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 Mushroom and Lentil Ragu or Chickpea Curry 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 a simple guide on how to make a soup from leftovers, check out my Vegetable Soup Recipe. As well as fresh bread, you could also serve this with a simple homemade flatbread, which takes just 10 minutes and has only 3 ingredients.
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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.
📖 Recipe
Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Red Bell Peppers stalks removed and de-seeded
- 1 onion brown or red, peeled
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika or chilli powder, fairtrade
- 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder fairtrade
- 100 g dried red lentils fairtrade
- 700 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree or tomato paste organic
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash freshly ground black pepper fairtrade
Instructions
- Prepare your vegetables to be roasted. Chop the peppers in half and remove the stalks and seeds. Peel and chop the onion into quarters and remove the skin from the garlic cloves.3 Red Bell Peppers, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Place your peppers, onions, and garlic on a tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle your paprika and chilli or herbs over the top. Roast in the oven at 180°C / 360°F for 35 minutes. Make sure your tray is large enough to accomodate all your veggies in a single layer.2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, 0.5 teaspoon chilli powder
- Whilst the vegetables are roasting, add the stock to a large pan and simmer the red lentils for around 20 minutes until soft.100 g dried red lentils, 700 ml vegetable stock
- Add the roasted vegetables to the stock and lentils.
- 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.1 dash salt, 1 dash freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon tomato puree or tomato paste
Notes
Notes
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. Roasted peppers that come in a jar are not recommended. Red lentils give the soup the nice red colour and are quick to cook. You can substitute brown or green but you need to simmer for longer until they are soft. You could also substitute beans such as cannellini beans or chickpeas. Herbs/Spices Change the spices and herbs to suit your own taste. Add them a little at a time and check the seasoning.Serving Suggestion
Serve 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.Storage
Fresh soup will keep well in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. 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.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
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