Village Wholefoods - Refill your containers and shop sustainably
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Store location
  • Products
  • Recipes
  • F.A.Q

  recipes

lemony lentil soup

20/4/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Greater than the sum of its simple parts, this vegan-friendly, kid-friendly, quick as a flash to make soup may well become a staple for your midweek dinner or weekend lunch.

I use red lentils as they're quick to prepare for starters: no soaking, and they cook in just 10 minutes making them a favourite with many of our customers.  Another factor in their popularity is flavour - they're milder and sweeter than other varieties of lentils, making them suitable to a broader palate.

The addition of garlic, turmeric and ginger makes this a practically weaponised bowl of goodness as we head into the colder months, while the lemon and gremolata give it an unexpected twist and a fresh, light sparkle for your taste buds.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, roughly diced
1 carrot, roughly diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1cm piece ginger, minced/grated 
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin 
½ tsp ground coriander
1 pinch cayenne pepper optional
1 ¼  cups dried red lentils, rinsed under cold tap water
4 cups water
2 tsp veg stock powder
Squeeze of lemon
Salt and pepper

Gremolata:
zest of 1 lemon
½ bunch parsley, roughly torn
1 clove garlic, minced

Optional Garnish:
1 tbsp greek yoghurt or coconut yoghurt and 4 lemon wedges to serve.
A slice of crusty fresh bread.

Method:
Heat a good sized saucepan or casserole pot on medium heat. Add olive oil, chopped onion, carrot and celery. Stir while cooking for 5 mins. ( We want the veg to soften and become transparent rather than brown, so turn heat down to med-low if necessary).

Add ginger, garlic and spices, saute for 1 min. Add water, stock powder and lentils, bring to a slow boil, then turn down heat, cover with lid and simmer for 10-12 mins.

Add the juice of 1 lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Taste your soup - you want to make sure the lentils are soft. If they need a little longer, cover and let them simmer for a further 5 mins.

At this stage, if you prefer it chunky and rustic, your soup is ready! Or you can blend it with a stick blender till smooth. (I like to blend it, but not all the way, so I keep a bit of texture).

Ladle into bowls, and serve with a spoonful of gremolata and crunchy fresh bread.

Gremolata
You can make this 5 minute yumminess while the soup is cooking.

Place the parsley, lemon zest, garlic and salt in a small food processor and blitz for 10-20 seconds. Or, you can do it by hand by finely chopping the parsley, mincing the garlic and adding these to finely grated lemon zest with a pinch of salt.

PIMP MY RECIPE
No time for gremolata? Serve this soup with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a wedge of lemon.

Lemon myrtle works beautifully in this. Don't omit the lemon from the recipe though - just add a pinch or 2 of lemon myrtle with the other spices.

Sumac is a spectacular pairing with this dish, with its sharp, lemonyness. Instead of gremolata, try garnishing with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt then a sprinkle of sumac on the gremolata.

Cooking Red Lentils:
Check the lentils for any small rocks. Wash your lentils by giving them a quick rinse under the cold tap. Then pop them into a saucepan and add cold tap water - the general rule is 1 part lentils to 3 parts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7-12 mins. Most of the water will have been absorbed in 7 minutes and this will leave the lentils with a little firmness in the centre, while over 10 minutes will deliver soft and creamy lentils.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Beans
    Bread
    Breakfast
    Gluten Free
    Grains
    Indigenous Herbs
    Lentils
    Noodles
    Nuts
    Pasta
    Rice
    Salad
    Savoury
    Seeds
    Snacks
    Soup
    Sweets
    Vegan

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020

    RSS Feed


​CONNECT WITH US
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Store location
  • Products
  • Recipes
  • F.A.Q