Lentil Cream Soup with Lemon and Corn
Quick Recipes Simple Recipes Fasting Recipes Vegetables Gluten-Free Recipes Soups and Stews
This version of lentil cream soup is aromatic and refreshing thanks to the lemon (zest and juice) which brightens it up wonderfully and pairs well with the curry powder. The recipe is inspired from here. I used corn kernels and pine nuts instead of croutons to make a gluten-free version. The soup is very quick to prepare. I'm always amazed when I meet new vegetarians and find out they haven't included lentils in their diet because of the misconception that they take a long time to cook. They probably compare them to beans and think it will take hours until the meal is ready. But lentils (especially red and yellow ones) cook very quickly, making them the most convenient legumes to prepare. I cook lentils at least once a week.
Ingredients
300g lentils (yellow or red)
100g canned corn
1 medium onion
2 small carrots
3 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon curry powder (I used 1/2 teaspoon regular curry + 1/4 teaspoon ras el hanout)
1 organic lemon
1 tablespoon oil
salt
For serving
remaining canned corn (185g)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
chili flakes to taste
3 tablespoons oil
Servings: 5
How to prepare lentil cream soup with lemon and corn
- In the heated oil, add the finely diced onion and thinly sliced carrots. Sauté until the onion softens, about 5 minutes, without letting it brown.
- Add the crushed garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the curry and corn, stirring well. Add the lentils (rinsed in several changes of water) and 1.5 liters of water.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat until the lentils and carrots are cooked (about 20 minutes). Towards the end, add 1.5 teaspoons of salt (or to taste).
- Using a ladle, transfer the solids from the soup into a blender. Add some of the soup liquid. Blend for 2 minutes until smooth. Gradually add the remaining soup and blend until you reach your desired consistency (if you add all the soup, it will be thinner at first but will thicken when reheated).
- Add the lemon zest and juice. Stir and adjust the salt.
- When ready to serve, heat the oil and add the corn kernels, pine nuts, a little salt, and chili flakes to taste (I used piment d'Espelette). Just heat everything through.
- Serve the warm soup in bowls with 1 tablespoon of topping and a little oil from the pan.
