Lemony Lentil Soup
Is there anything better than coming home after a long day, not knowing what to make for dinner, and realizing there’s homemade soup in the freezer? I honestly don’t think so! Making big batches of soup and storing leftovers for busy/lazy nights when I don’t have the time, or energy, to make something from scratch is just… beautiful. This recipe is great for exactly that. It yields 8 cups, so you can eat some, freeze some and be happy. Plus the ingredient list is almost entirely shelf stable, making it convenient and economical. Idk about you, but I need more of that this winter!
Ingredients
1 large red pepper, roughly chopped
1 tbsp paprika
6 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
½ tsp red chili flakes
½ tbsp Italian oregano
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper (from a jar)
1/4 cup diced sun dried tomatoes (in oil)
2 cup lentils, rinsed
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I’m using almonds and hazelnuts - but anything will work)
Flaky salt (optional)
Salt and pepper
Instructions
Heat oven to 400F.
In a large Dutch oven, add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and diced onion. Season with ½ tsp salt and 5 cracks black pepper. Let cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add chili flakes and oregano. Let cook until slightly toasted and fragrant, about one minute. Add diced roasted red peppers (from the jar) and sun dried tomatoes. Let cook for another minute, stirring occasionally. At this point, you should be able to smell all of the flavours coming together.
Add lentils, broth and 2 tsp salt. When using homemade broth, I usually only use 4 cups broth and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add chopped fresh red pepper to a sheet pan. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil and paprika. Place in the oven and let cook for 20-25 minutes, or until soft and slightly charred.
While that cooks, season your chopped nuts with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, a generous pinch of flaky salt (or regular salt, if you don’t have flaky on hand!) and the zest of 1 lemon.
After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be puffy and soft — almost mushy. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add the juice of 2 lemons. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper as needed.
Top with roasted red peppers and seasoned chopped nuts. Serve hot!
This recipe yields 6-8 servings, so I like to eat half and store half in the freezer. If kept in an air-tight, freezer-safe container, it will last 4-5 months.