Tomato Lentil Soup

Tomato Lentil Soup – Rouxbe Style

Tomato Lentil Soup – I love it! Vegan all the way…of course!

If you’ve been following me for awhile, here on my blog or on my Instagram Account @veganonthego; you will know I’ve been making all sorts of wonderful recipes through the culinary program I am taking through Rouxbe https://rouxbe.com/

This recipe for Tomato Lentil Soup was a practice recipe and one I wanted to try as it called for fresh “curry leaves.” My research told me they don’t taste like curry, this got my interest up.

So on to get the fresh curry leaves….

Tomato Lentil Soup

So to get the leaves….let’s start from the beginning….

Tomato & Lentil Soup is one of my all time favourite soups…really anything with lentils is right up there at the top of my list.

As I mentioned, this is one of the practice recipes I chose when completing my online Plant-based Culinary program through Rouxbe. https://rouxbe.com/

To make the recipe in the way that it suggested, I had to find “fresh” curry leaves. I phoned every regular and speciality grocery store in our area, many had them dried, they did not have fresh.

Eventually I found a local Indian speciality shop that orders in the fresh leaves, once a month. He expected they would be in a couple weeks and I patiently waited. Well maybe I wasn’t all that patient, I may have phoned him back at least once.

I’m so happy I waited for them to arrive and continued with my plan to make this soup. I got to taste the soup as it was intended, by using the right ingredients. And the flavour, well worth the wait.

Once the leaves were in I set out to make the soup right away.

What you’ll need for your Tomato Lentil Soup:

• 1 medium red onion, diced

  

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small green chillies, minced
• 12 fresh curry leaves (or to taste)
• 1 ½ t ground cumin
• 2 – 28 oz cans whole tomatoes, seeds removed
• 1 c red lentils
• 2 c vegetable stock

  

• 1 T coconut oil (optional, see below)
• 1 t sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• Fresh cilantro (to taste). I like lots!
• juice of one lemon
• Chilli flakes (optional)
  

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One thing we learned in Rouxbe was to prepare all our ingredients before you start to cook. Have all your pans and utensils ready to. Its called Mis en Place.

So let’s set up your Mis en Place for Tomato Lentil Soup.

1. Dice the onion, fine, put each ingredient into its own bowl, once they are prepped…chopped, minced etc.
2. Mince the garlic and chillies.

   

3. Take all the leaves off the stems of the fresh curry leaves
4. Remove the seeds from your canned tomatoes. Just squeeze the inside of the tomato (the part with the seeds in it) into a sieve that is placed over a bowl. Push the tomato and juice through the sieve; we will throw out the seeds.
5. Chop up the whole tomato, rough chop and place in a bowl with the seedless tomato. You will need 2 cups of the tomatoes for the recipe. Measure it and set it aside.
6. Measure and portion the vegetable stock, red lentils (that have been rinsed thoroughly), cumin and oil, all in separate bowls and aside.

Now you are ready to cook.

How to cook your Tomato Lentil Soup:

1. Heat up a large pot that has a heavy bottom. Heat it up on

   

   medium low heat, add your oil or a equivalent vegetable stock to the pan.

2. Add the onions and saute slowly, be patient. When the onions start to become transparent, add you garlic and chillies. Saute a bit more.
3. Add the cumin and curry leaves and cook until you start to smell them from the dish, about 1 minute.
4. Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, and veggie stock.
5. Taste, add and pepper to your taste.
6. Bring to a simmer and then add the lentils (rinsed) and simmer for approximately 20 to 40 minutes more; until the lentils are fully cooked through.
7. At this point, taste again and add salt and pepper if required

   

I like my soup a bit thicker. Because of this, I usually take some of the soup out and blend it till smooth. Then I add it back to the remainder of the soup, this will thicken up your soup overall and add a nice texture. Totally optional.

When you are ready to serve. Warm up some nice soup bowls and squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on the top with a bit of fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes, again optional.

Serve with a side of rustic bread, regular or gluten free or homemade croutons and you’ve got a winner. Enjoy!