This spicy carrot and lentil soup has a delicious North African vibe courtesy of harissa paste, cumin, almonds, dried apricots, and tahini.
Thick & Spicy Red Lentil Soup.
A rare segue for me from mains and sides for dinner. This spiced carrot and lentil soup is pure lunch fodder.
It will last in the fridge for 4-5 days, makes 4-6 portions, and it is my idea of the perfect cosy winter warmer.
The spice in this vegan carrot and lentil soup comes courtesy of Harissa paste.
I love cooking with harissa; it has a big, bold, and complex flavour. I use it in everything from simple dishes like Moroccan vegetable tagine, lamb stuffed peppers and harissa pasta to these mighty fancy harissa garlic prawns or harissa lamb chops.
It even gets a run out in my roasted carrot soup, which may indicate how well I think harissa matches with carrots!
For those not familiar with it, get familiar. I always have a tube in my cupboard.
It is a paste of many different types of peppers, garlic and chillies. This is combined with caraway, coriander, cumin, and rose petals if you use rose Harissa.
We round out the flavours with more cumin, almonds, and dried apricots to give it the full-on North African vibe.
This is a "sister" recipe Turkish red lentil soup recipe. If you want something with a little more texture, you must try my lentil and bacon soup!
Frequently Asked Questions.
Can I make harissa paste at home?
I’m definitely a bit of a geek cook and try to make much of what I use from scratch, but harissa paste is not one of those things!
Sourcing the different types of peppers that give harissa its complexity is challenging.
What brand of paste should I buy?
I usually buy Le Phare Du Cap Bon, primarily because it is really easy to source.
It is pretty good, although not really a Rose Harissa, for that I usually try and get Belazu Rose Harissa, which is glorious but more difficult to find.
How can I thin down this soup?
The longer you allow this soup to sit, the thicker it will become. It is best thinned with milk, which adds a wonderful silkiness to the dish.
Do not worry if you want to keep it vegan because it works just as well with almond or oat “milk”.
Will this soup freeze?
Absolutely, pureed soups freeze wonderfully and will last for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions.
More often than not, this carrot & lentil soup is lunch; it is quick and simple.
I'll toast off some pita breads, then slice them and dip 'em in.
I do usually add a swirl of tahini, some sesame seeds, and a bit of parsley.
If I were to serve this as a starter, I would fry up some carrot ribbons as I do in my curried parsnip soup.
Equipment Used
I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/stovetop.
- 24cm or 10" saucepan.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Blender.
- Stirring in and serving spoons.
- Fine mesh sieve (optional).
Vegan Spicy Carrot and Lentil Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g Red or Yellow Lentils ½ Cup
- 2 Large Carrots 300g
- 1 Small Onion 50g
- 1 Medium Celery Stick 50g
- 750 ml Vegetable Stock 3 Cups
- 2 tablespoon Harissa Paste
- 50 g Dried Apricots ¼ Cup
- 35 g Blanched Almonds ¼ Cup
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- Tahini (For serving)
- Parsley (For serving)
- Sesame Seeds (For serving)
Instructions
- Roughly chop the onions, carrots, celery, and dried apricots into a 1-1.5cm (½") dice.
- Heat a 24cm or 10" saucepan over a medium-high heat and add the oil when hot.Throw in the cumin seeds along with the onions, carrots, celery and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to colour at the edges.
- Add the harissa and lentils, then stir everything together, cooking the harissa for a couple of minutes.
- Throw in the apricots and almonds before pouring over the vegetable stock.
- Bring to a simmer and add a lid before cooking for 20-25 minutes or until the lentils have swollen and cooked.
- Transfer to a blender and blitz.
- Pass through a fine-mesh sieve to get as smooth as possible.
- Add a swirl of tahini, some sesame seeds and a sprinkling of parsley.