Red Lentil Soup

Its been a long time since I posted a recipe. I have been meaning to make myself dedicate more time to my blogging for ages now but life just seems to constantly get in the way. I have a few recipes I have been experimenting with a few recipes over the past year and I want to get back into it more. A lot of them are just ones I happened to throw together and liked the results, and I will need to try them again to decipher the notes I made in order to recreate. But I have a few that are ready for sharing now, starting with some lovely Red Lentil Soup.



I got really excited when I found out lentils no longer had to be counted, as lentil soup was one of my absolute favourites when I was younger. Red lentils in particular, used in dahls and curries were my go back when I was a vegetarian (a long time ago now) but in recent years I felt they were pointed quite high and so didn't use them as much as I'd have liked. Now they are 0 SmartPoints I love using them and this soup is a favourite.

The base of this is from the Hairy Dieters Vegetarian book only without the Harissa Paste. Leaving this out means you can add any herbs/spices/flavours you want to mix it up a bit but if I am being honest my favourite version is the basic recipe - no additional flavours needed. It freezes really well and so I usually double up the recipe when I am making it to get 10 portions instead of 5, knowing it is going to last in the freezer.

Serves: 5
SmartPoints per Serving: 1
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Bunch of coriander stems, finely chopped
200g red lentils
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 litre chicken/vegetable stock (I make up with 1 knorr stock pot)
Salt & Black Pepper
Lemon Juice (optional)

Heat the oil over a medium heat and when hot add the onions. Cook until soft and translucent, stirring regularly before adding the garlic and coriander stems. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring constantly. (If you wish to add any other spices/herbs do so here and cook for another 1-2 mins).

Add the lentils and stir to coat with the onion mixture before adding the stock. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer and cooking for 10 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. Season well to taste with Salt & Black pepper and add a little lemon juice. If you prefer a smoother soup, you can use a stick blender to blend to desired consistency but one of the things I love about this soup is the slightly chunky texture.

Serve immediately. Alternatively this will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months.