Marek's Lentil Soup with Smoky Mushrooms

Updated and improved recipe. Original recipe was posted in November 2020.

A smoky, hearty lentil soup made with only a few humble ingredients. Served with smoky, slightly sweet and sticky mushrooms and fresh herbs. Nutritious and full of flavour.

I took inspiration for this recipe from my friend Marek's lentil soup. It used to be an absolute favourite of mine. We would cook a big batch on weekends, which we then enjoyed throughout the week. His recipe includes smoked spareribs, which is the reason why I wanted to make with a vegan friendly version.

MAKING IT VEGAN FRIENDLY

As a vegan friendly replacement to the smoked spareribs, I used oyster mushrooms which I shredded, marinated and roasted in the oven. They add a delicious smoky flavour and meaty texture to the dish, which makes them a great substitute.

These are optional, but highly recommended!

ARE LENTILS GOOD FOR YOU?

I love cooking with lentils. Not only are they healthy, but they are so versatile and great to bulk up almost any meals. I love adding them to curries, salads, Tabbouleh, stews, soups or a delicious lentil Bolognese.

Lentils are low in calories and are an excellent source of protein, rich in iron and rich in folate.

Other benefits include:

• They are high in dietary fiber and may help prevent constipation and other digestive disorders.

• They help reduce blood cholesterol which may reduce the risk of heart diseases and promote good heart health.

• Due to its fiber and complex carbohydrates, they release slow-burning energy.

• The iron transports oxygen through the body and is therefore key to produce energy.

• As mentioned above, lentils are low in calories and contain almost no fat. They will however make you feel full and satisfied for longer which may therefor help with weight loss.

TO MAKE THIS NUTRITIOUS SOUP YOU WILL NEED

• dry French green lentils or brown lentils.

• organic vegetable stock

• canned whole or chopped tomatoes

• carrots

• celery

• an onion

• bay leaves

• smoked paprika or liquid smoke

• sea salt & black pepper to taste

FOR THE MUSHROOMS YOU WILL NEED

• oyster mushrooms

• smoked paprika

• maple syrup

• sea salt & black pepper

• extra virgin olive oil

• garlic granules

OTHER HEARTY RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

aubergine, lentil & mushroom ragu

jerusalem artichoke soup

aubergine & butterbean stew

easy red thai curry

LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKY MUSHROOMS

A hearty, delicious soup, made with only a few ingredients and served with smoky oven-roasted mushrooms.

Serves: 4

Time: 1h15 min or longer

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SOUP

• 250g dry French green lentils or brown lentils.

• 1 litre organic vegetable stock

• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)

• 2 large carrots, diced

• 2 celery stick, finely chopped

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 1 or 2 bay leaves

• 1 heaped tsp sweet smoked paprika or a tsp liquid smoke (adjust to taste)

• sea salt & crushed black pepper to taste

• fresh parsley, finely chopped

FOR THE MUSHROOMS

• About 150g oyster mushrooms

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp sea salt (adjust to your liking)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp garlic granules

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Start by making the soup. Soak the lentils in cold water for a few minutes, then drain and set aside.

2. In a large pot fry the finely diced onions, carrot and celery in a bit of olive oil for 10 - 12 min, until the vegetables are soft and sweet. Cook on low and stir occasionally.

3. Add the smoked paprika and lentils, fry for another minute before adding the tomatoes, vegetable stock and bay leaves.

4. Give a good stir and let the soup simmer on low for a minimum of 1hour. The longer it cooks, the better it will get. Stir and check occasionally if there is enough liquid and add more stock/ water if required.

5. In the meantime prepare the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 200C.

6. Shred the mushrooms into smaller pieces, but don't make them too small.

7. Make the marinate by mixing the smoked paprika, maple syrup, sea salt, olive oil and garlic granules. Pour over the shredded mushrooms and mix thoroughly to coat the mushrooms. I find using my hands is the best way to do this. Set aside.

8. Once the oven has reached temperature, place the mushrooms in the oven and roast for 18 - 2o minutes or until the edges are starting to caramelise a bit. Stir halfway through.

9. Once the soup has cooked, use a stick blender (immersion blender) and blend the soup. You can blend it until completely smooth or leave some chunky vegetables and lentils, which is my preference.

10. Taste and add seasoning as required.

11. Serve the soup with a dollop of unsweetened plain yoghurt (optional), a few smoky mushrooms on top and finely chopped parsley.
    

HAVE YOU MADE THIS?

If you have, I would love to see your creations on Instagram.

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