Do I have to cook lentils before adding to soup?

Do you cook lentils before adding to soup? Nope ! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there's no need to soak them either!

Why is my lentil soup so thick?

Go easy— if you purée the soup too much , it will get too thick and you'll lose the integrity of the lentils. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer a few cups of the soup to a standard blender and purée, then return the blended soup to the pot.

What happens if I don't rinse lentils?

While it seems like an unnecessary step, don't skip rinsing your lentils and sifting through them before cooking to remove any stones or debris. It is rare to find stones, but it does happen .

What happens if you don't pre soak lentils?

Soaking: Unlike beans, lentils are small and cook relatively quick (in general, about 20-30 minutes) so they don't require pre-soaking. However, soaking lentils for a few hours or overnight may improve the digestibility of starches in lentils and an overnight soak can also reduce cooking time by about half .

Why is my lentil soup tasteless?

To avoid a bland lentil soup, use a flavorful broth —whether that's homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. The other key is building flavor. To do so, use aromatics like onions and garlic, include fresh or dried herbs, and season well with salt and pepper.

Can you overcook lentils in soup?

4. Cooking them at too rapid of a simmer. Mushy, overcooked lentils are far from tasty.

Why won't my lentils soften in soup?

Editor: First, I wonder how old your lentils are. If they're more than a year or two old, they will often stay crunchy in the middle no matter how long you cook them! Another trick is to wait to add salt or acidic ingredients until near the end of cooking . Take a look at our post on cooking lentils for some more help!

Why is my stuffed pepper soup bland?

The thing about most stuffed bell pepper recipes is 3that they call for salt in the filling, not for the peppers themselves. Without salt, the peppers are flabby and bland, merely a filling case . With a sprinkle of salt, they transform into a sweet and powerfully savory part of the dish.

What happens if you put too much pepper in soup?

Here are some of them: Remove any excess pepper with a strainer: ... Add more ingredients to dilute the soup: ... Add something sweet. ... Add acid to neutralize the pepper flavor: May 30, 2022

Is pepper soup good for high blood pressure?

It also helps to control blood pressure and keep it from getting ridiculously high or low . In other words, it helps to stabilize blood pressure. Another medicinal function of pepper soup is that it chases away free radicals that could cause cancer because it is an antioxidant(Nwose EU, 2009; Agbor et al.

Do I need to pre cook lentils?

Nope! Unlike lots of other dried pulses (such as some dried beans), lentils don't need to be soaked before cooking . This means they're really quick and easy to use – you can decide you want to cook lentils when you're already ready to start cooking, and they can be ready to eat not long after.

What happens if you don't cook lentils all the way?

In addition, undercooked lentils stay with lectin, an ingredient that may cause stomach problems like diarrhea or even food poisoning .

Do lentils have to be fully cooked?

Honestly, the best way to tell if lentils are done are to taste them. They should be tender to the bite, with some varieties of lentils being a bit more firm and others more soft . That said, if you would like your lentils to be softer, just simmer them a few minutes longer until they reaches your desired consistency.

Lentil Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe By OhMyVeggies.com (2024)

Published: Dec 23, 2015 · by Sarah · Updated: Sep 15, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

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When I first became a vegetarian, stuffed peppers were one of my favorite things to make. They're easy to prep ahead of time for busy weeknight meals and are usually packed full of plant protein and fiber from different legumes and grains.

I've tried several different versions over the years, like these Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers which I love, but with winter upon us I wanted to make something that would provide a little more warmth. Something you could eat curled up in your sweatpants with a blanket on the couch. Because that's pretty much all I feel like doing this time of year!

The beauty of this stuffed pepper soup is that it's made in one pot and you don't have to worry about taking the time to stuff each individual pepper. I went for more of a classic version using brown rice and lentils for protein alongside tomatoes, onion and dried herbs.

It's as simple as sauteing the onion with the garlic and bell peppers, adding the lentils along with dried oregano and thyme, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce and vegetable broth, then letting everything boil for about 35 minutes or so.

While that's cooking you can clean up and prepare the rice. Trader Joe's sells packages of frozen organic brown rice which work perfectly for this recipe. Just three minutes in the microwave and it's ready to serve. You can't beat that with a stick!

Side note: I recommend adding a small amount of rice to each individual bowl as you eat it because adding it to the pot with the whole batch of soup will cause it to thicken, leaving barely any broth behind. Then it will be more like a stew than a soup, which isn't really what we're going for.

This stuffed pepper soup is the perfect meal for this time of year. It's easy to make, loaded with protein and fiber, and the vitamins and antioxidants will keep your immune system strong to help ward of winter sickness. Cheers to good food and a happy healthy new year!

Recipe

Lentil Stuffed Pepper Soup

Our meatless version of Stuffed Pepper Soup substitutes lentils for the ground beef.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: Lentil Stuffed Pepper Soup, vegetarian soup recipe, vegetarian Stuffed Pepper Soup

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Oh My Veggies

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked brown lentils rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
3 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper cored and diced
1 green bell pepper cored and diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 15-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
10 ounces cooked brown rice optional
Fresh parsley for serving optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent.
Next, add the garlic, bell peppers and dried herbs, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, water, and lentils, and stir everything together. Turn the heat to high to bring to a boil then reduce it to medium and cook for about 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Serve the soup warm with fresh parsley and add brown rice as desired on top of the soup.

