Lentil and Red Pepper Soup

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time50

Total Time55

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: servings

Calories: 300kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

200 grams lentils rinsed
3 bell peppers
1 onion diced
1 400 gram tin chopped tomatoes
3 cloves garlic minced
1 lemon juice and zest
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cumin
1 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
handful fresh parsley chopped

Metric - US Measures

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.

Nutrition