Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Amarante

Thu, Sep 23 2021, 9:05 am

This was an excellent hearty soup - it can really be served as a meal with the addition of a salad and some nice crusty bread.

I used a good vegetable broth so it was parve.

If you have never used smoked paprika, it is an excellent addition to you pantry as is adds a wonderful depth of flavor even if you are making a simple dish like roast chicken.

I use an immersion blender which makes pureeing soups and sauces much easier than transferring to a blender or food processor. Plus cleanup is much easiest because there is no additional blender or food processor to wash - only the small immersion blender.

Smoky Chickpea, Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Excerpt From: Jennifer Segal - Once Upon a Chef - Weekend/Weeknights

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, diced
Heaping ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups (960 mL) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce/411 g) can diced tomatoes, with their juice
⅓ cup (60 g) red lentils
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (15.5-ounce/439 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup (120 g) cooked vegetables, such as peas or chopped green beans

MAKE-AHEAD/FREEZER-FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS

The soup can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat.

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrot, smoked paprika, and cumin; cook, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t brown, about 2 minutes more.

2. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas, re-cover the pot, and cook 10 minutes more. Fish out the bay leaves.

3. Transfer 2 cups (480 mL) of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, (Be sure to remove the center knob from the blender lid and cover the lid with a dish towel to avoid splatters.) Add the pureed soup back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary; if you want the soup to be thicker, puree a bit more of the soup.

4. Add the cooked vegetables to the soup and simmer until the soup is hot and the vegetables are warmed through. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.