Description
Hearty Scottish lentil soup blends traditional Highland ingredients with robust flavors of smoked bacon and earthy vegetables. Rich broth and tender lentils create a comforting meal you’ll savor down to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 cups (360 ml) red lentils, rinsed
- 6 cups (1.4 l) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 potato, peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.5 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for depth)
- 1 tsp dried thyme (or fresh)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, for richness)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional, for umami)
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Aromatic Base Preparation: Sauté diced onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes in butter or olive oil over medium heat, allowing vegetables to soften and release natural flavors for 5 minutes.
- Seasoning Integration: Incorporate minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme into the vegetable mixture. Stir thoroughly, enabling spices to bloom and intensify their aromatic qualities.
- Liquid and Ingredient Fusion: Add red lentils, vegetable broth, bay leaf, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a vigorous boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer, allowing ingredients to harmonize and develop deep, complex flavors.
- Texture Development: Simmer soup, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Monitor lentils as they transform, creating a luxurious, thick consistency. This process typically requires 30-35 minutes of patient cooking.
- Final Refinement: Adjust soup’s density with additional broth if needed. Use an immersion blender to partially puree the mixture, creating a silky yet textured soup. Remove bay leaf and sprinkle freshly chopped parsley for a vibrant finish.
- Serving Suggestion: Present this Scottish-inspired soup alongside crusty bread, traditional oatcakes, or Scottish bannock, completing the comforting culinary experience.
Notes
- Select Fresh Ingredients: Choose vibrant, firm vegetables and high-quality red lentils for maximum flavor and nutritional boost.
- Control Liquid Consistency: Adjust vegetable broth carefully during cooking to achieve desired soup thickness, preventing it from becoming too watery or overly dense.
- Optimize Spice Blooming: Allow seasonings like paprika and thyme to toast briefly in the pan before adding liquids, releasing deeper, more complex flavor profiles.
- Master Lentil Texture: Stir occasionally and watch cooking time closely to ensure lentils become tender without disintegrating completely, maintaining a perfect creamy-chunky balance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Scottish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg