Spicy carrot and lentil soup is a hearty vegetarian soup made with fresh vegetables and warm spices and is quick and easy to make. It is delicious served for lunch with a chunk of fresh crusty bread or focaccia. It is also great topped with homemade croutons.
Made using fresh vegetables, warm spices and lentils, this attractive golden soup is just the thing for chilly autumn and winter days.
The vegetables do not need to be roasted before making this soup. Simply cook all the ingredients in one pan to save on time and washing up.
This versatile recipe can easily be adjusted to suit your own taste or to make use of whatever ingredients you have (or don't have) in your kitchen. You could use onion instead of leek, butternut squash instead of sweet potato or add a touch of paprika or chilli powder.
It is perfect for making in bulk either to feed a crowd or to pop in the fridge so that you know you have a quick and easy meal during the days ahead.
And as it is made using only plant based ingredients this carrot soup recipe is also vegan.
If you are looking for other ideas for easy soup recipes you may also like to try minestrone, winter vegetable soup or butternut squash soup with chilli.
And for other easy lunch ideas you could also try spicy bean burgers, falafel or vegetable pesto pasta.
The quantities in this vegetarian soup recipe are sufficient for approximately 3 servings.
Ingredients for spicy carrot and lentil soup
- 500g carrots - use good quality fresh carrots for maximum flavour. Frozen or tinned carrots are not suitable for this recipe.
- 1 leek - you could substitute an onion if you prefer.
- 1 small to medium sweet potato - select a sweet potato (or part of a sweet potato) which weighs about 200g.
- 2 sticks celery - celery is one of my favourite soup vegetables for its flavour. You can also add some chopped celery leaves to the soup or as a garnish.
- 75g red lentils - red lentils add protein to your soup and make it more filling. They also act as a soup thickener.
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger - fresh ginger adds a warm and citrussy flavour to this soup.
- 2 cardamon pods - either remove one or both before blending, of blend the soup with the cardamon pods depending on how spicy you would like the soup.
- Vegetable stock - use sufficient to cook the other soup ingredients. Adjust the amount depending on how thick you would like the soup to be.
- A dash of olive oil - to cook the leek and ginger before adding the other soup ingredients.
- Salt and pepper season to taste.
Equipment needed
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Large saucepan or casserole dish
- Long handled spoon
- Hand blender
How to prepare spicy carrot soup
Thinly slice the leek and peel and finely chop the fresh root ginger. Cook gently in olive oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish until soft.
Dice the carrots and peel and dice the sweet potato and add to the leek and ginger. Chop the celery into chunks and add to the other ingredients. Add the lentils.
Cover the soup vegetables and lentils with vegetable stock plus a little extra to allow for the lentils to bulk during cooking.
Add the cardamon pods and salt and pepper and simmer for around 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are cooked. Stir regularly and add more vegetable stock or water if needed.
Remove from the heat.
Blend using a hand blender until the soup if thick and smooth. The cardamon pods can either be removed before blending or can be blended with the rest of the soup depending on how spicy you would like the soup to be. If in doubt you could remove the cardamon pods, blend and check the level of spiciness. If you would like more heat then add one or both cardamon pods and blend again.
How to serve
- Add a garnish of freshly chopped herbs, a swirl of cream, paprika or freshly milled black pepper
- Serve your homemade soup with a side of fresh crusty bread, homemade focaccia or olive bread.
- Top with croutons. Homemade croutons are quick and easy to make and are a great way to use up old or stale bread.
How to store
- This carrot soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
- It can also be frozen for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before reheating.
Tips
- The quantities in this homemade soup recipe can easily be adjusted to prepare a larger quantity. As the prepared soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen it is worth making extra.
- This recipe creates a fairly thick soup. If you prefer a thinner soup simply adjust by adding more vegetable stock or water.
- Soups are not just for autumn and winter, they can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
More vegetarian soup recipes
Other homemade vegetable soup ideas.
- Winter vegetable soup55 Minutes
- Vegetarian minestrone soup1 Hours 5 Minutes
- Sweet potato and ginger soup1 Hours 10 Minutes
- Butternut squash soup with chilli1 Hours 20 Minutes
Other easy lunch recipes
More quick and easy lunch recipes.
- Vegetable pesto pasta35 Minutes
- Mediterranean vegetable stew (ratatouille with beans)45 Minutes
- Broccoli and blue cheese risotto50 Minutes
- Spicy bean burgers35 Minutes
Spicy carrot and lentil soup
Equipment
- Large saucepan with lid
- Hand blender
Ingredients
- 500 g carrots
- 1 leek
- 1 sweet potato 200g approx
- 2 sticks celery
- 75 g red lentils
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 2 cardamon pods
- 1 pint vegetable stock approx
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the leek and peel and finely chop the ginger. Cook gently in a large pan until soft.
- Dice the carrots, peel and dice the sweet potato and add to the pan.
- Chop the celery and add to the pan and add the lentils.
- Add sufficient vegetable stock to cover the soup vegetables and lentils, plus extra to allow for the lentils to expand. Add more stock if needed during the cooking time.
- Add the cardamon pods and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are cooked.
- Remove from the heat. Blend using a hand blender until the soup if thick and smooth. The cardamon pods can either be removed before blending or can be blended with the rest of the soup depending on how spicy you would like the soup to be. If in doubt you could remove the cardamon pods, blend and check the level of spiciness, if you would like to add more heat then add one or both cardamon pods and blend again.
Notes
- Add a garnish of freshly chopped herbs, a swirl of cream, paprika or freshly milled black pepper
- Serve your homemade soup with a side of fresh crusty bread, homemade focaccia or olive bread.
- Top with croutons. Homemade croutons are quick and easy to make and are a great way to use up old or stale bread.
- This carrot soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
- It can also be frozen for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before reheating.
- The quantities can easily be adjusted to prepare a larger quantity of soup. As the prepared soup can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen it is worth making extra.
- This recipe creates a fairly thick soup. If you prefer a thinner soup simply adjust by adding more vegetable stock or water.
- Soups are not just for autumn and winter, they can be enjoyed at any time of the year.
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