This easy red pepper and lentil soup is warm, filling, and full of flavor. It’s made with simple ingredients like carrots, lentils, and sweet red peppers, all blended into a creamy and comforting soup. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep, and it’s completely vegan, too.

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Ingredients Needed:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced
3 red bell peppers, deseeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
1x 14 oz (400 g) tin tomatoes
5 cups (1.2 litres) vegan stock
1½ cups (300 g) dried red split lentils, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

How To Make Red Pepper and Lentil Soup Recipe?

Cook the onion and carrots: heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and diced carrots, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring now and then, until they start to soften.
Add garlic and red peppers: stir in the chopped garlic and diced red peppers. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften.
Add spices and tomatoes: add the smoked paprika and dried herbs. Stir for 30 seconds, then pour in the tinned tomatoes. Break them up with a spoon and rinse the can with a little water, adding that to the pot too.
Add lentils and stock: pour in the vegan stock and stir in the rinsed red lentils. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until the lentils are soft and starting to break down.
Blend and serve: turn off the heat and blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a splash of stock or water. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve warm.

Hairy Bikers Red Pepper and Lentil Soup Recipe

Recipe Tips:

Cut the veggies small and even: chopping the carrots, peppers, and onions into small pieces helps them cook faster and blend smoother, giving the soup a better texture.
Toast the spices for real flavor: don’t skip this! Cooking the smoked paprika and herbs for just 30 seconds in the pot wakes up the flavors and makes the soup taste richer.
Use hot stock to save time: adding hot (not cold) stock helps the soup come to a simmer faster and cuts down cooking time.
Blend only part of the soup if you like the texture: if you don’t want it completely smooth, blend just half, then mix it back in. This keeps it creamy but still a little chunky.
Adjust the thickness at the end: lentils soak up a lot of liquid. If your soup looks too thick after blending, just stir in a splash of water or stock to loosen it up.

How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?

Refrigerate: Let the red pepper and lentil soup cool down to room temperature first. Then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Once the soup is fully cooled, pour it into freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Pour the soup into a pot and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until it’s warmed through. Add a little water or stock if it looks too thick.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 280 kcal
Total Fat: 5g
Saturated Fat: 0.7g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 520mg
Potassium: 850mg
Total Carbohydrate: 42g
Dietary Fiber: 12g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 16g

Try More Hairy Bikers Recipes:

Hairy Bikers Red Pepper and Lentil Soup Recipe

Course: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

280

kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced
3 red bell peppers, deseeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs
1x 14 oz (400 g) tin tomatoes
5 cups (1.2 litres) vegan stock
1½ cups (300 g) dried red split lentils, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the onion and carrots: heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and diced carrots, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring now and then, until they start to soften.
Add garlic and red peppers: stir in the chopped garlic and diced red peppers. Cook for another 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften.
Add spices and tomatoes: add the smoked paprika and dried herbs. Stir for 30 seconds, then pour in the tinned tomatoes. Break them up with a spoon and rinse the can with a little water, adding that to the pot too.
Add lentils and stock: pour in the vegan stock and stir in the rinsed red lentils. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until the lentils are soft and starting to break down.
Blend and serve: turn off the heat and blend the soup with a hand blender until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a splash of stock or water. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve warm.

Notes

Cut the veggies small and even: chopping the carrots, peppers, and onions into small pieces helps them cook faster and blend smoother, giving the soup a better texture.
Toast the spices for real flavor: don’t skip this! Cooking the smoked paprika and herbs for just 30 seconds in the pot wakes up the flavors and makes the soup taste richer.
Use hot stock to save time: adding hot (not cold) stock helps the soup come to a simmer faster and cuts down cooking time.
Blend only part of the soup if you like the texture: if you don’t want it completely smooth, blend just half, then mix it back in. This keeps it creamy but still a little chunky.
Adjust the thickness at the end: lentils soak up a lot of liquid. If your soup looks too thick after blending, just stir in a splash of water or stock to loosen it up.