You’re going to want to add this North African-inspired vegan red lentil soup to your winter recipe arsenal. Vegan Red Lentil Soup is seriously the easiest yet most flavorful soup I’ve ever made. It’s made up of three ingredients. Ok, perhaps a little more than three components if you count the broth, olive oil, and spices. So perhaps, I should say minimal ingredients make this vegan lentil soup. The ingredients are simple, but the flavors are so complicated you’ll feel like you’re fine dining in your PJs on your couch. This 3-ingredient vegan lentil soup is comforting, not to mention hearty, antioxidant-rich, inexpensive, and flavor-intense.
Do Tunisians have warm memories of eating this particular vegan red lentil soup at grandma’s house? Mmmm, probably not. It’s north African inspired based on the seasonings, but I created this soup in my parent’s kitchen in Kentucky. Full disclosure. My folks still loved it!
Let’s Talk Lentils
Prep
Just like rice, you have to rinse your lentils. Keep rinsing until the starchy, cloudy water runs clear. Sometimes you’ll find small rocks or debris mixed in with the lentils. It happens when you’re dealing with food grown from the ground. Please get rid of it. Then soak your lintels for about an hour before cooking to soften and reduce the cooking time.
Cooking
The time it takes to get perfectly soft but not overcooked lintels to cook lintels vary by color.
Red, Orange, Yellow – These Lintels are the softest and the most prone to turning to mush. Do you know Mexican refried beans? Well, refried lintels can happen in a moment. They do work well for thickening stews. But that’s not what we’re going for here. For the best result for this soup, bring the water to a boil before adding the lintels. Let the lintels cook for about 5 minutes max before reducing the heat.
Brown & Black lentils– These is the most common variety of lentils. They generally have a mild, earthy flavor, cook quickly in about 15 to 20 minutes, and hold their shape reasonably well. Some use black lentils in salads.
Green Lentils: These are the heartiest of the bunch and keep their shape. They should be cooked on medium heat for a longer duration (think 45 minutes) to preserve their firm shape and texture.
Other Cooking Tips:
I love using a mandolin to slice onions for this recipe uniformly. The stringing onions add a depth of texture to the soup. It’s not necessary, but helpful.
This vegan red lentil soup showcases the North African Spice blend, Ras el Hanout. You can usually find this blend at specialty spice stores or international markets. If you don’t have it premade, you can make the spice blend yourself to keep in your spice rack for your next north African Inspired meal.
North African Vegan Red Lentil Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 4 tablespoons (or a drizzle) of olive oil
- Vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
- 2 cups of carrots (diced, matchstick, or shredded)
- 1 large yellow onion, thin sliced
- 1 cup lintels
- 1 tablespoon Ras el Hanout (more if desired)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a medium 4-quart cast-iron saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Place the sliced onion in the oil. Then, using a wooden spoon, continue to move around the oil until the onions caramelize. Add more oil if needed. This will take several minutes, don’t rush this process.
3. As the onions start to look translucent, add diced carrots, one tablespoon of ras el hanout, and a little more olive oil as needed. Next, cover and let the vegetables baste, occasionally stirring for about 5 minutes. Add water or broth and the remaining ras el hanout. Increase the heat to bring broth to a boil.
4. Add lintels and let boil for approx. 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to low-medium and let simmer, covered until the lentils start to soften.
5. Taste the soup to ensure the African favors have taken hold. Ladle into bowls and garnish with green onions, cilantro, or more caramelized onions. If not vegan, top with sour cream or yogurt if desired.
Try this vegan red lentil soup and let me know how it turned out for you.
