Smoky Red Pepper & Lentil Soup | Rebel Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should lentils be soaked before making soup? ›

Unsoaked legumes are much harder to digest, and the consequences are “windy.” I prefer to soak all my legumes because then I can enjoy eating large amounts of lentil soup without feeling all bloated. Lentils are 100 times easier to digest when soaked for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12 hours.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Eating half a cup of cooked lentils gives you lots of essential nutrients and their high fiber content makes you feel full.

Cook It Longer

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.

Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time.

If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.

Depends if they are red or green lentils. The red ones can be bunged straight in. I just rinse them and add to the soup, the packet says 30 mins cooking so it should be okay.

Incorporating red lentils to your diet can help you easily meet your fiber and protein needs. Red lentils also contain a significant amount of folate, which is a superhero involved in cell division. If someone eating plant-based does not get enough folate, it can affect the way DNA is made in our body.

Another reason that lentils are known for causing gas and bloating is because they are high in what's called raffinose. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) are known to cause stomach discomfort and bloating because the human body lacks the enzyme required to break them down within the digestive tract.

Which color lentil is healthiest? ›

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Thanks to the robust flavor, these lentils pair well with meaty veggies and marinated proteins like mushrooms, tofu, and seitan. Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

Lentils and beans are rich in soluble fiber, which is the single best carbohydrate to help you burn belly fat. "Soluble fiber forms a thick gel when it binds with water in the body," Tracy said. "This gel that forms therefore slows digestion in the body, which keeps you feeling full for longer!

Since lentils are starchy, earthy in flavor, and can be on the bland side, there are many ways to make them flavorful, including by adding them into soup. When other ingredients are introduced that complement lentils like onions, garlic, spices, and lemon, the taste is out of this world.

That means the foam will typically appear when making meat-based broths and, to a lesser degree, soups made from high-protein vegetables such as chickpeas and lentils. When those coagulated proteins cluster together, they can create air pockets, which is what causes the “sudsy bubbles,” says Trout.

If they taste sour, and they were left out for three days, they probably have some bacterial growth. Whether or not they are “bad” (pathogenic) bacteria you'll only know with a lab test or by eating them and seeing if you get sick. Unless they are the most delicious / expensive lentils in the world, I wouldn't risk it.

Do you cook lentils before adding to soup? Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there's no need to soak them either!

Soaking lentils increase the mineral absorption rate of the body. An enzyme called phytase is activated when you soak the dal for some time. Phytase helps in breaking down phytic acid and helps in binding calcium, iron and zinc. This makes the absorption process much easier.

You're not using enough water

According to the BBC, lentils need a whole lot of water to cook all of the way through. So use at least three times more water than lentils and avoid the temptation to salt the water. Adding salt can make the lentil's exterior tough and unappetizing (via Lentils.org).

Lentils contain antinutrients such as trypsin inhibitors and phytic acid, which reduce the absorption of some nutrients. Soaking and cooking lentils will minimize these, but regardless, you will still absorb the majority of your nutrients.