Lentil soup (Fakes Soupa)
Fakes, just hearing that name as a kid meant 2 things. Easter was around the corner, and time for some bland tasting soup. Over the years I have been finding different ways to give this soup some taste other than lentils. I think I have done it! With only a hand full on ingredients and some simple cooking techniques, a once bland soup, is now a tasty, flavorsome dish with a bit of a kick.
Ingredients
- 500g lentils
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 white onions
- 3-4 large carrots
- 8 fresh tomatoes
- 2 sticks of celery
- 6 cloves of garlic
- Chili flakes
- Thyme
- Oregano
- 2 liters of vegetable stock
- Salt & pepper
Step 1
Preheat your oven to 200c degrees fan forced. Grab a baking tray and place the tomatoes on the to tray (making an X on the top of them). Cut the carrots in to rough sticks and place on to the baking tray. Add the cloves of garlic still wrapped in their skin.
Cover everything with salt, pepper, oregano and olive oil. Place the tray in to the oven. let cook for 45-60 minutes.
Step 2
Place a large pot on the stove add a splash of olive oil. Grab the onions, celery and chop in to rough pieces and throw them in to the pot. Turn the stove on to a medium high heat. As soon as the onions and celery start to sizzle turn down the heat and leave them to sauté for about 10-15 minutes, or until the onions turn translucent.
While everything is cooking on the stove, grab some tongs, open the oven, and start to turn the tomatoes and carrots over covering them in olive oil and the salt, pepper and oregano that’s on the baking tray.
When done make sure the tomatoes are facing with the X upwards. Leave everything to cook in the oven.
Around the 20 minute mark check the garlic. If they are soft take them out of the oven.
Leave everything else to cook for another 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened. At the same time, keep an eye on the onions and celery. If they are cooking too much, place them on a low heat or just turn the stove off until the tomatoes are done.
Step 3
Grab about 1/2 to 3/4 of the carrots from the oven and chop them up in to small pieces and place them in to the pot (that has the onions and celery).
Rinse your lentils under cold water for about 3-4 minutes or until the water turns clear. Leave them to drain.
Step 4
Once the tomatoes and carrots are done taken them out of the oven, peel the skins off the tomatoes (placing the X on the top before cooking will make this step easier) and place them in to a mixing bowl.
Add the carrots and the garlic to the bowl. Grab a hand blender and blend the tomatoes, carrot and garlic together pouring any extra juices from the baking tray in to the mixture.
Now add in your lentils to the pot with the onions and celery. Cooking them for 2-3 minutes to toast them lightly.
Now grab the bowl with the tomato sauce and a sieve and pour the tomato mixture through the sieve and into the pot that has the lentils, onions and celery.
Mix everything together on a medium to high heat.
Step 5
Add the 2 liters of vegetable stock and mix everything together. Place a lid on the pot bring to boil then let simmer on a low to medium heat.
Let cook for 45-60 minutes or until the lentils are soft.
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