Best lentil soup recipe (2024)

FAQs

What thickens lentil soup? ›

You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.

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.

The other good news: Lentils don't need to soak as beans do (though you do need to sort and rinse them before cooking). Different types of lentils cook in different amounts of time. Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup.

Lentils aren't rice—they don't need to absorb every last drop of cooking liquid. They're more like pasta: best cooked in an abundance of water or stock. Bring your liquid up to a boil, add your lentils, then turn down your heat to a simmer for at least 25-30 minutes.

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.

Add a can of lentils or cannellini beans, mashing about half before you mix it in. Add 1/2 cup rice or pasta per 4 cups of liquid, providing just enough time for it to cook before serving (typically about 20 minutes for rice or 10-12 minutes for pasta).

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.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

Make sure you add enough salt to the lentils while they're cooking and then when it's done, add in a bit of acid. My go to is apple cider vinegar but any acid will do. It sounds like you under salted them. Other herbs, spices, aromatics may help with more flavor, but you need to salt them right.

With their hues ranging from yellow to orange to red, red lentils make the perfect velvety base for soups, curries, and dals. These lentils may lose their shape during cooking, but they offer a delicate texture and slightly sweet flavor.

Why won't my lentils soften in soup? ›

Try buying the freshest lot. Soak them for longer, 6 — 8 hrs or overnight. Try pressure cooking. Add a pich of baking soda while boiling the lentils.

While brown lentils are fairly 'all-purpose,' red/yellow lentils are best for soups and stews where their mushy texture works well. In comparison, green and brown lentils maintain their shape after cooking and are great for salads, casseroles, side dishes, etc.

To cook, cover the lentils with plenty of water or stock—about 3 cups for each cup of dry lentils. Lentils swell in size, but they don't absorb the extra water; just drain them when they're done. Once you bring the liquid to a boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

the color change you've observed is from oxidation. If you want to prevent this, lay some plastic wrap over the surface of your lentils to prevent air from getting to them, or add some acid, like lime juice, to the recipe.

Cook your lentils uncovered on low heat for 20-45 minutes (based on the variety) to plump them up while avoiding split skins and mushy results. Add more liquid as needed until the lentils are done. A good ratio to start with is 1 cup of lentils to 2½ cups of liquid.

6) Strain off the excess water.

We've cooked our lentils in an abundance of water, so now you'll want to pour the mixture through your fine-mesh strainer to get rid of the excess. Return your lentils to the pot, this time off the heat, and remove the bay leaf if you added one.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.