Lentil soup is indispensable in the autumn-winter season. This dish is nutritious, contains a lot of useful microelements and warms well, providing a feeling of fullness for several hours. Usually lentil soup is made with beef, poultry, or ham, but you can make a lean version by adding nuts and mushrooms for nutrition.
Lentil soup with porcini mushrooms and walnuts
Make an original mushroom puree soup that complements the bland taste of lentils with savory notes of walnuts.
You will need:
- 100 g of red lentils;
- 300 g of porcini mushrooms;
- 3 glasses of ready-made vegetable broth;
- 1 small onion;
- 0.5 cups of shelled walnut kernels;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce;
- salt;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- vegetable oil for frying.
Rinse the lentils, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain the water. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry the onion in it until golden brown. Add the garlic to the onion and, while stirring, cook everything together for a couple of minutes. Then add thinly sliced lentils and mushrooms to the saucepan. Pour in the vegetable broth, add salt, cover the pot and cook the soup until lentils are soft.
Instead of fresh boletus, you can use dried ones.
Fry the walnuts in a dry frying pan and grind in a mortar. Place the nut crumbs into the soup and pour the mixture into a blender. Puree the soup, then pour in the soy sauce, add freshly ground black pepper. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat for a few more minutes without boiling. Serve the finished dish with homemade crackers or toasted white bread.
Lentil soup with champignons
Soup with lentils and mushrooms has a very pleasant taste. For more piquancy, you can add pine nuts to it - they will not only add additional taste nuances, but also decorate the finished dish.
You will need:
- 1 cup yellow or red lentils;
- 250 g of fresh mushrooms;
- 1 onion;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 2 ripe tomatoes;
- 1 carrot;
- salt;
- freshly ground black pepper;
- vegetable oil for frying;
- 0.25 cups of peeled pine nuts.
Rinse the lentils, cover with water and bring to a boil. Remove the feathers, discard the lentils in a colander. Wash the mushrooms and cut into slices. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 220 ° C. Cook the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes - they should be soft, but not burnt.
Peel the onion and garlic, chop and fry them in hot oil until transparent. Cut the carrots into thin circles, place with vegetables and, stirring occasionally, fry for a few more minutes. Add mushrooms and lentils to the mixture, fill everything with one and a half liters of hot water. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the skin, chop the pulp and put in the soup. Season with salt and cook until lentils are soft.
Fresh tomatoes can be replaced with canned tomatoes in their own juice.
Salt the finished soup, add freshly ground black pepper and pine nuts. Heat the mixture for a few minutes, then turn off the stove and leave the soup to infuse under the lid. Serve with fresh sour cream and white or cereal bread.
