I went a bit soup-crazy last week and made up huge batches of soups that are now overtaking my freezer and fridge.
One of the soups I made was this spiced vegetable & lentil soup which is the result of some root vegetables which needed to be used up and red lentils I already had stocked in my kitchen.
I think the only thing I bought was the sweet potatoes, everything else I already had in my freezer, cupboard or garden and yet it’s made enough for at least 8 meals!
That’s very satisfying.
Does anyone else lazy and uses frozen chopped garlic, chilies and onions? I like to get my goggles on (seriously) and dice a bag full of onions and put them in the freezer ready to use for when I need them.
I do the same with the garlic and chilies, without the goggles though…
Anyway, onto the soup. Not only is this vegetable & lentil soup frugal, it’s also super flavourful, spicy and completely delicious. Very healthy too!
The root vegetables and lentils give such a luscious, thick and smooth texture. No chunky or runny soups here, if that’s not your thing!
And the spices and coriander give a strong, warming flavour. Just what you want in a soup.
More comforting soups
Maple Roasted Parsnip & Celeriac Soup
📖 Recipe
Comforting Spiced Vegetable & Lentil Soup
A Spiced Vegetable & Lentil Soup that is great for using up excess vegetables in your fridge. Make a big batch and keep it in your freezer for cosy, warming soups all throughout the Winter!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small red chili, minced
- 2 sweet potatoes, approx 700g, peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 100 g / 3.5 oz red lentils, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. Drained and rinsed.
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- A bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped
- (optional) Dairy-free yoghurt or cream, to swirl on top
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onions, garlic and chili for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the chopped sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots, cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Mix in the curry powder and lentils then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until lentils are pale and the vegetables are tender.
- Stir in some coriander (reserve some later for decoration) and blend in a high-powered blenderuntil smooth.
- Serve with some fresh chopped coriander and a swirl of dairy-free yoghurt, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
This makes quite a big batch so if you're just making it for yourself, half the ingredients!
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 262Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 18mgSodium 693mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 7gSugar 11gProtein 10g
Nicole Dickenson says
Have just found your lovely recipes my daughter is struggling as her son is allergic to soya wheat dairy bananas raw tomatoes and sesame seeds any ideas gratefully recived. Nicky
Becky Striepe says
This looks like such a bowl of comfort! I’ll have to make this for my family this fall!
Aimee says
Thanks Becky! It is SO comforting.
Janet says
Looks wonderful and warming. Just wondered though if you don’t want to use dairy or cashew milk, could a little coconut milk be used – tinned or fresh made)?
Vicky says
I love lentil soup, this sounds delicious. I must start to chop my chilies and freeze them as for garlic and onions, we always use them up – you should see how many onions we get through, it’s crazy!
Aimee says
This is why I have to use frozen, I go through so many and the chopping is just so inconvenient for me! My freezer is half filled with chopped onions, garlic, chili and herbs :-) Makes my life much easier.
Kurobana says
Damn, you are smart! Never thought of cutting onions and garlic and putting them in the freezer… I usually only use 1/2 onion for most recipes and it never lasts long enough for me to use the other half. :P
Aimee says
that’s what used to happen to me too, which is why I started freezing them and haven’t looked back! Plus, it’s great to get all that sore-eyed fiasco out of the way in one go :-)
Elizabeth says
I had a flatmate back in canada who always chopped onions wearing goggles. I thought it was fantastic! Your soup sounds superb and perfect for these cold evenings. Thank you for sharing your lovely (and gorgeously photographed) recipe with Credit Crunch Munch!
Aimee says
Thank you Elizabeth! You know what, it’s worth looking a little bit insane for a few minutes for the sting-free eyes…