Description
This cozy tomato and red lentil soup is slightly spicy, packed with veggies, and naturally high in plant-based protein. It’s the perfect comforting meal for chilly fall and winter days, especially with grilled cheese croutons on top!
Ingredients
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For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons harissa paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 2.5 cups veggie broth
- 1 cup dry red lentils
For the Grilled Cheese Croutons:
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 2 slices of your favorite whole grain or sourdough bread
- 2-4 oz. pepper jack cheese, sliced
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrots. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant, 5-7 minutes. Add harissa paste, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1-2 more minutes.
- Simmer soup. Stir in the tomatoes, broth, red lentils, salt, and pepper. (If your broth is salty, start with less salt and adjust later.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until lentils are tender.
- Blend until smooth. Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender. Or, allow it to cool for 10 minutes carefully transfer to a high-speed blender. Blend until very smooth and transfer back to the pot to heat back up.
- Make grilled cheese croutons. Heat a bit of olive oil or butter in a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each bread slice and assemble the sandwich with buttered sides facing out. Cook until golden and crispy on both sides and the cheese is melted.
- Cut and serve. Remove from the pan and cut into cubes for croutons. Ladle the spicy tomato and red lentil soup into bowls, top with grilled cheese croutons, and (if you’re feeling fancy) finish with shredded pepper jack, cilantro, or a drizzle of olive oil. Yum!
Equipment
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- Storage & freezing instructions. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Freeze this soup for up to 3 months, thawing in the fridge the night before you're ready to enjoy.
- Spice levels. Feel free to swap tomato paste for harissa paste (or whichever spicy pepper paste you're using) for a more kid-friendly version.
- Properly salting soup. Taste before serving to see if it needs more salt. My guideline is add salt until you makes you smile... but to be more exact, add a small pinch (1/8 teaspoon) and taste test. Repeat until the soup is as flavorful as you like.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 13.7 g
- Sodium: 1074.4 mg
- Fat: 4.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 52.5 g
- Fiber: 10.2 g
- Protein: 15.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
