Polish-style red lentil soup with carrot and tomatoes Recipe
Polish-style red lentil soup is a simple way to combine lentils, popular in world cuisine, with familiar Polish flavours – carrot, celery root and tomatoes. It’s thick, filling and warming, a bit like a cross between pea soup and tomato soup, but cooks much faster.
This soup combines the speed and creaminess of red lentils with classic Polish soup flavours, making it both comforting and quick to prepare.
Chef's tips
Don’t overcook the lentils at a rolling boil – a gentle simmer helps them soften evenly without turning the soup grainy. Partially blending gives a great, thick texture while keeping visible vegetable pieces.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with rye bread, croutons or a dollop of sour cream or yogurt. A sprinkle of fresh parsley or dill brightens the flavour.
Ingredients
- lentils dry, rinsed - 200 g
- carrot diced - 2 pieces
- parsley root diced - 1 piece
- celeriac small piece, diced - 80 g
- onion diced - 1 piece
- garlic finely chopped - 2 cloves
- chopped canned tomatoes 1 can - 400 g
- vegetable or chicken stock - 1.2 l
- oil for sautéing the vegetables - 2 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- allspice berries - 3 grains
- paprika - 1 teaspoon
- paprika optional, to taste - 0.25 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Preparation
- Rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water until the water is almost clear. Set aside to drain.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the carrot, parsley root and celeriac. Sauté for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly glossy and starting to soften.
- Add the garlic, sweet paprika and hot paprika. Fry for 1 more minute, stirring so the spices don’t burn.
- Pour in the stock, add the bay leaves and allspice berries. Bring to the boil.
- Add the drained lentils and the canned tomatoes with their juice. Stir.
- Cook over medium heat for 18–20 minutes, until the lentils are soft and starting to break down and the vegetables are tender. Stir from time to time so the lentils don’t stick to the bottom.
- Remove the bay leaves and allspice berries. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. If you like, partially blend the soup with a hand blender, just a few pulses, to make it thicker but still with pieces of vegetables.
- Serve hot, optionally sprinkled with chopped parsley or topped with a spoonful of plain yogurt.
Storage
Zupa z soczewicy dobrze się przechowuje – w lodówce do 3 dni. Gęstnieje po wystudzeniu, więc przy podgrzewaniu możesz dodać trochę wody lub bulionu. Można ją też zamrozić do 2 miesięcy.
