Best Spicy Tomato And Lentil Soup Recipes

SPICY TOMATO AND LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Lightly brown the onions in the oil. Add the tomatoes, chili pepper, lentils, cumin and basil to the pan along with the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
• When the lentils have softened, use a stick blender to puree the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. For a special touch, put sour cream in a squirt bottle, and squeeze a spiral onto the top of each bowl of soup, and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil.

SPICY SAUSAGE, BEAN / LENTIL, AND TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tsp. olive oil, add chopped onion and celery and saute until it's just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute 1 minute more, then add red pepper flakes, dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground fennel seed and saute 1 minute more. Cook beans / lentils separately with combo of water and chicken broth. When tender add onions. Add the rest of the chicken stock, diced tomatoes and juice, and bay leaves to the soup pot. Heat soup until it's barely boiling, then reduce heat. Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to pan that had onions, squeeze turkey sausage out of casings and saute until the sausage is nicely browned, breaking it apart with a metal turner as it cooks. (You may need a bit more olive oil if you don't use a non-stick pan.) Add browned sausage to soup pot, then deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the chicken stock, scraping the browned sausage bits off the bottom of the pan, and add that to soup pot. When lentils are soft, remove about 1/3 of soup mixture and use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree the mixture until it's very smooth, about 2 minutes. (Be very careful with the hot soup if you use a food processor or blender.) Taste soup, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley if desired. This soup freezes well, so you might want to make a double batch and freeze some for lunches to take to work.

SPICY INDIAN LENTIL AND TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Wash the lentils thoroughly, being sure to remove any small stones or dirt. Place them, along with the water, in the slow cooker insert.
• In an electric coffee mill or a mortar and pestle, grind the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and peppercorns to a coarse powder.
• In a bowl, combine the ground spices, turmeric, tamarind concentrate, tomatoes, and garlic; add to the lentils.
• Cook, covered, on low for 5 to 6 hours, or until the lentils are quite tender and the flavors have melded.
• Add the corn and salt to taste just before serving so that the corn retains its fresh flavor and texture.
• To make the tempering oil, heat the ghee in a frying pan, then add the mustard seeds and broken chile and sauté until the seeds begin to pop. Quickly remove from the heat and drizzle a tiny bit over each bowl of soup.
• Sprinkle with the fresh cilantro and serve.
• Suggested Beverage
• Any chilled, aromatic white wine will do nicely here.