Notes

Note that if you add all of the rice to the pot with the soup, the starches will cause it to thicken, almost like a stew. I recommend adding it as needed as you eat. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 12gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 764mgPotassium: 550mgFiber: 14gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1265IUVitamin C: 54mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 4mg

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!

About Sarah

Sarah Cook is a vegetarian food blogger living in Athens, Georgia. Her blog Making Thyme for Health features simple, seasonal, and healthy recipes made from whole food ingredients. Outside of cooking, she enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle, traveling and drinking wine.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Sandy Gunther says
December 24, 2015 at 5:50 pm

The share icons cover too much of the left hand side of the page on all my devices.. Especially my phone.
It's very bothersome.
Reply
- Kiersten says
  December 29, 2015 at 8:48 pm
  
  We're working on ironing out the kinks with the new share icons. Sorry for the annoyance!
  Reply
Suzanne says
December 25, 2015 at 11:36 am

This soup is great. No changes other than I reduced the broth to 2 cups, added a splash of wine and used red lentils because that's all I had. More chili-like with less water, but delicious.
Reply
- Sarah Cook says
  December 30, 2015 at 1:13 pm
  
  Thanks for the feedback, Suzanne! Adding wine is always a good idea. 😉
  Reply
- Candice Morris says
  August 17, 2016 at 6:35 pm
  
  The wine perfected this recipe. Thanks for the recipe Sarah. And, thank you for the wine suggestion!
  Reply
  - Sarah Cook says
    August 18, 2016 at 12:34 am
    
    I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Candice! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
    Reply
Crista says
December 26, 2015 at 7:59 pm

mmm looks delicious!!
Reply
Valerie says
December 28, 2015 at 12:09 am

I've used black beans, but I like the lentil idea, too!
Reply
- Sarah Cook says
  December 30, 2015 at 1:14 pm
  
  I'm sure black beans are delicious too!
  Reply
Avi Strauss says
December 28, 2015 at 9:01 am

This is perfect for a cold winter day while stuck inside.
Reply
- Sarah Cook says
  December 30, 2015 at 1:14 pm
  
  I agree, Avi! Thank you. 🙂
  Reply
Cheyanne says
December 28, 2015 at 5:43 pm

You know, one of my favorite soups used to be a stuffed bell pepper soup with ground turkey and I've missed it since I became a vegetarian in March. I never even THOUGHT to use lentils. How silly of me! Can't wait to make this!! 🙂
Reply
- Sarah Cook says
  December 30, 2015 at 1:14 pm
  
  Thanks Cheyanne! I hope you love it! 🙂
  Reply
C. Marie says
January 02, 2016 at 6:23 pm

Mmm . . . I love lentils! I am making this soon. (Glad I have some leftover brown rice in the fridge!)
Reply
Rebecca says
January 08, 2016 at 7:57 am

This turned out delicious! Even my carnivore husband loves it. For the rice, I made lime-cilantro rice (add a handful of chopped cilantro, lime juice and a little salt). I think adding the rice afterwards is a great touch! Will definitely make again!
Reply
Sandra says
February 02, 2016 at 5:28 pm

This is so good!! I've been planning for one lentil meal each week and it's been hit or miss if we loved them. Safe to say this was a huge hit! So savoury and flavourful - the leftovers were even better!!
Reply
- Sarah Cook says
  February 03, 2016 at 7:25 pm
  
  Yay! So happy to hear that, Sandra! I love the idea to do one lentil meal a week. Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
  Reply
Megan says
March 02, 2016 at 2:33 pm

Do you think this would freeze well? Looking for some good easy freezer food for a vegan friend who recently had a baby 🙂
Reply
- Sarah Cook says
  March 02, 2016 at 11:03 pm
  
  Hi Megan! Yes, I think this would freeze well. I would just let it cool to room temperature before freezing it. 🙂
  Reply
Alison says
January 16, 2017 at 11:57 am

Oh Sarah this looks deeeelish! If I were to take out the brown rice what could I replace it with? Just more lentils? A veggie? And how much would you suggest adding?
Reply
Shuchi says
November 08, 2017 at 2:05 pm

This is really a nice recipe. I also write about vegetarian food, and I appreciate your style.
Reply
- Katie Trant says
  November 09, 2017 at 4:47 am
  
  Thanks Shuchi! We'll be sure to check out your recipes as well.
  Reply
Cassandra says
February 08, 2018 at 5:27 pm

This was seriously delicious! It was perfect for lunch too. I blended mine because I don't like big chunks of tomato, personal preference. I would definitely make this again. Hearty, and crowd pleasing - and good for the soul.
Reply
- Katie Trant says
  February 09, 2018 at 6:00 am
  
  Blended is a great option too! Thanks, Cassandra.
  Reply
Melodie says
October 06, 2019 at 12:49 am

Thank you for this delicious recipe. It helped me use some of my tomato and bell pepper harvest from my garden.
Reply
Jolisa says
February 16, 2020 at 7:13 pm

I'm sure the question has been asked so sorry but lastly. Do we cover at the end while it's cooking for the 35 min or leave uncovered?
Reply