This vegan red lentil tomato soup is an ideal “shoulder season” recipe! Abundant summer tomatoes combine with smoky roasted red peppers and hearty red lentils for a creamy soup that’s cozy and vibrant at the same time. I recommend enjoying this with some whole wheat no-knead bread and a bit of chili crisp on top for a spice kick. Once you have the prep done, you’ll need just 30 minutes to cook this simple soup on the stove.
Red split lentils provide a lush and thick body for this soup without making it taste overly lentil-y. This simple recipe really is about the tomatoes, so make sure you use good in-season ones! The main thing that I love about this soup is that it feels like a more socially acceptable way to eat a bowl of marinara sauce. Loads of fresh basil reinforce this idea! I really do think it would be great as a “sauce” tossed with pasta–just an idea if you have leftovers and are feeling adventurous!
I have you stir in tahini at the end for a little extra creaminess. It’s amazing how effective this move is! It also keeps things nut-free. Like a good vegan, I do love my cashew cream and coconut milk, but sometimes I forget to soak cashews and coconut milk has a super strong flavor profile. Tahini keeps things mellow in this recipe.
I like to use a stick blender to get the texture just right. A few little lumps here and there feels right with this red lentil tomato soup. I like how that texture mingles with the extra heavy hand of chopped fresh basil.
I make a little “tahini cream” to drizzle on top. It’s just a couple spoonfuls of tahini whisked with cold water until the color pales and the texture is fluid. Swirls of that combined with brilliant red chili crisp on top makes this soup look like a gorgeous painting!
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Creamy Red Lentil Tomato Soup with Roasted Red Peppers & Basil
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, small dice
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- pinch red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 ½ lbs (680 grams), fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 3 roasted red peppers, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup red split lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable stock, plus extra
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste (see note)
- ½ cup basil leaves, chopped
For serving, optional
- extra tahini, for drizzling
- chili oil, for drizzling
- fresh bread
Equipment
- Stick Blender
Notes
- I use roasted red peppers from a jar for maximum ease. If you don’t mind an extra step, you can certainly roast them yourself!
- I like to leave a little texture in this soup, so prefer using a stick blender. You can use an upright blender if you’d like it silky smooth!
- If you use all grape/cherry tomatoes, you don’t need to cut them, which makes the prep a little faster.
- Depending on your tomatoes, you may not need much lemon juice at all. I would taste the soup right after blending to get a feel for where the acidity is at, and then proceed from there.
Instructions
- Set a large, heavy-bottomed pot on the stove over medium heat. Once it’s hot, pour in the olive oil.
- Add the diced onion and cook until very soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. If onions are browning too fast, lower the heat.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and roasted red peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Keep sautéing until the tomatoes start to break down, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the red lentils and vegetable stock and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Pop a lid on top and continue to simmer until lentils have fully cooked, about 18-20 minutes.
- Once the lentils are soft, add the tahini. From here, use a stick blender to get the soup to your desired consistency. I like it mostly smooth, thick, and with a bit of texture. Add more stock if you’d like a more fluid texture. Then, stir in the lemon juice and basil.
- Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust if necessary (more salt, more lemon etc).
- Serve the soup hot with accompaniments!
If I’m roasting my own red peppers, is it 3 whole red peppers? Thanks!
Hi Susan! 2-3 whole red peppers will work here. The roasted red peppers in the jar tend to be small, so 2 regular-sized red bell peppers should be fine.
-Laura
I’ve already made this soup three times since the recipe was posted- it’s so good and comes together SO fast! I basically eat soup year round already, but this is a great way to use our remaining basil and cherry tomatoes as we transition to fall.
This was so good! Especially love the addition of the red lentils!!
Thanks for the recipe! I just canned many jars of tomato sauce. Could I use that in place of the fresh tomatoes?
That should work fine! I would reduce the starting amount of vegetable stock though! You can always add more later.
-LAura
This is my new, fav recipe of yours…perfection: delicious, nutritious, beautiful to present. Merci mille fois.
This was really tasty! I used cherry tomatoes and didn’t have red lentils in the pantry so I subbed a can of chickpeas. For accompaniments I added some tofu nugget “croutons” (made in the air fryer using your tofu nugget recipe). Will definitely make again!
Great easy way to use the tomatoes from my garden. Making again soon!
We loved it! So simple, straight forward, ingredients we had and the taste is fantastic!!!!
Délicieux! Fresh tomatoes and basil are plentiful right in my backyard so I had to make it when it landed in my mailbox. I love a creamy soup and even more when it’s achieved with red lentils and tahini. Looking forward to leftovers.
We made this with Sungold tomatoes and it was delicious! Wonderful to have on a unseasonable rainy evening here in Northern California.