Red lentil soup is the quickest pulse soup there is. Red lentils need no soaking and break down in 15 to 20 minutes, so a thick, creamy soup takes less time than deciding what to cook tonight. In our meal plans we've taken it one step further: we cook it as a dhal, with spices and jasmine rice, so the soup becomes a proper dinner.
From soup to dhal: same pot, more food
The difference between lentil soup and dhal is smaller than it sounds. The base is the same: red lentils, onion, garlic, tomatoes. Dhal adds spices, coconut milk and a thickness where the spoon almost stands up on its own. The result is no longer a starter before the main course but a main course in its own right.
Our Red lentil dhal with jasmine rice is exactly that kind of one-pot dinner: 662 kcal, 28 g of protein and 35 minutes from pot to plate. The portion comes from the power group's meal plan, meaning people with a higher calorie target; in the studio it's recalculated for your group. If you want a classic thinner soup, skip the rice and blend some of the lentils: you get a cream without any cream, because the lentils do it all by themselves.
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Lentils for the whole week, not just for soup
Lentils are the cheapest protein in the shop, and our recipes never run out of ideas for them: Creamy lentil soup with carrot, leek, egg and rice (30 minutes), Lentil meatballs with sweet potato and potato mash (45 minutes), Lentil and mushroom ragù with pasta (35 minutes), Lentil salad with roasted beetroot and goat's cheese (30 minutes) or Lentil paprikash with tofu (25 minutes). If you're into meatless meals in a bigger way, you'll find ten more in our meatless meals. And for bread or a mid-morning snack, Lentil spread with sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts (534 kcal, 27 g protein, 20 minutes). In autumn, the Pumpkin and lentil curry is well worth it too; we included it in our hokkaido and pumpkin recipes.
Why pulses pay off twice in our week: they save money and you don't go hungry in the evening after eating them. How to cook a whole week cheaply without it feeling like penny-pinching is covered in our article on how to save money on groceries.
Frequently asked questions
Do red lentils need soaking?
No. Red lentils are hulled, so you just rinse them and cook. They break down in 15 to 20 minutes, which is why they're ideal for soups and dhal. It's brown and green lentils that need soaking.
Why is red lentil soup thick even without cream?
Red lentils fall apart into a cream as they cook. If you want the soup even smoother, blend part of it. Cream is unnecessary: it changes the flavour and adds calories that don't need to be there.
Is lentil soup suitable for children?
The creamy texture usually goes down well with kids; just go easy on the spices. Make the dhal mild for the children and add hot chilli to your own plate.
How much protein do lentils have?
Enough to happily replace meat in our meal plans: the dhal portion above has 28 g of protein. Which other foods are worth it for protein, you'll find in our guide to protein in your diet.
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