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Scottish Lentil Soup

Scottish lentil soup with a thick, golden-orange texture from blending half the pot. Red lentils simmer until tender and falling apart, then optionally finished with cream for a richer bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Scottish
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Red lentils
  • 1.5 cup red lentils Rinsed.
Vegetables
  • 3 carrots Diced.
  • 2 celery Diced.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 1 leek Sliced, white part only.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Soup base
  • 6 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 4 oz smoked ham hock or bacon Optional.
  • 2 tbsp butter
Spices
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
Finishing
  • 0.5 cup cream Optional, for richness.
  • 1 fresh parsley For serving.
  • 1 crusty bread For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot, then sauté the onion, leek, carrots, and celery for 6–7 minutes until softened. Keep the heat at medium so the vegetables turn glossy without browning too fast.
Bloom the spices
  1. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper, then cook for 2 minutes. Stir constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the rinsed lentils, broth, and the ham hock if using, then bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce to a steady simmer.
  2. Simmer for 30–35 minutes until the lentils are completely tender and falling apart. Stir occasionally and add a splash of broth only if the pot looks too dry.
Finish and thicken
  1. Remove the ham hock and shred any meat, then return the meat to the pot. Discard the bone.
  2. Blend about half the soup until thick with a textured consistency. Blend carefully and avoid over-processing so some chunks remain.
  3. Stir in the cream if using, then season with salt to taste. Simmer 1–2 minutes just to warm through, keeping it from boiling hard.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

For the smoothest thick texture, blend only half the soup and leave the rest chunky. Refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth. Freeze up to 2 months (add cream after thawing for best texture). For a lighter option, use half-and-half or omit the cream entirely and increase broth slightly for a thinner finish if desired.