Pioneer Woman Lentil Soup Recipes

LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add celery and carrot. Cook for 7 - 10 minutes or until softened and the onion is sweet. Don't rush this step, it is key to the flavour base of the soup.
• Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon and salt. Stir.
• Increase heat and bring to simmer. Scoop scum on the surface off and discard (do this again during cooking if required). Place lid on and turn heat down to medium low. Simmer for 35 - 40 minutes or until lentils are soft.
• Remove bay leaves.
• Thicken Soup: Using a stick blender, do 2 or 3 quick whizzes to thicken the soup (see video below). Or transfer 2 cups to a blender, let it cool slightly, then hold lid with tea towel and blend then transfer back into pot.
• Add a touch of water if you want to adjust soup consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grate over the zest of the lemon then add a squeeze of lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with warm crusty bread slathered liberally with butter!

HOW TO COOK LENTILS PERFECTLY

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and pick out any small stones or debris.
• Combine the lentils, bay leaves, 3 cups water and a generous pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
• Drain the lentils, discarding the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Use in any recipe that calls for lentils.

THE BEST LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to caramelize and take on a dark brown color, 8 to 10 minutes (this step is important as it will add tons of flavor to your soup!).
• Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the lentils, stock, 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the lentils are softened with just a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2 1/2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth then stir back into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more parsley.

LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
• In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
• Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

HAM AND LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, bring ham bone and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. , Remove ham bone. To broth, add the lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, 30-40 minutes., Meanwhile, remove ham from bone; coarsely chop. Add the ham, sausage and parsley to soup; heat through.

INSTANT POT LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In the base of a 6-quart instant pot, combine the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lentils, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, 1 cup of water, cumin, coriander, turmeric, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and lock it into place. Seal the steam release handle. Select HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, let rest for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure (unseal the steam release handle). Unlock and remove the lid, being careful of any remaining steam. Remove the bay leaf.
• Stir in the spinach and let it wilt. Season with additional salt. Serve the soup with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of black pepper, if you like.

INDIAN LENTIL CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, until translucent.
• Stir in the ginger, 1 tablespoon of the curry powder, coriander, and cumin and sauté for 2 minutes more, until fragrant.
• Add the broth and red lentils and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes more.
• Stir in the cauliflower and sweet potato. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cauliflower and sweet potato are tender. Season with the salt and pepper, and add more curry powder, if desired. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted.