This Tomato and Red Lentil Bisque is a great recipe from Whitewater Cooks author Shelley Adams. Bright, light and freezer friendly! Make a double batch so you have a quick and easy supper or lunch in a pinch. Great served with naan or crusty bread on the side.
I made a double batch of this to bring half to my wonderful cousin and her husband who just welcomed a brand new baby girl into the world. I remember when I had my babies and my Mom brought meals for the whole entire week! It was a real lifesaver when I was sleep-deprived and getting used to being a new Mom. I like to serve it with a little cilantro as a garnish and extra lime to brighten things up.
This recipe is not my own, it’s from a Whitewater Cooks cookbook by Shelley Adams. A great cookbook series if you ever stumble upon their books in the store. I have almost all of their books in my large collection of cookbooks and they are great tried and true recipes and are fantastic for entertaining.
You could make this Vegan or Vegetarian too, just by using veggie stock to replace the chicken stock if you like.
The mixture of spices adds a fantastic bright flavor!
I like to use full-fat coconut milk when cooking as I think the flavor is better than that of a reduced-fat version.
Tips when choosing spices:
When buying spices try to purchase them in their whole variety if you can – these tend to stay fresh longer, and the taste is far superior. I like to grind mine with a mortar and pestle. Buy small amounts of spices and store them in a cool, dark place. Spices do tend to lose flavor the longer they sit, so the fresher the better. Toasting your spices in a dry pan for a short time before using, enhances the flavors too – just be sure to watch and not burn them. Once they are aromatic they are good to go.
If you like this recipe why not try: Garlic Soup with Sourdough Croutons
Tomato and Red Lentil Bisque
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 whole jalepeno, minced stems and seeds removed
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 28 oz can tomatoes
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 cans coconut milk
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste optional
- 1 juice of lime
- 1/2 cup cilantro to garnish, optional
Instructions
- Toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan for about a minute until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to grind.
- In a large soup pan, heat your olive oil over medium heat. Add in your onion, garlic, ginger, mustard seeds and jalapeno and saute for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the rest of your ground spices and whole bay leaves and saute for another few minutes.
- Add in your tomato paste, stock, tomatoes and red lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Add your coconut milk and simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper if you like. Add a little fresh lime juice to taste.
- Garnish with cilantro to serve.
