Jenny’s Secret Carrot and Red Lentil Soup (25 Min, Vegetarian)

The Burger Issue
It’s an old story, we’ve all been there before; long day at work, the last hour comes, so does another, and suddenly you’re hungry – really bloody hungry.
On the way home is a McDonalds, so you treat yourself to two or maybe even three €1 burgers. They taste alright, they fill you up a bit.
It wont hurt, you tell yourself. But it probably will. Your body and your wallet. It’s certainly not a long term solution to a hungry belly anyway.
I needed to end this vicious cycle – and that’s where Jenny came in. I’ll always thank her for this – her carrot and lentil soup.

Jenny: “No, it’s really so simple to make.”
At first I “only” appreciated the taste, thinking that I couldn’t possibly make it myself because it tasted so good, and I’m crap at cooking. Always have been.
But I asked for the ingredients and cooking time anyway. 5 ingredients, 25 minutes. Hmmm…easier than I thought.
I tried it myself a few days later, preparing for the classic “this takes much longer and tastes much worse” result. But no, it was just as good as Jenny’s version.
I did it again, it worked again. As it has done every time since.
To see if I wasn’t just assuming that it actually made sense to swap some cheeseburgers for the soup (assumption is the brother of all fuck ups after all) I investigated.
Turns out the soup is healthier than pretty much anything I’d ever eaten before..
Health Benefits – Carrot and Red Lentil Soup
The soup (red lentils and carrots) contains a lot of fiber, which is great, because most people eat less than 50% of the daily recommended amount (1).
Fiber has some great benefits: it decreases the risk of diabetes, heart attacks and other stuff (2).Fiber actually makes you feel full too – you won’t be hankering after any other food for a while.
Can you say the same for a burger?
You’re less hungry throughout the day. You eat less. You lose weight (3). That’s a win-win in my book.
And finally one bowl contains around 30g of protein. That’s better than a couple of burgers. If I went to the gym, I’d be laughing!
Beginning of the End of the Burger Issue
Jenny’s red lentil soup is a fantastic step towards a healthier life with less burgers. And it’s a tasty one too.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 carrot
- 1 onion
- 4 cup vegetable broth
- ¾ cup low fat Greek Yogurt
- ¾ cup red lentils, dried
Optional:
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (1 clove = ½ tsp dried)
Instructions
- Get a pot, pop it on a low heat and add the olive oil.1 tsp olive oil
- Cut the carrots, onion and grate the garlic.2 carrot, 1 onion, 1 clove garlic
- Throw them in the pot, cook for a minute or two and chuck the lentils in after.¾ cup red lentils, dried
- Stir a little until the lentils are covered with oil (they open their pores which then tastes better).
- Add the vegetable broth.4 cup vegetable broth
- Let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the lemon juice.1 tbsp lemon juice
- Blend it with a hand blender if available, don't worry if you cant.
- Stir in the yogurt.¾ cup low fat Greek Yogurt
- Ready (eat with bread, add your favourite herbs for variety, and some more yogurt or sour cream).
Thank you for this recipe, will be trying it out tonight. I also deeply appreciate the way your recipe is laid out on the page with the portion of ingredients listed directly below each step – really makes it so much easier once i start cooking without needing to scroll up and down.
You’re very welcome, Abhi – enjoy! I’d love to hear how it goes!
This soup is great! Very easy to make and surprisingly tasty considering there aren’t that many ingredients. I added spinach as well for some added veggies.
Haa, I did the same the other day! Glad you liked the soup, Amber 🙂