Super Chunky Lentil and Zucchini Soup
| February 3, 2013 | Posted by Nada under Recipes |
As per usual, winter hardly stopped by Bahrain this year.
Sure, we had a few days of incessant winds and some colder than usual nighttime temperatures, as well as the occasional rain shower – but all in all the weather’s been pretty peachy.
What I’m getting at is that I didn’t really have an excuse to make this soup (which I would consider to be a “winter warmer” in a cooler climate) but what I did have was a plethora of zucchini from the farmers market and the desire for something hearty and warm after a week of cold packed lunches.
Enter this soup.
Super Chunky Lentil and Zucchini Soup
Serves 4
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 tsp coconut oil (or cooking spray, or even some vegetable stock if you want this recipe to be oil-free)
- 2 average sized cloves of garlic, finely grated/crushed
- 1 courgette, cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 small-medium tomatoes, skinned
- 1 tbsp pure tomato paste
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 1/2 cups vegetable stock (I use the low sodium Kallo organic brand)
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 tsp dried thyme, oregano, fresh parsley, basil and/or whatever herbs you have on hand
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- Start by sweating the onions and garlic in a little oil or stock, until translucent. Add the courgette and balsamic vinegar then cook for about 10 minutes or so until soft. Feel free to add additional stock if you notice the pot getting dry.
- At this point skin your tomatoes by dropping them in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, then peeling. If you’ve never done this before – beware. It’s awesome. They come right off! Who knew?
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs and remaining vegetable stock and bring and stir through before adding the lentils.
- Bring to the boil and add additional water as needed (I added about 1.5 cups), then cover and simmer until lentils are just about done – they should retain their shape so keep a watchful eye to make sure things don’t get too mushy.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with a smattering of fresh herbs and serve piping hot.
If I’m honest, it’s so chunky it’s more of a soup-meets-stew situation. If you prefer a soupier soup I’d only add 3/4 cup of lentils and up the liquid a little.
Either way this one is a winner, whatever the weather!
i needed a quick meal, had all the ingredients on hand and viola. a delicious dinner was served! i added a little vegmite too… just because i love me some vegmite
I just made this soup for dinner. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I have been eating a lot of soup lately. Although Dallas is not the coldest place but I take every opportunity to make stew or soup. This one surely sounds like a great one to try too
[...] few days ago I found a recipe for a lentil and zucchini soup on Nada’s blog One Arab Vegan. I already had all the ingredients at home, and the soup was [...]
Thank you for the great recipe. I made it today and added some leftover black soy beans. It was delicious
[...] than usual, I just want to say I’m so glad you enjoyed last week’s recipe my Super Chunky Lentil and Zucchini Soup! It seems a record number of you made it and that makes me so happy – thank you for [...]
I made it too and was really good! Made it for my housemates, we take it in turns to cook for eachother once a week (we are 7 people),
Was delicious
I’ve just made this for lunch. I swapped green lentils for red because I didn’t have any, and added a few spices. Served with soya yogurt and coriander, it was yummy and satisfying
. Thank you for the recipe.
I was wondering what to do with the zucchini in the fridge. Perfect timing … this is what I’m having for dinner tonight! Thanks heaps. Donna