Creamy red lentil soup (v/gf)

This is a super comforting and versatile recipe that can easily serve as the base for an unlimited variety of soups. It comes together in no time and also stores well. Give it a try and drop a note on what flavor combination you ended up going with.

Ingredients

• 1/2 bag of red lentils (yellow split peas or any other lentil could also be used - just adjust the cooking time accordingly and add more water possibly)

• 8 cups or more, especially when reheating of water

• 3-4 tbsp of veg bullion or veggie bullion of your choice.

• 1 bay leaf

• seasonings of your choice such as: herbes de provence, italian seasoning or 1 tbsp cumin, tumeric and black cumin or nigella, or any of your favorite spice combinations

Finishers

• 2-3 tbsp of white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar depending on what flavor profile you are going for or juice/zest of 1 lemon

• Optional: any fresh herbs such as majoran, sage, parsley, basil, or whatever you fancy

• Optional: toasted sesame or sunflower seeds

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Method

• If you have a pressure cooker, use it! Add lentils, water, bay leaf and veg bullion, cook on high pressure for 7 minutes with natural release (which means let the pressure decrease on it's own - around 20 minutes)

• If you don't have a pressure cooker, use a stock pot to cook the lentils until soft, around 25 minutes.

• Use an immersion blender or a blender cup to blend the soup. Add additional seasonings, stir, and taste and adjust seasoning and acid.

• If you use any fresh herbs, add them now, at the very end.

Pro Tip: lentils/pulses thicken up once they cool down. I usually fill half of the soup into mason jars to store for future use in the fridge for up to 2 months (if sealed properly). For best results when reheating, I add the soup to a pot and add at least another cup of water or more while stirring to reheat.

#plantifulfoods #creamylentilsoup #comfortfoodinminutes #vegangoddess