Roasted tomato and lentil soup
Roasting fresh tomatoes adds depth to a red-lentil soup. Lentils thicken it without cream, and a potato masher gives texture without handling a blender full of hot liquid.
An original Recipe From Fridge editorial recipe idea. Timings are estimates; check doneness as described, not by the clock alone.
Ingredients
- 800g fresh tomatoes, halved
- 200g dry red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Black pepper, to taste
Method
- Prepare tomatoes and lentils
Wash tomatoes and remove hard stalk cores before halving. Rinse the red lentils in a sieve and check for debris. Set out a roasting dish and a saucepan large enough for the soup.
- Roast the tomatoes
Heat the oven to 220°C, or 200°C fan. Put tomatoes cut-side up in a roasting dish, drizzle with 1 tbsp oil and scatter with oregano. Roast for 25–30 minutes until softened and beginning to colour.
- Simmer the lentils
Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan. Soften onion for 7 minutes over medium heat, add garlic for 1 minute, then lentils and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring, until the lentils are soft and breaking down.
- Combine and crush
Carefully scrape the tomatoes and their juices into the soup. Simmer together for 5 minutes. Take off the heat and crush with a potato masher, keeping it below the liquid to avoid splashing. Add hot water if too thick.
- Finish
Add pepper, check everything is hot and ladle into four bowls. Tomato skins remain in this rustic soup.
Make it work with what you have
- Use red split lentils, not green or brown lentils, for this cooking time and soft texture.
- This roasting method needs fresh tomatoes; for tinned tomatoes choose the white bean stew instead.