Lentil soup
A lentil soup with carrot and onion that takes less than half an hour to make using canned lentils. It can be eaten by the spoonful without chewing, and you can add oil, chopped hard-boiled egg or ground nuts so the serving provides more energy without increasing its volume.
At a glance
- Prep10 min
- Cooking15 min
- Total25 min
- Servings2 servings
- DifficultyEasy
Allergens
- None of the fourteen declarable allergens
Who this recipe is for
Smooth and requires no chewing: it fits into the weekly menu for people with cancer on days when appetite is low.
Ingredients
Quantities for 2 servings. Tick off what you already have.
Step by step
- Peel and cut the carrot and onion into small pieces.
- Put them in a pot with the vegetable stock and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes, until tender.
- Add the cooked lentils and let them simmer for 2 minutes.
- Blend until smooth. If it is too thick, thin it with a little more stock.
- Adjust the salt, add the spices and drizzle the olive oil over the soup when serving.
Adaptations
How to change it depending on the day. Each change keeps the dish, it does not replace it.
Nausea or sensitivity to smells
Cook the carrot and onion in the microwave instead of in a pot, and let them cool before serving: at room temperature, they have much less smell.
Mouth sores or dry mouth
Serve it warm or cold, without paprika or hot spices, and blend it for longer so no small pieces remain.
Poor appetite
Serve half a portion in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of oil, chopped hard-boiled egg or ground almonds: it takes up the same space and provides more nourishment.
Diarrhoea
Pass the soup through a food mill (a fine sieve) to remove the skins or, if it still does not agree with you, replace the lentils with cooked white rice and carrot.
How to store it
In the fridge, 2 days at most, in a closed container. Reheat until it boils. To freeze, divide into portions and defrost in the fridge. If you are having cancer treatment or have a weakened immune system, have it the same day or the next, and check with your medical team beforehand how to store it.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- If small pieces of skin are left, it was not blended for long enough. Blend for longer or, if fibre disagrees with you, pass it through a fine sieve.
- A soup that is bland and salty at the same time usually has unrinsed jarred lentils. Rinse them well and add the salt at the end.
- The soup thickens as it cools because lentils absorb liquid. Loosen it with hot stock when reheating.
Variations
- With pumpkin instead of carrot, for a sweeter, smoother soup.
- With leek instead of onion, for a more delicate flavour.
- With a bay leaf in the stock, which you remove before blending.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make lentil soup with jarred lentils?
Cook the carrot and onion in the stock for about 12 minutes, add the rinsed and drained lentils, boil for 2 more minutes and blend. Loosen with stock if it is too thick. Adjust the salt at the end.
How long does lentil soup last?
2 days at most in the fridge, in a closed container. If you are having cancer treatment or have a weakened immune system, have it the same day or the next. It can also be frozen in portions. Always reheat until it boils, and do not store leftovers again.
Can you eat lentil soup cold?
Yes. If hot food smells bother you, let it cool or warm up slowly, as the recipe says. At room temperature it smells less and may sit better.
How do you thicken or thin a lentil soup?
To thin it, add hot stock little by little while blending. To thicken it, cook it for a couple more minutes without the lid, or add a spoonful of cooked lentils and blend again.
What it provides
It provides plant protein and slow-release carbohydrates from the lentils, fibre from the vegetables, and healthy fats from the extra virgin olive oil. As it is blended, it can be eaten without chewing.
The dietitian's tip
Cook a larger quantity and freeze it in portions: on a day when you cannot manage cooking, your meal is ready. If you buy ready-made stock, check the label: many varieties contain celery.
This is part of the weekly menu for people with cancer. Also from the same menu: vegetable and potato purée and pumpkin, rice and cheese soup.
What a recipe is not
This recipe fits into a plan; it does not replace one. It cures nothing and it is not calculated for one particular person: the quantities are indicative and will need adjusting to your case.
If you have a medical condition, take medication or follow a prescribed diet, check with your doctor or your dietitian before changing anything.
Where this recipe comes from
The main guide
Nutrition for people with cancer: what to eat during treatment
During treatment, the symptom you have each week decides what to adapt. Avoid blanket restrictions and ask for help if you lose…
The menu it belongs to
Weekly menu for people with cancer, with adaptations for symptoms
Planning the week helps when you do not know what you will feel like eating tomorrow. Having the menu in writing can…
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Would you like a plan made for you?
A recipe fits or does not fit depending on what is going on with you. In clinic we build the whole plan around what you eat, what you tolerate and what you fancy.