Lunch in my new freelance reality is often something simple like cauliflower florets with a homemade bean dip but these last few weeks have made me crave soup like nothing else. Often I have something frozen that I can thaw on the range or in the microwave at a moment’s notice but because I had a head cold, I totally exhausted my stash. No canned soups here, homemade is way too easy!
We always have a pantry-full of dried beans and pulses, but as usual, I forgot to soak my beans so I used the next best thing and what I’d consider “instant” — the old standby, red lentil (they are Australian! Who knew?) The red lentil cooks up quickly and has a mild earthy flavour that takes to being flavoured with other vegetables and spices. I also noticed that I was very short in other ingredients so this soup was dictated by what was on hand, a few button mushrooms, onions, garlic and about 1 celery rib. JT loved it, as did I so I was very glad I had the forethought of jotting down the ingredients as I made up a batch. I netted about 600 mL which makes for a hearty meal for two but can be served as smaller portions for four as a starter. Definitely going to bookmark this one for the future, it’s a keeper!
Creamed Lentil Soup with Warm Goats Cheese & Mushroom Relish
A Kitchen Inspirations Original Recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp EVOO
- 4 cups water or vegetable stock
Directions:
- Heat the EVOO in a small Dutch oven, add the celery, onion and garlic, sauté until soft and onions are transluscent.
- Add the lentils and sauté for a moment, add the water and stir well.
- Cook the lentils over medium heat until soft. Transfer to a glass bowl and purée until smooth and creamy with an immersion blender. Set aside while making the warm relish.
- Garnish with crumbled herbed goats cheese and warm csramelized mushrooms.
Ingredients for the Warm Relish:
- Handful of button mushrooms, cubed very small
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 small clove garlic
- 2 tbsp herbed goats cheese
Directions for the Warm Relish:
- Melt the butter in a small cast iron frying pan, add the mushrooms and sauté until caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Garnish soup as indicated above.
Notes:
- The herbed goats cheese was something I had on hand from another dish, it is simply softened goats cheese, finely chopped parsley, thyme and sun dried tomatoes, sea salt combined.
- Feel free to substitute plain goats cheese, crème fraîche, sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- I usually press a soup like this through a fine sieve but did not feel it necessary this time, it was super creamy and smooth.
- I would have loved to garnish with some finely chopped fresh herbs but sadly my herb garden was put to rest a few weeks ago.
A beautifully styled soup! I love the soup. It is like one’s I eat often but I think the double yummy topping takes this lovely soup to a whole other level! Great genius tasty idea, my friend! xxx
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I would love to say I treated myself to a soup like that for lunch. You are my inspiration for sure.
You might find me in the kitchen emptying the dishawasher while eating peanut butter off a spoon.
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I had to laugh at your last comment, I have been know to do that too ;-P
Thank you for your kind words, I am very flattered.
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That recipe sounds like a real keeper! My husband likes to have a soup every night these days since it got colder. I thinks so we will be trying your soup next Eva. 🙂
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Hi Helene, soup is a staple in Hungarian homes too, in fact, few main meals are served without it. This soup is quite filling so if you have a good meal after, serve only a small amount.
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I crave soup this time of year too. I really enjoy lentils and this was a fabulous way to prepare them. Thanks for the inspiration.
Velva
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Hi Velva, welcome to the blog. I am so glad you found this post inspiring, it was quite delicious.
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I make falsely Indian red lentil soups quite often (I love the speed with which red lentils cook and thicken the soups naturally…) but I’ve never thought of reducing them to a purée. It sounds like a great idea.
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Hi Sissi, fake Indian red lentil soup sounds intriguing…what is fake about it? I was surprised at how quickly the red lentils cooked up and puréeing them made them so incredibly creamy.
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Boy, you took lentil soup to the next level. The relish looks amazing, too. P.S. I forgot I have some coconut sugar in my pantry—thanks for the suggestion for my pie. I’m going to crack open the bag 🙂
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Thank you so much Liz. A recent client has coconut sugar in their product line so it’s often at the top of mind, I’m glad my suggestion made sense. I’ve used coconut sugar a few times and find it much sweeter than regular sugar, so be careful.
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The presentation of your soup is gorgeous, Eva. This would be so warming and comforting xx
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I know you guys are into your warmer weather, so I appreciate your kind words even when it’s difficult to relate to the warming side! It’s quite a filling soup so it would be good if one was doing outdoor activities.
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What a nice version of lentil soup Eva. And quite timely too. My guess is a lot of your Hungarian readers will make it in the New Year. 😀
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Koszonom Zsuzsa, it was a very tasty soup. I must research a Hungarian version, I don’t recall my Mom cooking with pulses as much so it’s not in my repertoire.
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Red lentils really do cook quickly, don’t they? Had no idea they originally came from Australia! Anyway, I love soups made from legumes and pulses — never met one I didn’t like. This looks terrific. And at this time of the year we have soup at least once a week (had some tonight, as a matter of fact), so your timing is perfect of us. Thanks!
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They certainly do John, thank you for your kind words. The soups made from pulses are very filling and not as caloric as some other filling soups, always good to keep health in mind.
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This looks delicious Eva. I love goats cheese as you know, so this would be a winner with me as well. I have so many lentils to use up. This is a perfect way to go!
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Thank you Kristy, it was very easy and puréeing the lentils made them so smooth and creamy.
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Sorry to hear that you were not well but a good soup such as yours must have made you feel a little better.
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Thank you Kindly Karen, the soup certainly helped in my recovery!
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Your photo looks like the cover of Gourmet magazine. Bet it tastes good too, perfect for the cooler weather now.
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Thank you so much Ruth, that’s quite the compliment from a photography teacher!
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Oh my, what a delightful topping you’ve created for this lentil soup Eva… there are few things more worthy of butter than mushrooms 😉 and the soft seasoned goat’s cheese … delish, I can taste it from here. We are finally entering soup weather in Northern Cali and I’m loving the change! Welcome Autumn :). Beautiful recipe Eva.
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Thank you so much Kelly, it certainly hit the spot and I was amazed at how quickly it all came together. I love using up leftovers from the fridge!
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An ‘accidental’ recipe that has turned out beautifully xxx
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Koszonom Liz, it was very tasty indeed.
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I love it when ingredients dictate a recipe, looks very yummy babe!
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Thanks so much Dana, it was a very tasty and filling soup.
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There’s always room for another soup recipe at my house. 🙂 This looks delicious.
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Thank you kindly Maria, I was very pleased with how well it turned out.
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funny – i just made a red lentil and butternut squash soup – same color, similar flavor i imagine. but your topping puts your soup way way over the top! brilliant!
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I am very flattered, thank you chef Mimi.
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Timely recipe for this time of year. Love that it is simple and requires few ingredients. A big bowl please.
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Thanks Norma, it really hit the spot.
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The soup looks really creamy and delicious, Eva. I love that mushroom relish topping.
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Thanks Angie, it really was!
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That looks so delicious Eva! I always forget to soak lentils so we always have red lentils in our fridge. And hehe they’re Australian are they? Who knew? I certainly didn’t 🙂
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Thanks Lorraine, it really was delish!
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This looks and sounds so good and would be a lovely starter for autumn menus. I hope you are doing well.
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