Bulgarian Lentil Soup

60 min · Easy · Serves 1

320 kcal per serving · 16g protein

This is the meatless lentil soup every Bulgarian grandmother has on the stove — just lentils, onion, carrot, paprika and a spoon of tomato, finished with chubritsa (summer savory), the herb that makes it taste like home. It's cheap, filling and almost impossible to ruin. Eat it with crusty bread and, if you like, a splash of vinegar on top, the old-school way.

Ingredients

• 60 g Lentils, dried (brown or green)
• Small onion × 1
• Carrot × 1
• 1 clove Garlic
• 2 tsp Sunflower oil
• 1 tsp Tomato paste
• 0.5 tsp Paprika
• 0.5 tsp Chubritsa (summer savory)
• Bay leaf × 1
• 450 ml Water
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 sprig Fresh parsley, to serve

Method

1. Rinse the Lentils

   

   Put the lentils in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear, picking out anything that isn't a lentil.

2. Chop the onion and carrot

   

   Finely chop the onion and cut the carrot into small dice.

3. Warm the sunflower oil

   

   Warm the sunflower oil in a medium pot over medium heat and cook them for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and see-through but not browned.

4. Bloom the Paprika

   

   Stir in the chopped garlic, paprika and tomato paste and cook for just 30 seconds, until it smells sweet and the paste turns brick-red.

5. Add the lentils

   

   Add the lentils, water and bay leaf.

6. Bring to a boil

   

   Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn it down to a gentle simmer — small, lazy bubbles — put the lid on askew and cook 30 minutes, until a lentil squashes easily against the side of the pot with your spoon.

7. Finish with Chubritsa

   

   Stir in the chubritsa and salt to taste and simmer 5 more minutes so the herb opens up. Fish out the bay leaf, ladle into a bowl and top with chopped parsley.