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Scottish Lentil Soup

Scottish lentil soup made with red lentils simmered until tender and falling apart, then blended halfway for a thick, textured finish. Sautéed onion, leek, carrots, and celery add a warm, savory base, with optional smoked ham for deep flavor.
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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
carrots
  • 3 carrots diced
celery
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
onion
  • 1 onion diced
leek
  • 1 leek sliced, white part only
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
broth
  • 6 cup broth vegetable or chicken
smoked ham hock
  • 4 oz smoked ham hock optional; or use bacon
butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
turmeric
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
cream
  • 0.5 cup cream optional, for richness
fresh parsley
  • 1 fresh parsley for serving
crusty bread
  • 1 crusty bread for serving
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, leek, carrots, and celery for 6-7 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Bloom the spices
  1. Add the garlic, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the spices smell toasted.
Simmer the lentils
  1. Add the rinsed red lentils, broth, and smoked ham hock (if using), then bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes until the lentils are completely tender and visibly falling apart.
Finish the soup
  1. Remove the smoked ham hock and shred any meat, then return the meat to the pot and discard the bone.
  2. Blend about half the soup until thick with a textured consistency, then stir it back into the pot.
  3. Stir in the cream if using and season with salt to taste.
  4. Serve the soup hot with fresh parsley and crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

For the thickest texture, blend with an immersion blender right in the pot and stop once it looks creamy but still has some body. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently to avoid curdling if you used cream. Freeze for up to 2 months (best without cream, then add cream after thawing). For a dairy-free option, skip the cream and season with extra black pepper or a splash of broth at the end for richness.