Marry Me Red Lentil Soup
Marry Me Red Lentil Soup is a creamy, sun-dried tomato-based lentil soup packed with rich, Tuscan flavors. Inspired by the viral "marry me" recipes, smoky bacon, roasted red peppers, garlic, and coconut milk come together with parmigiano reggiano for a savory and satisfying dish.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar
- 2 strips thick bacon , chopped
- 1 medium onion , diced
- 1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers
- 1/3 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup dried red lentils , picked over for debris
- 15 ounces coconut milk (canned)
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
- salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 4 to 5 quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium until the surface of the oil shimmers. Add the bacon saute until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave the oil and fat in the pot.
- Add the onions, peppers, and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook until softened, stirring frequently, scraping up any fond created by the bacon.
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, Italian herbs and smoked paprika and mix well. The mixture might get a little pasty - that's okay. Just add a splash of broth to loosen everything. Cook until the garlic is fragrant (just a minute or two).
- Pour in the 2 cups of broth and stir well.
- *Use an immersion blender to chop up the vegetables into a smoother broth. (Or, transfer to a regular blender, pulse until mostly smooth, and return to pot.)
- Add the lentils and adjust the heat to bring the soup to an active simmer (medium to medium-high). Cook for 15-20 minutes, tasting often after 10 minutes to test the texture of the lentils. They should be tender but firm and easily bitten through. If you have to chew them like chickpeas, they're not done.**
- Pour in the coconut milk and stir to incorporate into the soup. This might take a minute or two of stirring. The soup should be rich and saucy.
- Return the bacon to the soup, and add the cheese and a sprinkling of the chives. Taste, and add salt if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
*You have two options when blending the soup:
- blend up the veggies at the point noted in the recipe, which smooths out the soup but will leave the lentils whole, with their nice texture.
- wait until the end and blend the entire, finished soup, for a velvety result. **Note that the instructions on your bag of lentils might call for a much shorter cooking time (mine did - only 6 to 12 minutes!). Red lentils are faster cooking than other lentils, but they still need to be cooked properly. My lentils were nowhere near ready at 12 minutes, and I've never heard of such a short cooking time as 6 minutes. When in doubt, trust a taste-test.
- blend up the veggies at the point noted in the recipe, which smooths out the soup but will leave the lentils whole, with their nice texture.
- wait until the end and blend the entire, finished soup, for a velvety result. **Note that the instructions on your bag of lentils might call for a much shorter cooking time (mine did - only 6 to 12 minutes!). Red lentils are faster cooking than other lentils, but they still need to be cooked properly. My lentils were nowhere near ready at 12 minutes, and I've never heard of such a short cooking time as 6 minutes. When in doubt, trust a taste-test.