Recipe: Thick & Creamy Brown Lentil Soup {Vegan & Uses Canned Lentils}

Summary: I grew up with lentils and when I cast my mind back to my childhood favourites, this lentil soup is right there! It’s a quick and easy soup that you could whip up on a week night. And that’s all down to using tinned lentils. I almost made this part of my Cheats Soup Series (version 1 and version 2 and version 3) because it is so easy. Actually, you could cut down prep by using pre prepped veggies from the supermarket. There are two supermarkets near me, one had  pre cut onions and a pack of celery & carrot sticks, the other had a bag of pre cut soup mix that has onions, celery, carrot and parsley. It’s all up to you. The ‘thick and creamy’ part comes from partially blending the soup. It really does make the whole thing perfect. I mean this is my perfect lentil soup. I made it and Mum tasted it and went right out and made her own! And my Sister tasted that and she’s making it tomorrow. So trust me, this is just right!

• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 2 med carrots, peeled & diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegan chicken style stock
• 2 (400g) tins lentils, rinsed & drained
• 1 tsp balsamic glaze
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• Fresh black pepper, to taste

1. Add the oil to a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and becoming translucent, about 3-5 mins.
2. Add the carrot and celery and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, again about 3-5 mins. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the stock and lentils, stirring well. Bring the soup to boil and turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid off for 20 mins.
4. Add in the balsamic glaze, cumin and curry powder, stir well and remove from heat. Use a stab blender to blend some of the soup. Blend enough to thicken the soup but the mix should still have whole vegetable pieces and lentils.
5. Serve straight away with toast or you can put it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 6 months.