Easy Red Pepper and Lentil Soup

I’ve been vegetarian since I was about 10, but that doesn’t mean I’ve always loved every stereotypically vegetarian ingredient. Lentils were definitely one of the foods I had to grow into rather than something I immediately adored!

This red pepper and lentil soup is a good example of why I changed my mind. It’s absolutely packed with vegetables, but the two red peppers and 200g of red lentils are what really make it into a substantial soup rather than just a bowl of blended veg.

It’s also a useful recipe when you’ve got vegetables that need using because alongside the peppers and lentils there are carrots, leek, celeriac, courgette, parsnip and tomatoes.

The vegetables are blended until smooth before the cooked lentils are stirred back in, so you get a thick vegetable soup with some texture from the lentils rather than everything disappearing into the blender.

Ingredients for red pepper and lentil soup

You’ll need:

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 carrots
• 1 leek
• 1 small celeriac
• 1 courgette
• 1 parsnip
• 2–3 ripe salad tomatoes
• 2 red peppers
• 200g red lentils
• Approximately 1 litre vegetable stock
• A handful of fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil and thyme
• Soy sauce, to taste
• Tabasco sauce, optional and to taste
• Black pepper
• Low-calorie cooking spray for the pan

If parsnips aren’t available, you can use a small amount of swede or turnip instead.

There are a lot of vegetables there, I know, but the actual cooking isn’t particularly complicated.

How to make red pepper and lentil soup

Prepare your vegetables before you start or chop them as you go if you prefer.

Spray a large saucepan or stockpot with low-calorie cooking spray and gently cook the chopped onion and garlic over a low heat.

Chop the carrots, leek, celeriac, courgette and parsnip into small pieces and gradually add them to the pan, stirring regularly so nothing sticks.

Put the tomatoes into a heatproof bowl, cover them with boiling water and leave them for around 2 minutes. Carefully drain them, remove the skins and chop the tomatoes before adding them to the pan.

Add the fresh herbs.

Make approximately 1 litre of vegetable stock and pour it over the vegetables.

Deseed the red peppers, cut them into chunks and add them to the pan. Add dashes of soy sauce and Tabasco to taste if you’re using them.

While the vegetables cook, prepare the red lentils separately. The recipe uses 200g red lentils; cook them according to the packet instructions until tender.

Once the vegetables are completely soft, blend the vegetable and stock mixture until smooth.

Keep the lentils separate while blending.

Drain the cooked lentils, stir them into the smooth vegetable soup and gently cook everything together for another couple of minutes.

Season with black pepper and taste before serving.

Why use red peppers in lentil soup?

The two red peppers aren’t just an optional extra in this recipe. They’re one of its main ingredients and give the soup a different flavour from my red lentil soup, which uses carrot, cumin, turmeric, cayenne and lemon.

That’s also why I’d stick with red peppers rather than using whatever happens to be in the fridge if you specifically want the flavour of this soup.

There are plenty of vegetables you can swap around, but once you remove both the peppers and lentils you’re essentially making a different soup!

Do I have to peel the tomatoes?

The recipe removes the tomato skins by covering the tomatoes with boiling water for around 2 minutes first.

Because the vegetable mixture is eventually blended, you may wonder whether it’s worth bothering. I prefer the smoother result from removing them, and it only adds a couple of minutes to the preparation.

Just be careful handling them after they’ve been sitting in boiling water because they’ll obviously be hot.

Do I cook the red lentils separately?

Yes. In this recipe, the lentils are cooked separately while the vegetables cook.

The vegetable soup is then blended until smooth without the lentils, before the cooked lentils are stirred through at the end.

That gives you a different texture from a completely blended lentil soup.

Check the packet instructions for your red lentils rather than relying solely on a generic cooking time, as products can vary.

How spicy is red pepper and lentil soup?

That is largely up to you because the Tabasco is optional and added according to taste.

If you’re cooking for the whole family and not everyone likes spicy food, I’d be inclined to keep the main pan fairly mild. Anyone who wants more heat can always add Tabasco to their own bowl.

You could also leave it out altogether. The red peppers, vegetables and fresh herbs give the soup plenty of flavour without making it spicy.

Is this a Slimming World red pepper soup?

If you’re following Slimming World, this is the sort of vegetable-heavy soup that can be useful for lunches, but I wouldn’t give it a fixed Syn value.

Plans and product information change, and ingredients such as stock, soy sauce and cooking sprays can vary between brands.

Check the ingredients you’re actually using against the current Slimming World information rather than relying on an old value from a recipe online.

If that’s the type of recipe you’re looking for, you’ll find plenty more in my Slimming World soup recipes collection.

Is this the same as red lentil soup?

Not quite, and I actually have a separate red lentil soup recipe.

That one is much simpler and is based around red lentils and carrots with cumin, turmeric, cayenne and lemon.

This soup contains two red peppers and a much bigger selection of vegetables, including leek, celeriac, courgette, parsnip and tomatoes. The vegetables are blended but the lentils aren’t, which also gives the two soups a different texture.

If you have lots of vegetables that need using, choose this one. If you want a simpler store-cupboard lentil soup, I’d go for the other recipe.

Can I swap any of the vegetables?

There is some flexibility here.

The recipe already suggests using a little swede or turnip if parsnips aren’t available, so that’s an easy swap.

I wouldn’t start replacing everything, though. The two red peppers and red lentils are fundamental to the recipe, and changing several other vegetables at once will inevitably change the flavour and consistency too.

This is a good recipe for using vegetables, but it isn’t a magic formula where absolutely anything can go into the pan and produce the same result!

What can I serve with red pepper and lentil soup?

This is already quite a substantial soup because you’ve got 200g of lentils alongside all those vegetables.

I’m often happy to eat a bowl on its own, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having bread with soup if that’s what you fancy.

A wholemeal roll, toast, pitta or some crusty bread would all work.

If you’re taking it for lunch, put it into a suitable flask while it’s piping hot and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for keeping food hot safely.

Can I make red pepper and lentil soup ahead?

Yes. Making soup ahead is handy for me because even though I work from home, I’m quite capable of becoming absorbed in something and suddenly discovering that lunchtime disappeared about two hours ago.

Having something already made removes the need to decide what to eat when I’m hungry.

Cool any soup you’re saving and get it into the fridge promptly in a covered container.

Can you freeze red pepper and lentil soup?

You can freeze portions for another day.

Bear in mind that lentils can make soup thicken after it’s been stored, so you may want to add a little water or vegetable stock when reheating it.

Defrost frozen soup safely and make sure it’s steaming hot throughout when reheated.

More lentil and soup recipes

If you specifically fancy lentils but don’t have all the vegetables needed for this recipe, try my red lentil soup with carrot and spices instead. It’s a much simpler recipe using cumin, turmeric, cayenne and lemon.

For more lunch ideas, have a browse through my healthy soup recipes or my healthy winter soup recipes.

I’ve also got a complete collection of Slimming World soup recipes if you’re following the plan, plus plenty more vegetarian and vegan recipes because lentils certainly aren’t the only thing vegetarians eat!

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