A popular winter favourite is a vegetable and lentil soup made using special winter or seasonal vegetables. This delicious and rich soup makes for a perfect bowl that can warm you up in the cold. Look at the recipe listed below to learn how to make this soup.
Winter Vegetable And Lentil Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan (stock or stew pot) or a Dutch oven
- Ladle for stirring
- Chopping board
- Spoons
- Soup Maker optional
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons Oil, olive oil or other vegetable oil
- 1 cup Lentils
- 1 cup Onions, diced
- 1 cup Carrots, diced/grated
- Garlic, chopped
- ½ or more cup Leeks, chopped
- 1 cup Sweet potatoes, diced
- ½ or more cup Parsnip
- ½-¾ cup Celery
- Salt
- Pepper
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- 1-2 Bay leaves
- 1 cup Chopped tomatoes, or ½ cup of tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 3 cups Vegetable stock
- 3 cups Water
- Parmesan cheese
Method
- Take a large enough pot or Dutch oven and sprinkle some oil into it.
- Take your onions, garlic, leeks, celery, carrots, parsnip, leeks and sweet potatoes along with any other vegetable that you might be using.
- Let them all cook properly in the oil. This should take up to 10 minutes depending on the kinds of vegetables you are using.
- Add the tomatoes or tomato paste along with the salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary and lemon juice. Stir and mix well until soft.
- Add the stock, lentils and water to this pot and cover it with a lid.
- Let everything simmer for up to 30 minutes.
- Taste and make changes if required.
- Which vegetables you use is entirely based on your discretion. Apart from some common ones, there might be some winter vegetables more popular in your area, so feel free to add them in too.
- Adding some grated parmesan cheese at the top after simmering the soup will help enrich the flavour. You can skip this if you wish to keep things vegan.
Blend either all or some of the soup if you prefer a thick but uniform consistency.
FAQ
Why Do I Need To Soak The Lentils Before Cooking Them?
Soaking the lentils before cooking them will quicken the cooking process since it softens them. Without soaking, you might need to leave your lentils in for longer. Additionally, this soaking process helps improve nutrient binding so that your body can absorb all the minerals and vitamins better.
How Long Can I Store The Winter Vegetable And Lentil Soup?
If you leave it covered, you can store the winter vegetable and lentil soup in the fridge for up to 7 days. You can store it in the freezer for several months at a time.
Winter Vegetable And Lentil Soup Recipe: Conclusion
Making winter vegetable and lentil soup involves a simple process that requires a bit of prior preparation. One of the main things you need to ensure here is that the lentils are cooked thoroughly, following which you can manage the taste based on your preferences.
Make sure you also adjust the quantities of each ingredient based on the number of people you are cooking for.
