When Covid 19 hit and I was trapped inside like the rest of the world, I found many of the days long and dreary. There was a bit of a chill in the air and my quarantine uniform had become a flannel shirt that I would never ever go out in public wearing and sweatpants that were ten years old and two sizes too big. I quickly decided I needed a pick me up. With all of this unexpected time on my hands surely I could make some lemonade…or, in this case, some lentil soup!
I knew that a hearty soup would shake me out of my coronavirus funk. There was just one problem with this soup-to-the-rescue plan, a major problem—I hadn’t been to the supermarket in weeks. Don’t worry…my husband was going sporadically, but he certainly wasn’t buying anything on the lists I procured. I never knew he had such an affinity for cheese puffs. Anyhow, it was time to dig into my overflowing pantry and find some for inspiration.
Pantry staples in my house
Whether or not there is a virus threating to shut down the world for who knows how long, there are a few items I always have on hand. Two of these are lentils and canned tomatoes. I am not sure why lentils are one of my must keep in stock items since I only eat them about once a year, but that day I was certainly glad to have them. Canned tomatoes, on the other hand, are an item I go through quite quickly and usually keep a good variety—diced, whole, pureed and so on. For this soup, I choose to use whole tomatoes. I wanted to dice or thinly slice the other veggies and I knew that using full sized tomatoes and roughly breaking them up with a spoon would add some interesting texture. Of course, you can use diced tomatoes if that is what you have or prefer.
Lentils and veggies and goodness, oh my!
I love the variety of vegetables in this soup. It really makes for a healthy and hearty winter option. You could easily omit the spinach if you want, but I would keep the other veggies as they really add to the flavor profile of this soup. And the lemon brings it all together at the end, so squeeze the juice in right at the end.
Don’t skip the pureeing!
The trick to this soup is using a slotted spoon to take out some of the veggie-lentil goodness and then pureeing the rest giving it a robust thickness. If at the end you feel it needs more liquid, simply add some water or broth (and maybe a little extra seasoning too).
What goes well with this soup?
This soup is packed with legumes and vegetables and since it’s high in protein it can easily standa alone as a meal. If you want, serve it alongside a salad (I like this Asparagus Tomato one) or some Slow Cooked Chicken. Of course, a nice piece of crusty bread is the perfect way to make sure you get every last bit from the bottom of the bowl.
Get cooking!
Don’t be afraid to make this recipe your own adjusting it to your liking. I hope this soup warms you on a chilly day! It got me out of my quarantine funk and for that, I will be forever grateful! And if you’re looking for some other soup ideas you can try these: Carrot Coconut Ginger, Butternut Squash and Carrot and Vegetarian French Onion. As always, let me know what how your Lentil Tomato Soup came out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Lentil Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 or more cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 large (28 oz) can of peeled (or diced) tomatoes with their juices
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 cups veggie broth (1 32 oz box)
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 2 large handfuls of baby spinach
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Warm oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, celery, carrots, tomatoes with their juices, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and lentils. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently simmer mostly covered for 25-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer about half the vegetable-lentil mixture (not the liquid) to a bowl and set aside. Use an immersion or stand blender to puree the remaining vegetables, lentils and broth, giving the soup a thick, textured broth. Return the vegetable-lentil mixture you set aside to the soup and gently break up the tomatoes if needed. If you feel the soup is too thick, add some broth or water. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Finish with lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
Notes
Pureeing the soup makes for a thick broth, so if you feel it needs more liquid add some broth or water. Don’t forget to season a bit more too.
