Vegan Middle Eastern-inspired soup
Lentils can become your best friends if you’ve decided to go vegan. They are high in protein, low calorie and can be quite filling too. Batch cook this for lunches or try it as a homemade starter.
What will I need to create this dish?
To create 7-10 servings, you will need:
- 340 grams of lentils – green or red will work perfectly soaked overnight in cold water
- 1 large onion or 2 smaller ones, if you are keen on shallots, go for 3 or 4
- 2 tablespoons of tomato puree
- 3 tomatoes (skinned and sliced)
- Vegetable stock (1-1.5 cubes)
- Spice it up with a pinch of: cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper – add to taste
Garnish with a sprinkle of:
- Fresh coriander
- Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
- Pine nuts
Method
1.Bring the pre-soaked lentils to the boil and then simmer until slightly soft. Remove from heat, let it cool for 1 hour – and your lentils will be ready to use!
2.Chop up the onions and tomatoes – don’t forget to take the skin off the latter. Add water to a saucepan and bring to boil. Add lentils and vegetable stock, followed by chopped tomatoes and onions.
3.After 15 minutes add the tomato paste and your favourite spices to the mix. We suggest cumin, chilli powder, salt and black pepper. Everyone likes a different proportion to spices, so keep tasting to make sure you like the amount of salt and heat from the pepper and chilli.
4.Lower the heat to lower medium and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes with the lid on.
5.Meanwhile, you can prepare the coriander by chopping it finely and crushing a few pine nuts. Next, squeeze some lemon or lime into a glass.
When serving, add the soup into a bowl, top off with lemon juice, coriander and crushed nuts. It’s a hug in a bowl, we promise!
