Lentil and red pepper soup

Ingredients

• 300g green lentils (dry)
• 2 medium red peppers (chopped)
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 small carrot (chopped)
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 5 garlic cloves (minced)
• 3 chillies (chopped)
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 3 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 ½  tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• A handful of fresh parsley (chopped)  plus extra to serve 
• 1l vegetable stock*
• Salt and pepper 
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Optional: Corn cakes or rice cakes**

*I used Kallo organic very low salt stock cubes

**I used Kallo corn cakes

Method

1) Gently heat 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic, chillies, and red onion  until the onion turns translucent. 

2) Add the chopped red pepper, carrot and cook for 2 minutes while stirring regularly. Then mix in the tomato puree and spices and cook for 3 minutes.

 3) Pour in the chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring the pot to a boil for 5 minutes. 

4) Mix in the lentils, reduce the heat to  simmer the pot for 30 minutes (or until the lentils are soft)

5) Blend the soup once it’s cool and add salt and pepper to taste. (You can also add more water, if needed, to get your preferred consistency!)

6) OPTIONAL: Serve with parsley and corn cakes.

Tip: You can store this soup in the fridge for up to 1 week. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months but must be consumed within 1 week after it’s defrosted.