Red Lentil and carrot soup with labneh and homemade croutons

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Lentil and carrot soup 4.jpg

This soup reminds me of fall in New England, when the weather begins to chill and the leaves change colors.
I think that there is nothing quite like a bowl of hot, hearty soup, it’s the ultimate comfort food and can be a meal in itself.
This one consists of simple pantry ingredients that are healthy, packed with nutrients and a whole lot of flavor.
The different toppings of tangy labneh, salty parm, homemade croutons, evoo and freshly ground black pepper, creates the perfect balance of flavors and textures so don’t skip on any of them.

Red lentil and carrot soup with labneh and homemade croutons {vegetarian}

Serves 6-8

Cook’s notes:

  • Pick over the lentils to remove any debris and then rinse in cold water to remove any dust.

  • Make your own croutons, they’re easy to make and far tastier than the store bought ones.

  • Season the soup with salt only after it is cooked, so lentils don’t become tough.

  • As the soup cools over night in the fridge, it will thicken up. Simply add filtered water and thin it out to the consistency of buttermilk.

Ingredients

For the soup:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, cut in half lengthwise and cleaned under running water, sliced thinly
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5 large carrots (about 1.5 lb.), peeled and cut roughly into 1/2 inch dice 
Chili flakes (as hot as you like it)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed (*see notes)
8 cups (2 quarts) vegetable stock or filtered water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the croutons:
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 French baguette, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 tsp thyme leaves

To serve
Labneh or plain greek yogurt
Good quality extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan Reggiano


Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek, onion, carrots, chili flakes and sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute more, add lentils, black pepper and stock or water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer covered (stirring from time to time) for 30 minutes or until carrots are soft and lentils are cooked through.
Take the soup off the heat and blend with an immersion blender until silky smooth, season with salt.

Meanwhile make the croutons.
Preheat the oven to 180°c.
Put the cubes of baguette on a baking sheet lined with parchment, sprinkle with thyme, drizzle with olive oil and toss with your hands to coat. Arrange in a single layer and bake, mixing twice half way through for about 12-15 minutes, until crunchy and lightly golden.

Serve soup with a dollop of labneh or yogurt, croutons, a drizzle of evoo, freshly ground black pepper and grated Parm. xx