It definitely took me some time to upload this Lentil Tomato Soup Recipe. I've been meaning to do it 5 days ago.? But then I decided it was time to do some spring cleaning. And the weather has gotten so hot that I just had to remove those rugs right then and there. And also replace the winter clothes in my wardrobe with my summer clothes. Does this sound weird to you?
We all do it in Greece since the temperature varies so much from winter to summer. There is no way I'm going to wear a sweater for the next 7 months, so there is no reason for it sitting in my wardrobe and stealing space from my summer tees. But I'm not going to tire you anymore with the chores I've been doing. The good news is that I finally can share with you this healthy & hearty Lentil Tomato Soup Recipe.
It's all made from scratch and with fresh ingredients only. Well, other than the lentils of course which are dried. ? It's really easy to make and bursts with flavor. With a nice and thick texture-out of the blended veggies which are in a good quantity to make this soup loaded with vitamins and nutrients.
Traditionally, a lentil tomato soup recipe is mostly made in the Northern parts of Greece. In the south and where I live, we cook the lentils without the tomato. Use only some garlic, onion, bay leaf, olive oil, and vinegar. That is the oldest version of a Greek lentil soup recipe and very scrumptious also. In both recipes, I'm using small-sized brown lentils. They're my favorite and get cooked quickly.
HOW TO MAKE A VELVETY TEXTURED LENTIL TOMATO SOUP
How do you thicken your soup? Let's say a basic tomato soup? Do you use an immersion blender or add the cooked tomatoes to the blender? I came across quite a few recipes instructing to add hot tomatoes in the blender and then back to the pot. For god's sake! Do not EVER do that. There are good chances of a tomato explosion in your kitchen (hopefully) and not on you.
The easiest and safest way to thicken any type of soup is the immersion blender. But in case you don't want to blend everything and want some texture in your soup, then the best way to go is to blend the veggies beforehand. For example, in this Lentil Tomato Soup Recipe, I first blend the veggies and then cook them right into the soup. This way you can add everything to the pot in one go.
PACKED WITH VITAMINS AND IRON
This soup is packed with fresh veggies like green bell pepper, carrot, onion, tomatoes, celery, and garlic which means it's also packed with vitamins as well. Like vitamin A, C, B-6. Also, lentils are loaded with iron and are one of the best choices of plant-based protein. Overall, this soup is so nutritious and easy to make that's one of the best options for a midweek meal.
Ingredients
- 150 grams medium-sized brown lentils
- 1 small carrot
- ½ green bell pepper
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large very ripe tomatoes about 600 grams
- 1 small stick of celery
- 1 dried bay leaf
Instructions
- Half fill a cooking pot with water and bring to a boil.
- Boil the lentils for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain lentils in a strainer.
- Cut the tomatoes in large pieces and add to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Cut the carrot, pepper and onion into large pieces and add to a food processor along with the garlic cloves. Blend until a smooth paste forms.
- In a medium-sized cooking pot heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. Add the paste and cook for a minute or two. While stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Add the blended tomatoes along with a liter of water.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf, the remaining 5 tablespoons of olive oil, and the celery stick finely chopped.
- Once soup starts to boil, add the lentils and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until lentils are cooked (time depends on variety of lentils). Usually takes about 40 minutes.
- Remove from heat once the lentils are cooked and soup has thickened.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made this recipe to a T. This recipe is sooooo bland.?
If 3 tablespoons of oil are used to cook paste, where do the other 5 tablespoons of oil get used?
Thank you so much for pointing that out Shelli. I forgot to write it. I've updated the recipe now. They are added along with blended tomatoes and water.