I love this soup, it’s really rich and velvety. You need a good blender, a stick blender would work but would take some time so I use a large stand up blender to get it really smooth. The lentils make it filling by increasing fibre and providing some extra protein, albeit I might serve it with extra protein for a meal.

Roasted Tomato, Pepper and Red Lentil Soup

Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.

6 medium tomatoes, ideally vine ripened. Vine removed and cut into chunks

2 medium red peppers, chopped into chunks without seeds or core

1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped into chunks

4 cloves of garlic, keep skin on for roasting

1 tbsp olive oil

Mixed herbs

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

1/2 cup (approx 100g red lentils)

1.2 – 1.4 litres of quality vegetable stock

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celcius.
  2. Take a large roasting tray and put your chopped tomatoes, red pepper, red onion and whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, a sprinkle of mixed herbs and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and toss to coat.
  3. When the oven is at temperature place the roasting dish in on a lower to medium shelf and roast for 25-35 mins or until soft and going slightly brown. You don’t want these black or too crispy.
  4. Whilst the veggies are roasting add your lentils to a large saucepan, cover with the stock and bring to a boil. When boiling turn down to a simmer and cook for around 20 mins or until the lentils are soft. Take off the heat.
  5. When the veggies are roasted, take them out and pick out the garlic cloves. Squeeze the garlic flesh out straight into the pan of lentils and stock, chucking the skin away. When the veggies aren’t too hot add them and the juices to the lentil and stock pan.
  6. Add to a blender and blend until smooth. Put back in the pan and season well. If it’s really thick you can add some more stock or hot water to thin it out a bit now, mix well or blend further. I have made this with a variety of different liquid amounts from 1.2 litres to 1.5 litres and it always works.

Stages of cooking below…