Roasted Tomato Lentil Caprese Soup
This delicious Roasted Tomato Lentil Caprese Soup is a wonderfully healthy and filling soup! It’s chunky texture, deep flavor and superb toppings make it a go-to soup any time.
It’s reminiscent of a caprese salad with tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil leaves but in soup form.
Thickened with lentils, there’s also a protein component to it so that it’s perfect on its own for a light lunch or dinner.
Roasting the tomatoes with onions, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and garlic creates a deep rich flavor. Once roasted, add the tomato mixture to a soup pot or Dutch oven.
Add lentils, broth, tomato paste and bay leaves to the tomatoes. Cook for 20 minutes and then remove from the heat.
Remove the bay leaves and add fresh basil to the pot. Using an immersion or stand mixer, blend the soup until combined but still chunky. Be sure to leave a corner of the lid of the stand mixer open (if you are using a stand mixer) so that steam can escape. I also cover that opening with a dish towel so that soup doesn’t go everywhere.
If you need to add a bit more salt, do so now.
To serve the soup, top it with halved mozzarella balls, cherry tomato halves and fresh small basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and a good crush of black pepper! Enjoy!
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Roasted Tomato Lentil Caprese Soup
Makes: 10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour & 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour & 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 pounds plum or roma tomatoes, washed and halved lengthwise
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled, halved and cut into wedges
- 6 medium cloves garlic, crushed (with the back of a knife) and peeled
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup red lentils (about 7 ounces)
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (7-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the Topping:
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella balls (try to get the Ciliegine or Bocconcini or cut into 1/2″ chunks)
- 1 pint yellow and red cherry tomatoes or use one color
- small fresh basil leaves for garnish
- extra-virgin olive oil for garnish
- fresh ground black pepper for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450˚F. Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Stir gently with a large spoon or spatula to coat. Turn mixture out onto a rimmed sheet pan and arrange tomatoes cut side down. Nestle garlic cloves in the center of the pan. Be sure to scrape out all the good oil and juice in the bowl.
Bake for 30 minutes, then flip tomatoes to opposite side and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid has been evaporated. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, cooking time can vary a bit so keep an eye on them at the end.
Remove from oven and transfer the tomato mixture (and any liquid left in the pan) to a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the lentils, broth, tomato paste, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a steady low simmer. Cook for 20 minutes then remove from heat.
Remove bay leaves and add basil to the soup. Allow the mixture to cool a bit before blending and then blend with an immersion blender or stand blender. It’s also a good idea to leave the center cap of the blender lid off and cover it with several layers of paper toweling. (If too much heat builds up in the blender container, it can cause an explosion.) Leave the soup a bit chunky, not super smooth.
Taste and add a bit more salt, if needed. Serve soup hot topped with halved mozzarella balls, cherry tomato halves and small fresh basil leaves. If your basil leaves are large, just slice them thinly. Drizzle each serving with a teaspoon of olive oil and a shower of fresh ground black pepper.
Recipe from The Cafe Sucre Farine
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