little extra effort to roast the bell peppers is so worth it for this delicious bowl of goodness.
I love lentils. Not only are they great for soup (I grew up on traditional Scottish lentil soup) but they are cheap and nutritious too! Lentils are rich in polyphenols, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc as well as a great source of protein and fibre.
If you want to try more lentil recipes check out my Red Lentil Pasta Sauce and Lentil Bolognese.
Quick Recipe Summary
Ingredients
The full list with quantities is in the recipe card below, but here are some helpful tips about the main ingredients.
Red Lentils – split red lentils cook quickly and don’t need to be soaked first, simply rinse under cold running water in a colander to remove any debris. They have a nutty, slightly sweet flavour and become lovely and soft, almost creamy, when cooked. You can also use yellow lentils in this recipe, just be aware they will take slightly longer to cook.
Roasted Bell Peppers – red or yellow peppers work best – don’t use green peppers as these can be too bitter when roasted. It is really worthwhile to roast the peppers yourself, but you can use jarred peppers in a pinch just make sure to rinse them well, or use fresh unroasted peppers.
Onions and Garlic – the base for any good soup.
Oregano, cumin, and basil – dried herbs for flavour.
Tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock – for the broth. You can also use chicken stock if you prefer.
Lemon and parsley – add a lovely freshness to the soup. Instead of parsley you could try fresh basil, and the lemon juice can be swapped for lime juice or white vinegar.
Storing
Lentil and roasted pepper soup will store in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze soup in individual portions in either reusable food safe bags or used yoghurt tubs with lids.
Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge and heat on the stove until piping hot – you may need to add a splash of water when reheating.
Serving
As with most soups, some kind of bread for dipping is the best side. I love a cheese scone with my lentil soup, served warm with plenty of butter.
Sprinkle on some cheese like crumbled feta or parmesan as a tasty topping.
Try adding some crunchy croutons or crispy roasted chickpeas as a soup topping.
My personal preference is to half blend the soup using a stick blender so it is nice and creamy but still has some chunks for a bit of bite. You can also blend until completely smooth or leave chunky and not blend at all.
Substitutes and Variations
Add extra vegetables – diced courgette or carrot would work well. Or try stirring in some greens at the end like kale or spinach.
Add some spice with chilli flakes or diced chillies.
Make it creamy but stirring in some coconut milk or cream.
This soup is vegan (as long as you use vegan stock), dairy free and gluten free.
More Easy Soup Recipes:
- Sweet Potato and Chilli Soup
- Three Bean Soup
- Roasted Pepper and Gouda Soup
- Thai Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup
I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!
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Lentil and Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 200 grams (1 cup) lentils rinsed
- 3 (3) bell peppers
- 1 (1) onion diced
- 1 400 gram (1 14oz) tin chopped tomatoes
- 3 cloves (3 cloves) garlic minced
- 1 (1) lemon juice and zest
- 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) dried oregano
- ½ tsp (½ tsp) cumin
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) dried basil
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- handful fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- To roast the peppers, preheat the oven to 200°C (380°F) fan oven / 220°C (425°F). Cut the peppers into quarters, place on a baking tray and drizzle lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft and lightly charred. Allow to cool to the touch before removing the skins and chopping.
- To make the soup – Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over a medium high heat and add the onion with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the garlic, oregano, cumin, rosemary and basil. Cook for about 30 seconds to a minute, stirring to make sure the spices don’t burn.
- Stir in the chopped roasted peppers and lentils, then pour in the tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and pop a lid on. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are cooked and soft.
- Blend the soup using an immersion blender, or allow to cool and transfer to a blender in batches. (My personal preference is to half blend the soup so it is nice and creamy but still has some chunks for a bit of bite. You can also blend until completely smooth or leave chunky and not blend at all.)
- Stir through the lemon juice, zest and fresh parsley. Add additional salt to taste if necessary.
Is there a way to convert this recipe to US measurements?
Yes if you click the ‘US Measures’ button above the ingredients list on the recipe card it will convert for you.