Easy Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

A roasted red pepper and lentil soup is a delicious filling and healthy soup perfect for any time of the year. Roasting the peppers really brings out their flavour and sweetness and makes this a quick, easy and cheap recipe with minimal prep time. It's also suitable for vegans and is naturally gluten and dairy free.

Lentils go well in a soup. They are a great source of protein, cook quickly and are fairly cheap too. They also help to bulk it out and give the soup a lovely thick and creamy consistency. If you're looking for more easy cheap recipes to make with red lentils, you might like my Vegan Red Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese or Lentil and Chickpea Curry with Spinach for something with some spice.

Soups are very versatile and perfect for using up vegetables that are past their best and reducing food waste. For another soup using red peppers, try my Sweet Potato and Red Pepper soup. For something with a little spice, Sweet Potato, Chilli and Ginger hits the spot. As well as fresh bread, you could also serve this with a 3 Ingredient Flatbread, which takes just 10 minutes and has only 3 ingredients. You'll also love my Carrot and Courgette soup!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to make it
• Substitutions & Variations
• How to Serve
• Sustainability
• Storage
• Pairing
• 📖 Recipe
• Reviews

Ingredients

This easy recipe uses common ingredients. See below for notes on possible substitutions.

• Red Peppers. Large red bell peppers work best for this recipe. Don't be afraid to use any that are past their best as they will roast well.
• Onion. Onions form the basis of all soups. Use brown or red onion or even shallots if you have them.
• Red Lentils are perfect for soups as they cook quickly, are filling, cheap and you don't need to pre-soak them. Green or brown lentils will take longer to cook.
• Spices. I've used smoked paprika to give the soup a depth of flavour and a bit of kick along with a little chilli. If spices aren't your thing, add the same quantity of dried mixed herbs instead.
• Stock use the best quality stock that you can. Vegetable stock is generally always suitable for vegans.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make it

1. Chop the peppers in half and remove the stalks and seeds. Peel and chop the onion into quarters. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and place in a roasting tray in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the smoked paprika and chilli powder. Roast in the oven at 180°C / 360°F for 35 minutes.

2. Whilst the vegetables are roasting, add the stock to a large pan and simmer the red lentils for around 20 minutes until soft.

3. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven. There is no need to remove the skin from the peppers. Add the roasted vegetables to the stock and lentils.

4. Add the tomato puree or paste and blend your soup with a stick blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Make sure your soup is piping hot and serve.

Substitutions & Variations

Red peppers are the sweetest and work best for this recipe. You can also use yellow or orange, but avoid the green ones as they have a more bitter taste. Roasting the peppers helps to intensify the flavour and bring out the sweetness. Roasted peppers that come in a jar are not recommended as they will give the soup a very different flavour as the brine and oil they are soaked in will alter the taste considerably.

Red lentils give the soup the nice red colour and are quick to cook. If you don't have red lentils, you can use brown or green but you need to simmer them for longer until they are soft. You could also substitute beans such as cannellini beans or chickpeas.

Soups are very versatile and you can change the spices and herbs to suit your own taste. Add them a little at a time and check the seasoning. If you want to go with herbs instead of spices, try an Italian seasoning with oregano, parsley and basil.

How to Serve

Like all good soups, this is best served with fresh crusty bread. You can also add some toppings such as croutons, chilli flakes or pumpkin seeds if you have used spices in your soup. If you've opted for herbs, a dash of cream and a sprinking of fresh herbs such as basil or parsley will really top if off nicely.

Sustainability

Buy your vegetables loose to avoid the single-use plastic packaging. Soups are a great way to use up vegetables that are past their best and avoid food waste. Some spices such as paprika and chilli are available as Fairtrade, which helps supports the world's poorest farmers, particularly in how they adapt to climate change. Red lentils, olive oil and black pepper are also available as Fairtrade ingredients. This is also a great recipe to make in a large batch, which will reduce your energy usage. If you're cooking a larger quantity of vegetables, make sure to roast them in a single layer in a tray or use two roasting trays at the same time.

Storage

Fresh soup will keep well in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. It also freezes well and the recommended freezing time for vegetable soups to maintain the best quality is 4 - 6 months. It will still be safe to eat after this time, but the quality may start to deteriorate. Store soup in an airtight container. Soup is best defrosted in the fridge overnight.

Pairing

This Red Pepper and Lentil Soup goes very well with these recipes.

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📖 Recipe