Red Lentil and Red Pepper Soup

Name: Red Lentil and Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil; 1 large leek , ends and tough green leaves trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced; 2 red bell peppers , finely chopped (about 2 cups); 1 quart chicken stock; 1 cup dried red lentils; 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Cookbook

The 10 Things You Need to Eat

Published by William Morrow

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Red lentils break down more quickly and thoroughly than the darker variety of lentils, which make them a good choice for soups. You could puree the soup after adding the lentils, but I think it is more interesting to leave the texture as is. The bright color of the soup makes for a nice presentation, and while it can be served either cold or hot, I prefer it hot.

Serves8

CostInexpensive

Easy

Total Timeunder 2 hours

One Pot MealYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together

Recipe Coursemain course

Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free

Mealdinner, lunch

Taste and Texturefrothy, savory

Type of Dishhot soup, soup

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
1 large leek, ends and tough green leaves trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup dried red lentils
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the leek and peppers and cook, partially covered, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and 2 cups water and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the heat, add the lentils, and cook for another 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft and broken down. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.