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The "Thaw Out" Lentil Soup

Print Recipe
Course Soup
Keyword Cheap Eats, Lentil Soup, Ninja Hack, Winter Warmer
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Cost £1

Equipment

  • 1 Pan

Ingredients

  • 200 g Dried Red Lentils or 2 x 400g Cans of Lentils, drained.
  • 1 Onion roughly chopped.
  • 3 Large Carrots peeled and chopped (chunks are fine, we are blitzing them).
  • 2 Celery Sticks chopped (optional, but adds flavour).
  • 1 Litre Vegetable Stock from a cube is fine.
  • 1 tsp Cumin gives it a lovely warmth.
  • 1 tsp Coriander (dried) - Optional
  • Salt & Pepper.
  • Oil for frying.

Instructions

  • The Base: Heat a splash of oil in a large soup pot. Throw in the onion, carrots, and celery. Fry them for 5 minutes until they start to soften.
  • The Spice: Add the cumin and coriander. Stir them into the veg for 1 minute until you can smell the spices.
  • The Lentils:
  • If using Dry: Tip the dry lentils in and stir to coat. Pour in the hot stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and carrots are soft.
  • If using Cans: Pour in the stock and bring to a boil to cook the carrots (10 mins). Then tip the canned lentils in at the end just to warm through.
  • The Blitz: This is the fun bit.
  • Method A (Easy): Stick a hand blender in the pot and whizz until smooth.
  • Method B (Super Smooth): Carefully ladle the soup into your Ninja/Blender (do it in two batches—don't overfill it with hot liquid!). Blitz on high for 30 seconds.
  • The Seasoning: Taste it. It probably needs a good pinch of salt and pepper.
  • Serve: Pour into mugs or bowls.

Notes

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a massive chunk of crusty bread (lots of butter) to dip in. It’s the only way to recover from a 4-hour "quick" bike ride.