A quick cupboard rummage one night turned up a packet of red split lentils, tinned tomatoes, sweet smoked paprika and chilli. Ta-da, a new soup was born! Quick and easy to prepare, this became one of our favourite new comfort foods. And thanks to inexpensive ingredients it’s not only kind on your body, but on your pocket too.
Store cupboard essentials should always include tinned tomatoes (great in curries, stews and soups) and red split lentils. Keep a variety of dried herbs and spices to hand, and, if you’re anything like us, there’s always garlic, onions and lemons knocking around – so no need to shop on the way home to get this meal onto the table.
Ingredients
Serves 8
- 1 tbsp of ghee or coconut oil
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 750g split red lentils
- 1 can of tomatoes (or 1 tbsp of tomato puree + 400ml extra broth)
- 1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves or 2 tsp of dried thyme or oregano
- 1 tbsp of ground sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp of ground cumin
- 2-2½ litres of home-made bone broth or vegetable stock*
- 2 large pinches of sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of1 lemon
Optional
- Chilli flakes
How To:
1. In a large saucepan, gently fry the onions in ghee/coconut oil for 5 minutes until softened, adding a little more ghee/coconut oil if you need to.
2. Add the garlic, thyme, cumin and paprika (plus chilli if using) and continue to fry for a further 30 seconds, being careful not to let the spices burn.
3. Rinse the lentils and add to the pan with the tomatoes/puree and bone broth.
4. Cover and bring to a medium simmer for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
5. Add 2 large pinches of sea salt and black pepper to taste.
6. Turn off the heat, check for seasoning and stir in the lemon juice to serve.