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Close up vertical picture of Roasted Tomato Lentil Soup Caprese in a white bowl

Roasted Tomato Lentil Soup Caprese

With classic tomato-basil flavor and lots of healthy red lentils, this delicious, unique soup has a wonderful Caprese topping - fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil leaves.
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 249 kcal
Author Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 3 pounds plum or roma tomatoes washed and halved, lengthwise
  • 1 large sweet onoin peeled, halved and cut into wedges
  • 6 medium cloves garlic crushed (with the back of a knife) and peeled
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup red lentils* about 7 ounces
  • 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 7- ounce can tomato paste
  • 2 medium bay leaves
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • For the topping:
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella**
  • 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
  • Makes 6-8 generous servings***

Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Remove bay leaves and add basil to the soup. Then blend with an immersion blender or stand blender. If using a stand blender, allow the mixture to cool a bit before blending. 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.
  5. Taste and add a bit more salt, if needed. Serve soup hot topped with halved Ciliegine (see note below), 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 Notes

Notes: * - red lentils are a fairly common variety. You'll find them in the dried bean section of most larger grocery stores. ** - most larger grocery stores (including Super Walmart) carry the small balls of mozzarella called Ciliegine or Bocconcini. If you can't find either of these varieties, just use a bigger ball and dice it into ½-inch pieces for the topping. - ***this recipe makes a large pot (will feed 6-8 easily) but it can be halved. You might be sad with yourself if you half it though as it makes wonderful lunches and quick meals on the run.

Nutrition Facts
Roasted Tomato Lentil Soup Caprese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 249 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 833mg36%
Potassium 982mg28%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 2095IU42%
Vitamin C 32.5mg39%
Calcium 164mg16%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.