Hearty Lentil and Tomato Soup
A thick, comforting lentil soup built on softened onion and carrot, with tomatoes simmered in until they collapse into a rustic, chunky soup. Half of it gets blended for body, half stays chunky for texture.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 40
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Sweating · Simmering
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1 cm pieces. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Rinse the lentils under cold water until the water runs clear.
~10 min
Rinsing removes surface starch and impurities, preventing the soup from becoming gluey and ensuring a clean lentil flavor.
-
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots with a pinch of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
~8 min
Sweating the onion and carrot in oil with salt draws out moisture and softens them without browning, building a sweet, aromatic base.
Sweating Cook over medium-low heat with a pinch of salt until soft and translucent, not browned. If they start to color, lower the heat; browning makes the base bitter.
-
Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until they soften and release their juices. Stir in the rinsed lentils, 1200 ml water, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper.
~3 min
Cooking tomatoes first releases their juices and concentrates flavor, while adding salt early seasons the lentils as they simmer.
-
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered until the lentils are completely tender and the liquid has thickened slightly, 28 to 32 minutes. Stir now and then and add 100 ml water if it looks too thick.
~32 min
Simmering uncovered allows evaporation, thickening the soup and letting lentils absorb flavors; stirring prevents sticking and ensures even cooking.
If the lentils are still firm after 30 minutes, they are likely older and drier: keep simmering in 5 minute bursts until they crush easily against the side of the pot.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, and stir occasionally. Boiling hard can make lentils break apart and stick to the pot.
-
Remove about half the soup and blend it until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. This thickens the soup while keeping the rest chunky. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper.
~3 min
Blending half the soup purees some lentils into a creamy thickener while keeping the rest intact for a hearty, chunky texture.