Pioneer Woman Lentil Soup Recipes

HOW TO COOK LENTILS PERFECTLY

Steps:

• Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh sieve and pick out any small stones or debris.
• Combine the lentils, bay leaves, 3 cups water and a generous pinch of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes.
• Drain the lentils, discarding the bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Use in any recipe that calls for lentils.

LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
• In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

INSTANT POT LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In the base of a 6-quart instant pot, combine the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lentils, vegetable broth, tomato sauce, 1 cup of water, cumin, coriander, turmeric, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Cover the Instant Pot with the lid and lock it into place. Seal the steam release handle. Select HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer for 10 minutes. When the timer is up, let rest for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure (unseal the steam release handle). Unlock and remove the lid, being careful of any remaining steam. Remove the bay leaf.
• Stir in the spinach and let it wilt. Season with additional salt. Serve the soup with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of black pepper, if you like.

THE BEST LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to caramelize and take on a dark brown color, 8 to 10 minutes (this step is important as it will add tons of flavor to your soup!).
• Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the lentils, stock, 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the lentils are softened with just a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2 1/2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth then stir back into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more parsley.