Lentil soup is fragrant, rich and very tasty. But sometimes it’s hard to figure out what else to add on your own. We have collected 15 interesting recipes for you, how to cook it, so as not to repeat yourself!
1. Lentil soup with rice
This is a traditional Turkish recipe that is very quick and easy to prepare.
You will need: 1 cup lentils, 2 tbsp. rice, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 1.7 liters of broth or water, 1 tsp. zira and dried mint, spices.
Cooking: Finely chop the onion and tomatoes and lightly fry them in a little oil. Add washed lentils with rice, and after 5 minutes, pour in the broth. Cook for about half an hour over medium heat until the lentils are cooked. Whisk the soup with an immersion blender, bring to a boil and season with spices at the very end.
2. Lentil soup with champignons
Be sure to add coriander and nutmeg!
You will need: 200 g lentils, 1 l water, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 200 g mushrooms, olive oil, herbs, cream.
Cooking: Chop the onion, cut the mushrooms into slices and grate the carrots. Fry it all together in a pan for about 5 minutes, add the washed lentils and mix. Pour in water and cook the soup for about 20 minutes under the lid. Beat everything with a blender, bring to a consistency with cream, boil again, season and sprinkle with herbs.
3. Lentil soup with cauliflower
A light, lean soup that doesn’t require a blender.
You will need: 1 cup lentils, 300 g cauliflower, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 1.7 liters of water, spices.
Cooking: Chop onions and carrots and fry them in a little oil. Add lentils, cover with water and boil for 15-20 minutes over medium heat. During this time, disassemble the cauliflower into inflorescences and pour boiling water for 5 minutes. Add it to the lentil soup and leave it on the stove for another 5 minutes. Then add finely chopped peeled tomatoes, bring to a boil again, season and remove from heat.
4. Lentil soup with meatballs
The recipe is especially for those who definitely need meat in the soup!
You will need: 2 onions, 1 carrot, 1 can of tomatoes in their own juice, 5 tbsp. soy sauce, 1/3 cup lentils, 200 g minced meat, 4 tbsp. breadcrumbs, 1.5 liters of water, spices.
Cooking: Grind carrots and 1 onion, fry them in a little oil and pour in most of the soy sauce. Add tomatoes with juice and water there, and put on a strong fire.
Mix the minced meat with spices, grated onion, breadcrumbs and the rest of the soy sauce. Form meatballs, dip them into the soup and boil for 10-15 minutes. After that, add the washed lentils and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
5. Lentil and Chicken Heart Soup
You can use the stomachs and any other giblets. Very budget friendly and tasty option.
You will need: 200 g lentils, 500 g chicken hearts, 1.7 liters of water, 1 onion, half a bunch of parsley, 1 carrot, 3 potatoes, spices, chili flakes, turmeric.
Cooking: Fill the hearts with water and set to boil for half an hour. Cut the potatoes into chunks and add to the pot. Grind the onion with carrots, fry a little and season with all the spices. Add them to the soup right away along with the lentils. Continue to cook over low heat until the lentils are cooked.
6. Lentil soup with tomatoes
Due to the fact that the recipe uses both tomato juice and fresh tomatoes, the taste of the soup is even more intense.
You will need: 1 cup lentils, 2 tomatoes, 500 ml tomato juice, 200 g carrots, 100 g peppers, 50 g green onions, 2 garlic cloves, spices.
Cooking: Boil the lentils in advance until half cooked. Finely chop the onion and pepper, grate the carrots, and lightly fry everything right in the pan. Add peeled chopped tomatoes, spices and garlic, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the tomato juice and about a glass of water, according to the consistency, add the lentils and cook until tender.
7. Puree soup with lentils and vegetables
We recommend adding turmeric to get a nice and even color.
You will need: 100 g lentils, 200 g potatoes, 80 g carrots, 100 g zucchini, 90 g leek, 70 g pepper, 1 tsp. tomato paste, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, spices, 600 ml of water.
Cooking: Cut the carrots and potatoes into medium cubes, add the lentils and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat. Fry the onion, add chopped zucchini to it, and a little later – spices, tomato paste and soy sauce. Transfer the roast to the soup and cook until the ingredients are ready. Grind everything with a blender, add water for consistency and bring to a boil again.
