This roasted red pepper and lentil soup is packed with flavour and great for a tasty lunch. The red peppers are roasted then added to the veggies along with red lentils. The soup is blended until thick and creamy and the result is a deliciously filling soup.
This tasty lentil soup is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. During the colder months, soup is on the lunch rota every week in our house. Whether it's a vegetable barley soup or a hearty minestrone we love a good soup for lunch!
For this soup, I roast the peppers until slightly charred then add them to the onion, carrot, and celery that has been cooked until soft. The red lentils are then added after the stock and once cooked the soup is blended.
Roasting the peppers brings out a delicious sweetness that adds so much flavour to this soup. Blending gives you a lovely thick and creamy soup, no cream necessary!
📝 What Do We Need
- Peppers - large fresh red bell peppers (capsicums) are best for this soup. I have tested this soup with a jar of roasted peppers which worked but the fresh roasted peppers were so much better!
- Lentils - dried red lentils are prefect in this soup. You could use other lentils, just bear in mind that you won't get a lovely red colour if you do!
- Stock - to keep this recipe vegan I use a vegan vegetable bouillon, I make it by adding 4 teaspoons of bouillon to 1 litre of boiling water.
- Herbs/Spices - I use dried oregano and a pinch of fennel seeds for this soup. I also add a small pinch or dried red chili flakes to add a little heat. This recipe is flexible though so you can play around with the flavours.
🔪 How To Make It
1. Start by roasting the peppers. Place them on a tray add a drizzle of olive oil with some salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes.
2. While the peppers are roasting cook the onion, celery and carrot. They will need around 20 minutes to soften. Once soft, add the garlic, dried oregano, chili flakes and fennel seeds and cook for a minute or two.
3. Once the peppers are roasted, remove them from the oven. Leave to cool slightly before removing their skins then chop into chunks.
4. Add the peppers to the vegetables then add the tomato puree (paste) and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the stock to the saucepan.
6. Finally add the lentils, bring the stock to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until the lentils are cooked, around 15 - 20 minutes. Check the seasoning then blend the soup with a hand-held blender.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Roasting the peppers is really essential for this soup, I have tested this recipe using a large jar of roasted peppers which just doesnt work as well. The brine the peppers are stored in really comes through in the soup even after rinsing. Roasting the peppers really is the best way and they bring out a gorgeous flavour which really adds to this soup.
- The mirepoix, the base for your soup consisting of onion, carrot and celery, really needs to cook for at least 20 minutes. The longer you cook it the more flavour your soup will have. It is important to cook it over a low to medium heat, but be careful not to brown these vegetables!
- Stock, I use a vegan vegetable bouillon to keep this soup vegan. You can use a premade stock or make your own if you want.
📌 Variations/Substitutions
- This is a very versatile soup you can add more veggies in if you want. You could add in courgette or parsnips if you wanted. Try adding some spinach or kale to add in some greens.
- Spice it up! You can add more heat to this soup if you like. You could also add other spices, ground cumin or ground coriander would work really well.
- Add some croutons, we love this soup with some tasty homemade croutons!
📖 FAQs
Yes, you can freeze this. Leave the soup to cool, transfer to a freezer suitable container and pop in the freezer. To defrost, take the soup out of the freezer and leave to thaw overnight in the fridge. Heat on the hob until piping hot.
This soup should be used within 2-3 days. Just transfer to a container once cooled and keep it in the fridge. Reheat on the hob or in the microwave.
No, you don't need to soak the red lentils. You do need to rinse them though. Pour them into a sieve and hold them under a running cold tap. Once rinsed check the lentils for any debris or little stones.
🍽 More Tasty Soup Recipes
Want more of a tomato-based soup? Try my Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup or my Roasted Tomato Soup, both delicious and so easy to make. If you want a really cosy soup then my creamy tortellini soup or my vegan potato and leek soup is exactly that! If you need a slow cooker soup then try my Slow Cooker Lentil Soup, this is so cosy and very budget-friendly. Finally, one of my most popular soup recipes is my Spicy Tomato and Lentil Soup, this is a real crowd-pleaser!
Roasted Red Pepper and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 medium bell peppers cut into quarters, pith and seeds removed
- 3 tablespoon olive, divided into 1 tablespoon and 2 tbsp.
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium brown onion finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot peeled then finely chopped
- 1 stalk of celery finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic put through a garlic press or finely minced.
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 small pinch of dried chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds optional
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree (tomato paste)
- 1 litre (4 +⅓ cups) vegetable stock
- 160 g (1 cup) of dried red lentils
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt divided into 3 quarters.
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (380°F) fan oven / 220°C (425°F) conventional oven
- Place the peppers on a baking tray, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the peppers.Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the peppes halfway through cooking.Once the peppers are slightly charred and soft remove them from the oven. Leave them to cool slightly then peel off the skin and discard.Cut the peppers into chunks.
- While the peppers are cooking make the base for the soup.Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan.Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery along with a pinch of salt.Cook over low to medium heat until soft, at least 20 minutes, stirring often. Be careful not to brown the vegetables.
- Once the vegetables are soft add the garlic, dried oregano, red chilli flakes and fennel seeds. Cook for a minute then add the chopped peppers and tomato puree and stir well.
- Pour the stock into the vegetables, then add the red lentils.Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for around 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.Check the seasoning now then blend the soup with a hand-held blender.Serve with some pumpkin seeds or croutons.
Notes
- Freezing - to freeze, leave the soup to cool, transfer to a freezer suitable container and pop in the freezer. To defrost, take the soup out of the freezer and leave to thaw overnight in the fridge. Heat on the hob until piping hot.
- Storing - This soup should be used within 2-3 days. Just transfer to a container once cooled and keep it in the fridge.
- Rinsing the lentils - Pour them into a sieve and hold them under a running cold tap. Once rinsed check the lentils for any debris or little stones.
- Nutritional Information - is calculated using an online nutrition tool, it is approximate and does not include pumpkin seeds.
- Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible for best results.
John Clark
Very tasty. I did use 190g red lentils I I prefer a thicker soup. Will definitely make again.
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much, John. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.