Beet and Lentil Soup

The idea of this vegetable soup was improvised by me following my craving and my imagination. I'd been wanting a vegetable soup for a long time, a denser one. It was the detox, no-meat period after the holidays, so I added only lentils for consistency and taste. The soup was unexpectedly tasty, we all ate with great appetite, including Maria, my little girl. You can adjust the taste with sour cream or yogurt and I recommend including all the ingredients for a healthy and delicious soup.

In the title I only mentioned beet and lentils but, actually, it has plenty of other veggies - which you can change according to your likes and means - but the beet and the lentils are the stars, the first one for the colour and vitamins, the second for extra taste and consistency.

Ingredients
Beetroot
1 piece
Lentils
3 tbsp
can be replaced with beans, chickpeas, peas
White onion
2 pieces
Carrots
1 piece
Zucchini
1 piece
Bell pepper
0.5 pieces
White cabbage
300 g
about a quarter of a medium cabbage
Canned chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp
or some tomato/pepper paste
Garlic cloves
2 pieces
Laurel leaves
2 pieces
Borsch/Lemon juice
200 ml
to taste
Salt
1 tbsp
to taste
Fresh parsley
1 piece
1 bunch
Sunflower oil
50 ml
Step by step
Step 1

Peel, wash and prepare all the vegetables.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 1
Step 2

Heat some oil in a deep skillet, add 1 onion and 1 pepper, finely chopped, and the grated carrot. 

Stir and cook for 5 minutes.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 2
Step 3

Stir in finely chopped cabbage, mix and cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 3
Step 4

This is what the sauteed veggies look like, don't fry them, just braise them a little.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 4
Step 5

Transfer sauteed veggies to the soup pot (of about 3-4 litres in volume), add in the courgette cubes.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 5
Step 6

Pour the water, enough to cover well everything and place pot over heat.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 6
Step 7

When it comes to the boil, tip into the lentils, thoroughly washed, mix.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 7
Step 8

Don't forget about the bay leaves, turn heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes until lentil is ready and boiled.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 8
Step 9

While the veggies are boiling, we prepare the beet. 

In a skillet, cook half an onion in oil, then stir in tomato cubes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 9
Step 10

Add the beet to the skillet, mix, turn heat to low and saute for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 10
Step 11

Beet should be well cooked by now.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 11
Step 12

When the veggies and lentil have boiled, stir in the beet from the skillet.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 12
Step 13

Adjust the taste with bors (fermented wheat bran) and salt - boil for 5 minutes. 

At the end, add in the finely chopped parsley, crushed garlic and half of raw onion, finely chopped. 

Mix well, bring to the boil, then turn heat off.

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 13
Step 14

Let rest in the pot covered with a lid for at least 15 minutes after you turn off the heat, for all the flavours to blend. 

Serve with dollops of sour cream or yogurt, if you like. 

Enjoy!

Beet and Lentil Soup - Step 14
Quantity: 3 l (6-7 servings)
Prep time:
40 min
Difficulty: easy
Ready in: 15 min