A healthy, hearty soup made direct from the pantry

This soup is almost entirely pantry staples, comes together quickly, is stewy enough that it is easy for the kids to eat with bread, and it reheats beautifully for lunch the following day.

A lovely warming winter soup. Photography by: Hugh Forte

This soup is almost entirely pantry staples, comes together quickly, is stewy enough that it is easy for the kids to eat with bread, and it reheats beautifully for lunch the following day (which any soup maker will tell you is when the soup shines). I call for two kinds of lentils not to complicate things but because the red lentils break down and add heartiness to the broth while the green lentils hold shape and give the soup some texture. Add a seeded, chopped jalapeño along with the other vegetables if you’d like more of a kick. I use turmeric but a mild curry powder is a great substitute. Skip it if those aren’t your favourite flavours. Unsweetened coconut cream is called for, but a large pat of butter will do the trick for a creamy finish.

Try also my Italian farro soup and chicken and parmesan meatballs.

Hearty and full of heart: lentil soup.

Sara Forte.

Everyday lentil soup

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion
• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled
• 2 stalks of celery, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
• ½ cup green or Puy lentils
• ½ cup split red lentils
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon turmeric or mild curry powder, optional
• ¼ cup coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
• 3 loosely packed cups roughly chopped kale
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• Grated Parmesan or plain Greek yoghurt, optional
• Toasted baguette

Method

1. Finely chop the onion, carrot, sweet potato, and celery. In a large casserole dish over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add all the vegetables, including the garlic, to the warm pot. Add the sea salt and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pepper, Italian herbs, red pepper, and both lentils. Add the broth and tomatoes and stir. Bring the soup up to a gentle boil, then turn the heat to a low simmer, leave the cover ajar, and cook for 30 minutes until everything is tender but not mushy.
2. Using an immersion blender, give the soup a few pulses just to give it some texture, but nothing near a puree. You want the texture of the vegetables to come through while giving the broth a bit more body. Same can be done by blending one-third of the soup in a standard blender. Turn off the heat. Stir in the turmeric, coconut cream, kale, and lemon juice and cook until the greens start to just soften into the soup, about 2 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste. Add more broth as needed for your desired thickness.
3. Serve each bowl with a sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan or yogurt. Best served with a crusty baguette on the side.

Note: I like my lentil soups on the looser side, but know it is always easier to add liquid than to take it away. Use more broth to reheat leftovers as it thickens with time.

Serves 4

This is an edited extact from Around Our Table by Sara Forte. Photography: Hugh Forte.