Lentil Potato Soup

Name: Lentil Potato Soup - Lidia F.
Ingredients: 1 celery 1 onion 1 bell pepper 1kg potatoes fresh dill 3 tablespoons homemade ketchup celery leaves parsley leaves 1 teaspoon tarragon from the jar tomato paste to taste

Sezon - Lentil Potato Soup by Lidia F. - Recipia

Potato soup for fasting is suitable for days when you want a warm meal, without meat and without complicated steps. It is prepared from common vegetables, and the potatoes are added later to avoid breaking them too much in the pot. The basic recipe uses homemade ketchup, tomato paste, and greens, and at the end, the soup can be served with chili peppers or red onion. Quick Info Total time: approximately 35 minutes after the water starts boiling; the complete time is not specified as it depends on how long it takes to heat the 4 liters of water and the time needed to clean the vegetables. Preparation time: not specified in the original recipe. Cooking time: 20 minutes for the first vegetables, then about 15 minutes after adding the potatoes. Servings: unspecified. Difficulty: easy. Recipe type: fasting soup, suitable for cool summer days. Ingredients 4 liters of water 1 celery 1 onion 1 bell pepper Carrots, the quantity is not specified in the original recipe 1 kg of potatoes Fresh dill Celery leaves Parsley leaves 1 teaspoon of tarragon from the jar 3 tablespoons of homemade ketchup Tomato paste, to taste Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Fresh lovage, optional For serving: chili pepper or red onion. Carrots are mentioned in the ingredient list in the preparation method, but their quantity is not indicated. Also, the bell pepper appears in the ingredient list without a separate moment of addition in the original steps. The rest of the vegetables and spices are used according to the steps below. Preparation method 1. Bring the 4 liters of water to a boil in a large pot. 2. Meanwhile, peel the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Wash the bell pepper and peel it. The potatoes can be left in cold water while the first vegetables are boiling to prevent them from darkening. 3. When the water starts boiling, add the onion, celery, and carrots. In the basic recipe, these are the first vegetables to go into the pot. Let them boil for about 20 minutes. 4. Wash the celery and parsley leaves, then chop them. Chop the fresh dill as well. If you are using lovage, prepare it in the same step. The greens are added towards the end to better retain their aroma in the soup. 5. Cut the potatoes into suitable pieces and add them after the first vegetables have boiled for 20 minutes. From this point, let the soup simmer for about 15 more minutes. 6. Check if the vegetables are cooked. The potatoes should be tender, but be careful not to leave them too long, as they can break apart in the soup. 7. Add the homemade ketchup, tomato paste, greens, and tarragon from the jar. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper. 8. If you chose to use fresh lovage, add it at the end, along with the other greens. Let the soup simmer a bit more for the ingredients to combine, then turn off the heat. 9. Serve the potato soup hot, with chili pepper or red onion. The soup is ready when the potatoes and other vegetables are cooked. The 15-minute time is indicative, as larger potato pieces need more time than smaller ones. Why I make the recipe often I make it when I need a simple meal, without frying and without hard-to-find ingredients. The 4 liters of water provide a generous amount of soup, and the preparation doesn't require complicated supervision. The ketchup and tomato paste give it flavor and color, while the greens significantly change the final aroma. It is also an easy recipe to adapt based on what greens I have on hand. Lovage is not mandatory, but it adds a more pronounced flavor to the soup. Additionally, it can be served plain or with chili pepper and red onion, without needing other additions. Tips and variations Tips Cut the potatoes to approximately the same size so they cook at the same time. If some pieces are very large and others small, the small ones can break apart before the rest are done. Do not add the potatoes at the beginning. The recipe introduces them after the onion, celery, and carrots have boiled for 20 minutes, so their cooking time remains about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper after adding the ketchup and tomato paste. Homemade ketchup and tomato paste already have their own flavor, so it’s easier to adjust the soup at the end. Keep in mind that the tarragon from the jar may be salty or have a strong flavor. Add salt gradually and taste before adding more. Substitutions If you don't have fresh lovage, you can omit it. It is mentioned as optional and is not essential for making the soup. The greens can be adjusted from the already provided ingredients: dill, celery leaves, and parsley leaves. It is not necessary to use all types if you don't have them, but lovage is the one that provides the specific flavor mentioned in the recipe. Homemade ketchup can be used exactly in the indicated amount, along with the tomato paste. If you adjust the amount of tomato paste, taste again to adjust the salt and pepper. Variations For a more pronounced flavor, fresh lovage can be used along with the celery and parsley leaves. The tarragon from the jar remains in the composition, according to the original recipe. The soup can be left clearer or with a stronger tomato flavor, depending on the amount of tomato paste used. The source does not specify a fixed amount, so it is added to taste. The bell pepper included in the ingredient list can be prepared along with the other vegetables. The original recipe does not specify the exact moment of its addition, so if you use it in the pot, it is useful to put it in the first step, along with the onion, celery, and carrots. Serving ideas Serve the soup hot with chili pepper or red onion, as recommended in the original recipe. You can also sprinkle some chopped greens in the bowl if there are any left. For a fasting version, the soup is consumed plain, without dairy-based additions. Frequently asked questions When are the potatoes added to the soup? The potatoes are added after the onion, celery, and carrots have boiled for about 20 minutes. After adding them, the soup simmers for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. How much water is used? The recipe indicates 4 liters of water. This amount is sufficient for a large pot of soup, along with 1 kg of potatoes and the rest of the vegetables. Is lovage mandatory? No. Fresh lovage is optional but is mentioned as an ingredient that gives a special flavor to the soup. If you don’t have it, the dish can be made only with dill, celery leaves, and parsley. When are the ketchup and tomato paste added? These are added after checking that the vegetables are cooked. At that time, the greens, tarragon, salt, and pepper are also added. Why is the quantity of carrots not specified? In the original recipe, carrots appear in the description of the preparation method, but there is no quantity listed in the ingredients. For this reason, the quantity cannot be indicated exactly without modifying the recipe. Nutritional values The values below are estimates and are calculated for approximately 100 ml of soup, based on the mentioned ingredients, without oil and without other additions. The exact amount may vary depending on how much tomato paste, ketchup, celery, carrot, and bell pepper are used. Calories: approximately 20-25 kcal Protein: approximately 0.5-0.7 g Carbohydrates: approximately 4-5 g Fat: approximately 0.1-0.3 g Fiber: approximately 0.8-1.2 g The soup has the most carbohydrates from the potatoes and the tomato-based ingredients. Since the recipe does not contain oil or animal products, the amount of fat is very low. The value per serving cannot be calculated accurately since the number of servings is not specified. Storage and reheating After cooling, store the soup in the refrigerator in a covered container. It is recommended to consume it within about 2-3 days. For reheating, heat only the amount you are going to eat. The soup can be heated in a pot over medium heat, stirring gently to avoid breaking the potatoes too much. If it has been in the refrigerator, the potatoes may become softer when reheated, so it is not good to boil it more than necessary.

Lentil Potato Soup

Tags

Categories