This warming Red pepper and lentil soup is loaded with flavour and plant-based protein from the lentils. A delicious and healthy meal for a cold day. It is super easy to make with just a few budget-friendly ingredients, ready in only 30 minutes. It is also gluten-free, vegan and nutritious.
This Red pepper and lentil soup is warming and nutritious, perfect to make in the fall and winter months. Loaded with veggies and red lentils that cook fast and are full of plant-based protein.
Soup is great for meal prep, and tastes even better the next day is you ask me! Why not double the recipe and keep some for later on in the week.
Some other warming soups to try are Vegan Minestrone Soup or this Spiced carrot and lentil soup.
Jump to:
Ingredients
This Red pepper and red lentil soup only has a few budget friendly ingredients that are listed below.
For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Olive oil, use a good quality oil, like extra virgin olive oil or other oil of your choice.
- Onion, I used a yellow onion but red onion or a leek works too.
- Carrots, ads a great flavour and texture to this soup.
- Celery, tastes great in soups!
- Red bell pepper, ones cooked, they add a wonderful sweet flavour to this soup. I prefer to use organic bell peppers when possible.
- Garlic, this soup recipe calls for 2 cloves, if you are a big garlic lover, use 3.
- Tomato purée, ads a deep tomato flavour to this soup.
- Vegetal broth, use a good quality broth that will add a lot of flavour. I like to use organic.
- Chopped tomatoes, for great flavour and a little texture. Passata can also be used.
- Red lentils, my favourite to use in soups. They cook fast and tastes great!
- Spices, sweet paprika, oregano, red chilli flakes, salt and black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making this soup is easy. Follow the step-by-step photos and instruction below.
For the full written instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom.
In a big pot heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, celery and red pepper and sauté for about 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, tomato purée and spices, cook for while stirring.
Add the stock, tomatoes and lentils. Bring to a simmer while stirring and boil until the lentils are cooked.
Salt and pepper to taste and serve with some chopped parsley and crusty bread.
If the soup is too thick, add a little more vegetable broth.
Serve hot straight away, or you can make this Red pepper and lentil soup a day before. Let it cool down to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Hint: Tastes great with some crusty bread for dipping. One of my favourites is this Mulitseed No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
Substitutions and Variations
- Onion – I used a normal yellow union but red onion or even leek can be used in this red lentil and red pepper soup recipe.
- Lentils – Red lentils are used in this soup recipe but can also be replaced by any other lentil of your choice. Just keep in mind that the cook time might be longer depending on the type of lentil. Read the package instructions and add more vegetables broth as needed.
- Ad-ins – For some extra protein, I like to ad a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to this soup. Some cooked quinoa also tastes great.
Another great warming winter soup to try is this Sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup.
Storage
- Refrigerator: First, let the soup cool down completely to room temperature. Pack it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for about 5 – 6 days. This Red pepper and lentil soup is great for meal-prep and tastes even better the day after!
- Freezer: This soup freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Follow the directions for the fridge, but make sure not to fill the containers all the way to the top. The liquid will expands a little when frozen, you don’t want the lid to pop off in the freezer! Another option is to pour the soup into freezer friendly ziplock bags. Make sure to seal them really well so the soup won’t leak.
- Reheat: The fastest way to reheat this Red lentil and red pepper soup, is in the microwave. Pour one portion of soup into a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 2-3 minutes depending on the amount of soup and your microwave. Make sure the soup is piping hot, stir well and then let it sit for about 30 sec before serving. This is for the heat to evenly distribute. If you are reheating a lot of soup, I recommend doing that in a pot on the stove. Heat the soup on low heat and stir often until the soup comes to a simmer.
Do not save reheated leftovers.
Top tip
Red lentils cook fast and tasted great. But you can also use canned lentils of any kind. Just ad them at the end of the cook time, they mostly need to be reheated.
FAQ
No, this soup uses red lentils, they cooks fast and don’t need to be soaked before adding to the soup. Just make sure to rinse the lentils well before using.
Yes, in this lentil and red pepper soup the red bell peppers are first quickly sautéed with the other vegetables. Then finishes cooking while boiling. Cooking red peppers brings out their natural sweet flavour.
Yes, red lentils are healthy and good for you. They contain essential vitamins and minerals, are hight in plant-based protein and fibre.
More Soups to try:
Serve with a salad:
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Let me know what you think by leaving a comment, rating, and tagging me at @thedeliciousplate in your picture on Instagram. Your feedback is so helpful! Also, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss my latest recipes!
This warming Red pepper and lentil soup is loaded with flavour and plant-based protein from the lentils, perfect for a cold day. It is super easy to make with just a few budget-friendly ingredients. It is also gluten-free, vegan and nutritious.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 2 red pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato purée
- 3-4 cups vegetal broth
- 1 can, 400g (14oz) Chopped tomatoes
- 200 g (1 cup) dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
-
In a big pot heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrots, celery and red pepper and sauté for about 5-10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
-
Then add the garlic, tomato purée and spices, cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
-
Add the stock, tomatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil while stirring and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.
-
Salt and pepper to taste and serve with some chopped parsley and crusty bread.
Leave a Reply