Spiced Sweet Potato Red Lentil Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to soak red lentils before making soup? ›

You do not need to soak red lentils for any amount of time, because they're split they are fast-cooking and require just a few simple steps.

To avoid a bland lentil soup, use a flavorful broth—whether that's homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. The other key is building flavor. To do so, use aromatics like onions and garlic, include fresh or dried herbs, and season well with salt and pepper.

Helen's lentil & carrot soup

Add the lentils, then pour in 1 litre of water and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Sieve, blend, mash or leave the soup as is, then serve.

Go easy—if you purée the soup too much, it will get too thick and you'll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.

Is Soaking Beans Necessary? Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time.

It's best to be safe and rinse and sift through them before cooking, because no one wants to break a tooth by biting down on a rock. Follow this tip: Give the lentils a good rinse in a colander to remove any debris and sift through them to be sure there are no hidden stones tucked among the legumes.

Lentils are frequently cooked with strong spices, which can cause indigestion in some people. Lentils are a good source of potassium, however, too many lentils in the diet can cause hyperkalemia (symptoms may include vomiting, fatigue, irregular heartbeat and difficulty breathing) in people with poor kidney function.

Favorite Lentil Recipes

I toss them with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes to make a nutritious side dish or base for plant-based bowls. They keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, so they're one of my favorite proteins to meal prep and keep on hand in the fridge.

This lentil soup should be fairly thick, but if you prefer a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.

What is the white foam on lentil soup? ›

That means the foam will typically appear when making meat-based broths and, to a lesser degree, soups made from high-protein vegetables such as chickpeas and lentils. When those coagulated proteins cluster together, they can create air pockets, which is what causes the “sudsy bubbles,” says Trout.

This time, it turned out mushy and there wasn't a whole lentil to be found. Damn it! I figured out later that it spent about 2.5 hours too long in the slow cooker (a little miscalculation on my part). If you're like me and have overcooked Lentil Soup then you're in luck because I'm going to show you how to revive it.

Try mixing in a spoonful of honey or sugar to cut the spice with sweetness. Sometimes, a sweet flavor can counteract spiciness and make your soup taste more balanced. Only add in a spoonful at a time and mix it into the broth.

It would also go well with white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or Garlic & Herb Flatbread. Or for more greens, try pairing with a hearty kale salad or simple green salad.

Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.

Phytase helps in breaking down phytic acid and helps in binding calcium, iron and zinc. This makes the absorption process much easier. Soaking also activates a compound called amylase that breaks down complex starch in lentils and makes them easier to digest.

You're not using enough water

According to the BBC, lentils need a whole lot of water to cook all of the way through. So use at least three times more water than lentils and avoid the temptation to salt the water.

To soak, I generally rinse and then cover with triple the amount of fresh water, leave overnight on the countertop and rinse the next day. Forgot to soak overnight? Try a quick soak: pour over boiling water and leave to sit for 3 hours before rinsing and draining and proceeding with your recipe.

Soak lentils for about 6 hours or overnight in warm water with a couple tablespoons of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. (The soaking liquid needs to be slightly acidic to neutralize phytic acid and free up minerals for your body.)