8. Lentil mushroom soup
Another alternative recipe. Try to combine ordinary champignons with forest mushrooms.
You will need: 150 g lentils, 200 g champignons, 100 g oyster mushrooms, 30 g dried mushrooms.
Cooking: Boil the dried mushrooms until tender, remove from the broth, and strain the broth itself. Boil the lentils separately until cooked, and during this time chop and fry the onion, mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. Pour boiling water into the mushroom broth to make about 1.5 liters, put all the ingredients into it, bring to a boil, mix and let it brew for 15 minutes.
9. Lentil soup with celery
This is an adapted Moroccan recipe that you can literally make from your own ingredients.
You will need: 2 cups lentils, 4 carrots, 1 onion, 4 celery stalks, 4 garlic cloves, chili, cumin, spices, 3 liters of water.
Cooking: Bring water to a boil, add grated carrots to it and boil for 10 minutes. During this time, fry the chopped onion with garlic and celery, add all the spices to them, and simmer for 5 minutes. Put the lentils in the carrot broth, after 20 minutes – fry, and after another 20 minutes, remove the soup from the heat.
10. Lentil soup with pumpkin
Of course, for such a dish it is better to take red lentils.
You will need: 1 cup lentils, 200 g pumpkin, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, ginger, 1 liter broth, spices.
Cooking: Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger to taste, and fry them for a couple of minutes in a little oil. Add pumpkin cubes and lentils to the same place, mix well, pour in broth and cook until cooked for about 20 minutes. At the end, beat the soup with a blender and season with spices.
11. Lentil soup with vermicelli and raisins
A very unexpected option, but at the same time very original in taste!
You will need: 200 g lentils, 70 g vermicelli, 2 liters of water, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 2 tbsp. tomato paste, half a bunch of basil, 1 tbsp. raisins, spices.
Cooking: Bring water to a boil and boil the lentils. Finely chop the onion, grate the carrots, and fry them with tomato paste and spices. Add the roast to the lentils along with noodles and raisins, season the soup, bring to a boil and boil for 7 minutes.
12. Lentil soup with bacon and cream
If desired, you can beat it with a blender, but then it is better to add the bacon before serving.
You will need: 1.5 cups lentils, 125 g bacon, 2 onions, 40 ml 20% cream, garlic and spices.
Cooking: Boil the lentils until tender and season. During this time, fry the bacon and onion until golden brown, put the roast in the soup and boil for another 5 minutes. At the very end, add crushed garlic, cream and mix well.
13. Lentil soup with beans
We recommend taking canned red beans.
You will need: 1 glass of lentils, 1 glass of beans, 450 g of tomatoes in their own juice, 1 liter of broth, 2 carrots, 1 onion, herbs, garlic, spices.
Cooking: Chop the onion, garlic and carrots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes, then add the spices. Add lentils there, pour in the broth and chopped tomatoes, and boil for about 40 minutes over low heat. 10 minutes before the end, add the beans, and before serving, chopped greens.
14. Lentil soup with corn and peas
When serving, sprinkle the soup with grated cheese or add crumbled Adyghe cheese.
You will need: 2 l broth, 1 pepper, 100 g corn, 100 g peas, 100 g cauliflower, 1 cup lentils, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, spices.
Cooking: Boil the lentils until soft, and during this time finely chop the pepper and garlic, and fry them for a couple of minutes. Add spices to them, pour in the broth and bring to a boil. After that, add the cauliflower florets and lentils, corn, and after another 5 minutes, peas. Warm everything together well – and you can remove it from the fire.
15. Lentil soup with apples and parsnips
If you are not afraid of experiments and bold decisions! Sprinkle blue cheese on top.
You will need: 400 g lentils, 1.5 liters of water, 4 parsnip roots, 4 sour apples, 2 stalks of leeks, 2 onions, 100 ml of 20% cream, garlic, spices, olive and butter.
Cooking: Coarsely chop the parsnips, onions, garlic and apples, put on parchment, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes in the oven at 200 degrees. Thinly slice the leek and fry in butter. Add lentils to it, and after 5 minutes pour in water.
After another 15 minutes, add all the baked vegetables to the pan, bring to a boil and leave for another quarter of an hour. Pour in the cream, grind the soup with a blender and only then add the baked apples.