French Lentil Soup with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
A vibrant and delicious French lentil soup featuring sweet fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika and tender root vegetables
Author: Kelly
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed, salted & minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 6-8 fresh thyme stems (about 2 tsp minced) + more for garnish as desired
- 2 carrots (16ish baby carrots), sliced
- 1 cup diced celeriac or 2 stalks celery sliced
- 1 cup French lentils (lentille du Puy if available), picked over and rinsed
- 14 oz fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 14 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4-6 cups broth of choice (see Notes)
- 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bottom-heavy pot set to low-medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in some olive oil adding a few cracks of salt & pepper and cooking until translucent (about 6 minutes).
- Add thyme: pinch the stem near the top with your thumb & index finger and then swipe down the length of the stem using other hand to release the thyme leaves into the pot. I love this technique - it's the most efficient (least wasteful) and effective way to free the leaves while leaving the woodsy stems behind.
- Sprinkle the onion/garlic/thyme mixture with paprika and cumin, mixing to combine.
- Mix in carrots and celeriac/celery and then add the lentils intermingling with the spices and adding a good pinch of salt & pepper.
- Add the two varieties of tomatoes and 4 cups of broth.
- Bring soup just to the boiling point and then reduce heat to simmer.
- Add the vinegar and honey, mixing to combine, and then cover the pot with a lid (leaving a space for steam to escape). Allow the soup to simmer until the lentils are just tender (about 20-30 minutes). Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as desired.
- ** If you're serving the full amount of soup at this point, the consistency (thickness) should be about right. If however, you save some (or all) of the soup for later, you can expect to add more broth. This is because the lentils will continue to absorb liquid as the soup sits and will become thicker** adjust thickness and seasoning as desired.
- This soup keeps beautifully in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days - you can also freeze the soup. If you'd like to freeze in individual portions, I like this method (scroll down to view illustrative image).
Notes
What are French Lentils? - French lentils are a variety of green lentil known for their slightly earthen-mineral flavor and firmer texture which holds up well to heat (they don't tend to get as mushy as other lentils). French lentils are also characteristically smaller than other varieties of green lentil with a darker hue. The original French lentil is cultivated in the area of Le Puy en Velay, in the Auvergne region of France (Lentille du Puy) where the climate and soil are said to contribute to its exceptional quality and taste. French lentils grown outside the Puy region (notably in North America and Italy) are simply known as French lentils or French green lentils.
Does it matter if I use fire-roasted tomatoes? Yes (and happily they're very easy to find). With their char-flecked skin and grounding flavor, fire-roasted tomatoes offer a slightly sweeter, smokier taste than regular tomatoes which balances acidity well in this soup and adds to its depth of flavor.
Can you help with substitutions? Always. Vinegar: red wine or apple cider would be my top alternates. Honey: maple syrup. Celeriac: you can simply use celery instead (about 2 stocks) or consider fennel bulb. When cooked, fennel's otherwise pronounced flavor (reminiscent of licorice) mellows. Broth: If you prefer to keep this recipe plant-based, simply use a veg broth otherwise, sub variety of choice.
Any suggestions on how to deal with woodsy herbs? fresh thyme is one of my favorite herbs but the stem can be quite tough. The easiest way to release the tiny leaves is to pinch the stem near the top with your thumb & index finger and then swipe down the length of the stem using your other hand to release. I explain this method in the recipe as well. If you haven't tried it before, it's quite the revelation! (and you can use it with other herbs wherever you see fit).
My ground paprika is tasteless: Don't underestimate the flavor and potency of fresh ground herbs & spices. Sometimes we forget about spices that we don't tend to use a lot in our kitchens. If your ground paprika (or cumin) has been hanging out in the spice rack since the dawn of time (it happens) this is a perfect occasion to refresh. You won't regret it.
I'm not a fine chopper, please help: I feel your pain (and have the scars to prove it). If fine chopping has never been your superpower - two options, (i) don't worry about it :) chunkier will still work; (ii) if you feel inclined, pulse your onion/garlic in a mini blender/processor (not to smithereens but just enough to reduce size a bit). I've been using my small but mighty food processor (cuisinart pro classic) more and more and really digging its utility - small, super quick to clean and doesn't take up much room on my counter (it also makes awesome nut butters and bean dips) - there I go again with my bean bias!
Does it matter if I use fire-roasted tomatoes? Yes (and happily they're very easy to find). With their char-flecked skin and grounding flavor, fire-roasted tomatoes offer a slightly sweeter, smokier taste than regular tomatoes which balances acidity well in this soup and adds to its depth of flavor.
Can you help with substitutions? Always. Vinegar: red wine or apple cider would be my top alternates. Honey: maple syrup. Celeriac: you can simply use celery instead (about 2 stocks) or consider fennel bulb. When cooked, fennel's otherwise pronounced flavor (reminiscent of licorice) mellows. Broth: If you prefer to keep this recipe plant-based, simply use a veg broth otherwise, sub variety of choice.
Any suggestions on how to deal with woodsy herbs? fresh thyme is one of my favorite herbs but the stem can be quite tough. The easiest way to release the tiny leaves is to pinch the stem near the top with your thumb & index finger and then swipe down the length of the stem using your other hand to release. I explain this method in the recipe as well. If you haven't tried it before, it's quite the revelation! (and you can use it with other herbs wherever you see fit).
My ground paprika is tasteless: Don't underestimate the flavor and potency of fresh ground herbs & spices. Sometimes we forget about spices that we don't tend to use a lot in our kitchens. If your ground paprika (or cumin) has been hanging out in the spice rack since the dawn of time (it happens) this is a perfect occasion to refresh. You won't regret it.
I'm not a fine chopper, please help: I feel your pain (and have the scars to prove it). If fine chopping has never been your superpower - two options, (i) don't worry about it :) chunkier will still work; (ii) if you feel inclined, pulse your onion/garlic in a mini blender/processor (not to smithereens but just enough to reduce size a bit). I've been using my small but mighty food processor (cuisinart pro classic) more and more and really digging its utility - small, super quick to clean and doesn't take up much room on my counter (it also makes awesome nut butters and bean dips) - there I go again with my bean bias!
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2018/03/french-lentil-soup-with-fire-roasted-tomatoes.html