As the nights start to draw in, the last thing you want to do is spend a fortune in the supermarket. Instead, this four-ingredient lentil soup is a budget-friendly and nutritious meal that’s perfect for the autumn months.
Winter cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, and homemade soup proves it every time. With just a few simple ingredients and a single pot, you can create a meal that’s hearty, healthy, and incredibly satisfying.
As soon as the air cold, I find myself craving comfort food. For me, nothing says winter more than a big pot of hearty homemade soup.
Whether you’re trying to use up vegetables or feeding your family on a budget, winter is the perfect season to make comforting homemade soups. And while I love experimenting with lots of different recipes, there’s one simple soup I usually make most weeks in winter: my four-ingredient lentil soup. Food prices are on everyone’s mind at the moment, and one of the reasons I come back to this recipe week after week is because it’s cheap, filling and warming.
I often make a big batch on a Sunday and eat it for lunch during the week – a big pot can easily make six to seven portions, reports the Express.
Even better, it costs me around ÂŁ3.48 for the ingredients from Aldi which works out at 49p per portion, making it one of the most budget-friendly meals in my kitchen.
It’s also incredibly healthy, packed full of vegetables alongside red lentils for fibre and a touch of protein.
The best thing about this soup is that you can add as many vegetables as you like. The three staples are onion, carrot and leek, but I often throw in anything from celery to sweet potato, butternut squash, bell pepper or even potato.
Four-ingredient lentil soup recipe
Serves up to seven portions.
Ingredients:
- One onion
- Five carrots
- Two leeks
- 100g red lentils
I also add salt, pepper, and a stock cube, but I don’t really count those as they’re kitchen staples.
Method:
I start by roughly chopping the onion, carrots and leeks, then cooking them gently in a splash of oil until they soften.
Next, I toss in the red lentils and give them a quick stir for about a minute before pouring in a generous amount of boiling water (or stock if I have it on hand). The amount of water you add is entirely up to you, depending on how thick or thin you prefer your soup.
Then, all that’s left is to let it simmer until the lentils are soft and the carrots are tender. This usually takes roughly an hour.
Don’t forget to season it according to your preference with salt and pepper, or any other spices you fancy, such as a hint of cumin.
The last step is to blend it with a hand blender for a silky, smooth texture; sometimes I leave it slightly chunkier. Both versions are scrumptious.
This soup is at its best when sprinkled with fresh parsley and served with buttered bread. It can also be made in large batches and frozen for up to three months.
