I always like to have a handy standby collection of legumes in my cupboards. It means that I can put some of them together, together with some stock, and make a filling and nutritious soup.
As we get further into the damper and colder months I find myself craving thicker and more comforting soups. Butter beans and lentils, especially when blended, definitely tick those boxes.
I started this soup off in my usual way of sautéing the onions and garlic in a little oil. As I have mentioned before this step is optional and if you don’t have a sauté function on your soup maker it isn’t a deal breaker if you skip the sauté stage. Although sautéing the aromatics release more flavour, you can still achieve a gloriously tasty soup without this step.
Making the rest of the soup is as simple as throwing the rest of the ingredients in (apart from the crushed chillies), and setting the soup maker off on smooth.
Adding the crushed chillies is completely optional, if you don’t have any and you still want to add a little kick to the soup you can add a fresh red chilli, chopped. Whether or not you include or remove the seeds is dependent on how spicy hot you like it!
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Butter Bean and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil/butter, or your usual oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 400 g tin butter beans
- 120 g red split lentils, washed
- 300 g passata
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 1/2 tsp crushed red chillies (optional)
Instructions
- Optional: Sauté onion & garlic in soup maker in some oil or butter.
- Switch off sauté and add all remaining ingredients (apart from crushed red chillies)
- Stir contents well.
- Set off on smooth.
- Optional: sprinkle crushed chillies on top.
Notes
Adding the crushed chillies is completely optional, if you don't have any and you still want to add a little kick to the soup you can add a fresh red chilli, chopped (deseed if you prefer a milder taste).
When adding the butter beans do I add the juice as well ? Thanks
Hi Linda – yes I usually do, but you can drain them off if you prefer to.
Do I not cook the lentils before adding them ?
Hi Rev – I don’t ever cook red lentils before putting them in the soup maker. I just give them a good rinse. Hope that helps!
This recipe looks great! Do you have many other bean and lentil recipes in your book?
I do have some others in my book yes, but I also have some more here if you want to check them out;
Sweet Potato and Lentil
Carrot and Lentil
Tomato and Lentil
Blackbean and Sweet Potato
Spicy Bean Soup
I have lazy garlic but no saute function in my compact soup maker. So can I just put a teaspoon straight in or should I sauté it in a frying pan beforehand?
Hi Nora – no need to do that (unless you really want to) – I sometimes use lazy garlic too and just add it in with the rest of the ingredients rather than sautéing it first. Hope that helps!