Brown Lentil and Walnut Crunch Soup
Serves 4
Total time: 35 min
Cooking time: 25 min
Despite rising temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, we're not fooled by the early whispers of Spring just yet. In need of late winter nourishment, we make this comforting soup regularly. It brims with the healthful pairing of lentils and walnuts: it has a deep, earthy, soothing warmth. An added bonus? If prepared using the vegetable broth saved from our Tender Braised Romaine Lettuce recipe, you hit two birds with one stone — providing a nutrient-dense, plant-rich meal.
Ingredients
To make the soup
3 tbsp Honest Toil extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 tbsp (45g) walnuts, plus 250ml water to soak
2 x 400g can cooked lentils (440g cooked weight)
2 bay leaves
500ml water or stock
1/2 tsp table sea salt
A few stems of flat-leaf parsley, to serve
To make the walnut crunch oil
2 tbsp (30g) walnuts
3 tbsp Honest Toil extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp walnut oil
A pinch of salt flowers
Method
- Start by soaking the walnuts: bring 250ml (a cup) of water to a boil and pour it on the walnuts. This softens the nuts and releases any bitterness of the skin. Sieve after 15 minutes.
- In a medium-heavy pot or a casserole dish, heat 3 tbsp olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and the celery and let it soften. Once translucent, add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. You can skip this step if you are making our braised lettuce first.
- Rinse the lentils under cold water, then add them to the pot alongside the bay leaves, sea salt, and 500ml water or broth. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Make the walnut crunch oil: Combine the walnuts and salt using a pestle and mortar, then add the oils. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Ladle out ⅓ of the lentils and purée them combined with the soaked walnuts using a stick blender. Return the walnut-lentil mixture to the pot, combine, and let it cook for a minute or two longer. Adjust the seasoning and thin the soup by adding more water if you like.
- Serve the soup with a swirl of walnut crunch oil and a generous sprinkling of parsley.
