Is it weird to have soup in the summer? Now that it has cooled slightly, grey clouds and storms have become the norm, sometimes I just need something warming to brighten up my day. This spiced lentil and chickpea soup is perfect for just that! Not only will it fill your belly with goodness, but this soup has a great spice kick that will satisfy your needs!
For this soup, I use dried split red lentils and tinned chickpeas. I find that these lentils work best in a soup as they almost dissolve into the stock and give that thick creamy consistency I want. I then simply add the tinned chickpeas at the end to warm through for some extra crunch. If you’re looking for less kick then I recommend reducing the chilli flakes for 1/4 Tsp and if you want to be brave then go for a whole Tsp or add an extra 1/2 Tsp of chilli powder!
To balance out that heat, the plain yoghurt will be your best friend. If you prefer crème fraîche, that will work equally as well! If you want to keep this vegan and dairy-free, then use a coconut yoghurt!
This spiced lentil and chickpea soup is so easy to prepare, with minimal chopping and clean up required and can be frozen for another rainy, snowy, grey day, so why not double up and have it ready for those lazy days!
TIPS
- Be patient with the onions and tomatoes. Use enough olive oil so the onions are in a shallow bath, that will help them sweat down along with keeping the heat on medium-low. Equally, when you add the tomatoes, if they aren’t super ripe (which is ideal), they will need longer to break down and you need to do this before adding your stock. So low and slow!
- If you prefer to use chopped tomatoes, you can, just reduce the vegetable stock to around 500ml to start with as they usually have more liquid.
- Go easy on the salt as your vegetable stock may already be quite salty. If you want to be sure, add the salt after your lentils have boiled for the first 10 minutes.
2
servings10
minutes45
minutes55
minutesIngredients
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion, diced
6 Salad tomatoes, deseeded & diced
1 Garlic, minced
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp Chilli flakes
100 g Split red lentils
800 ml Vegetable stock
1/2 Tsp Ground cinnamon
400 g Tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt
Pepper
- To Serve
Plain Yoghurt
Creme Fraîche
Fresh coriander
Directions
- Place a large saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil and allow to warm through for a couple minutes. Add the onion and reduce the heat to low. Sweat the onions until translucent – around 8-10 minutes and watch that they don’t brown/burn!
- Add the garlic, cumin seeds, and chilli flakes and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the diced tomatoes and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have softened. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks or burns.
- Increase the heat before pouring in the vegetable stock, lentils and ground cinnamon along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and boil on medium high for 10 minutes before reducing to a simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
- For the final 5 minutes, add the chickpeas to warm through.
- Serve with a spoonful of plain yoghurt or creme fraîche and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.
Notes
- Be patient with the onions and tomatoes. Use enough olive oil so the onions are in a shallow bath, that will help them sweat down along with keeping the heat on medium-low. Equally, when you add the tomatoes, if they aren’t super ripe (which is ideal), they will need longer to break down and you need to do this before adding your stock. So low and slow!
- If you prefer to use chopped tomatoes, you can, just reduce the vegetable stock to around 500ml to start with as they usually have more liquid.
- Go easy on the salt as your vegetable stock may already be quite salty. If you want to be sure, add the salt after your lentils have boiled for the first 10 minutes.