Cheap Lentil Soup with Potato and Carrot

Why This One Works

Red lentils are the cheapest reliable way to turn a pot of water into dinner. They need no soaking, they cook in about 25 minutes, and they break down into the soup so it tastes like it simmered all afternoon. The potato does the filling work, the carrot brings sweetness against the tomato, and the cumin and paprika keep it from tasting like health food. The yield was measured, not guessed: about 3.2 litres of soup, six bowls of roughly 530 ml each.

Ingredients

• Red lentils, 450 g (half a 900 g bag)about $1.81
• Potatoes, 1 kg, from the big bagabout $1.07
• Carrots, 500 gabout $1.43
• Onions, 300 gabout $1.01
• Canned tomatoes, 796 mlabout $2.18
• Canola oil, garlic, spices, bouillonabout $0.52

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens.
2. Add the garlic, cumin and paprika and stir for 1 minute, until they smell like dinner.
3. Add the lentils, potatoes, canned tomatoes, bouillon cubes and about 1.5 litres of water. Bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down and the potatoes are tender. Add a little more water if it gets thicker than you like.
5. Salt and pepper at the end. Rest 5 minutes and serve in the biggest bowls you own.