Red lentil pasta soup

Red lentils soften into the broth while small pasta shapes remain distinct in this one-pot soup. Carrot and onion start first, the lentils get a head start in water, and tomatoes arrive with the pasta. That order gives each ingredient a chance to cook without making the noodles wait through the whole lentil simmer.

Size the vegetables for a spoonful

Dice the carrot and onion finely enough that they can soften during the early cooking and fit alongside the pasta on a spoon. Large carrot chunks can remain firm after the lentils have begun to collapse. Keep the heat moderate while softening the vegetables so they do not catch before the liquid is added.

Add garlic and oregano near the end of that first stage, stirring through the oil briefly. Have the lentils and water ready to follow them into the pan. This makes it easier to avoid leaving minced garlic against a hot, dry surface while looking for the next ingredient.

The lentils should be beginning to soften before the tomatoes and pasta go in. Stir through the bottom of the pot as they cook, since the thickening broth can hide a layer beginning to stick.

Let the pasta package set the final timing

Use a small pasta shape that can be eaten easily with a spoon, and check its ingredients if keeping the meal plant-based. Some pasta contains egg. The stated estimate is a starting point; the package’s cooking time and the texture of a piece from the pot are more useful than an assumed universal timing.

Stir often after adding the pasta, separating pieces that settle together. Keep enough liquid moving around them to cook evenly. Taste both a lentil and a piece of pasta before adding the spinach, then give the greens their short final cook.

A gluten-free pasta can be used with its own directions, but it may thicken the broth or soften differently. Check it earlier rather than allowing it to simmer unattended until the original timer finishes. Finely chopped kale also needs a longer cook than the spinach it replaces.

Expect a thicker soup the next day

Pasta continues to absorb broth during storage. For planned leftovers, you can cook it separately and combine it with the lentil soup by the portion; follow the pasta package method and keep both components refrigerated.

Otherwise, leave room in each container for a little water during reheating. Refrigerate promptly in shallow portions and use within three days. Stir as the serving heats so the dense bottom warms along with the surface. Stop once everything is thoroughly hot, since a long extra simmer will soften the pasta further.