Hearty Red Lentil Vegetable Soup

Red lentil vegetable soup is a perfect fall or winter soup. Red lentils are hearty and have a different taste than the more familiar brown lentil. 

Red lentils have the consistency of split peas but with a milder and sweeter taste. You will love the way the lentils just melt into the soup!

I've shared my delicious recipe for  Egyptian red lentil soup in the past; today I'm sharing my friend Seraphine's red lentil soup. Her recipe is a little chunkier than mine with different seasonings and vegetables.

Have you cooked with red lentils before?
Satisfying, soothing, and filling are synonyms that describe this  nutritious soup. The lentils are full of fiber, healthy proteins (17 grams per cup), low on the glycemic index, and have lots of antioxidants.

No Need to Pre- Soak Red Lentils
Red lentils cook quickly, so there is no need to pre-soak.

Red lentils look orange but transform to a golden color while cooking.

uncooked red lentils: a rich orange color

These colorful orange lentils fit perfectly into the fall color theme, providing a nutritious soup for a chilly fall evening. Eat it with salad and a sandwich for a nutritious quick meal.

Where can you buy red lentils?
They are everywhere but especially in any ethnic (Indian, Middle Eastern) store, health food store, Trader Joe's, and in the "Goya foods" section of most supermarkets.

These little lentils are naturally vegan, gluten free, hearty and tasty!! This satisfying soup is a winner! 

To my friend Seraphine - I enjoyed eating this soup at your home and appreciate that you shared your recipe with me. 

Seraphine's Red Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients: 
16 oz. bag of red lentils, washed well 
2 large carrots, diced
1 onion, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped fine
Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
6 cups water (or 3 cups water and 3 cups vegetable broth) 

Directions:   Place washed and drained lentils into an 4 quart soup pot. Add the carrots, onion, celery, parsley and liquid.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for about 30-40 minutes until lentils are tender, stirring frequently to avoid lentils sticking. If you serve this soup the next day, you may need to add more vegetable broth as the lentils absorb liquid.

My Instant Pot version is now in my new soup cookbook soup  

Shared on    Souper Sunday

My Notes: 

1. I have made this soup in the Instant Pot too 

2. This is a wonderful soup for Thanksgiving. If you don't want to add soup to your Thanksgiving dinner, consider it for the next day with leftovers.

3. In my adapted version, I add 2 bayleaves to my soup when cooking, and then remove them before eating.

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