When the light goes early and the evenings turn cold, this is the pot you want on the stove.
Quick answer: Roasting the peppers and tomatoes before blending is what gives this soup its depth, and the red lentils are what make it a meal rather than a starter. It is naturally vegan and gluten-free, and it takes about 35 minutes from start to bowl.
- Roasting builds the flavour. Eighteen minutes in a hot oven concentrates the sugars in the peppers and tomatoes, so the soup tastes slow-cooked without being.
- Red lentils do the heavy lifting. They bring plant protein and soluble fibre, and they break down as they cook, which is where the velvety texture comes from.
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free. No dairy, no cream, no flour. The body comes entirely from the vegetables and the lentils.
- One of the most fibre-rich recipes we know. Lentils, peppers, tomatoes and onion in a single bowl.
Why is roasting the vegetables worth the extra step?
Created by KÄLLA Sports Nutritionist Matt Jones, this soup takes a shortcut that most blended soups skip. Instead of softening the vegetables in the pot, you roast them first.
Eighteen minutes at 200°C does two things. It drives off water, so the flavour concentrates rather than dilutes. And it browns the natural sugars in the red peppers and vine tomatoes, which is where the sweetness and the faint smokiness come from. It is the difference between a soup that tastes fresh and a soup that tastes finished.
What does each ingredient bring?
| Ingredient | What it brings |
|---|---|
| Red split lentils | Plant protein and soluble fibre. They collapse as they cook, giving body without cream |
| Red bell peppers | Vitamin C and natural sweetness, deepened by roasting |
| Vine tomatoes | Lycopene, which becomes more available to the body when tomatoes are cooked |
| Yellow onion & garlic | The aromatic base, plus prebiotic fibres that feed gut bacteria |
| Avocado oil | A high smoke point, so it holds up to a hot oven |
| Dried basil & Italian seasoning | Herbal depth that rounds out the sweetness of the roasted vegetables |
| Rocket & radish salad | A peppery, crisp contrast to the velvety soup |
How does a bowl like this support your gut?
Fibre is the part of the diet most of us quietly skip. Up to 90% of people do not reach the recommended daily intake, and that matters because fibre is what the beneficial bacteria in your gut actually feed on.
A soup built on lentils, peppers, tomatoes and onion is an unusually easy way to close some of that gap. If you want to go further on the days when a bowl of soup is not on the menu, PREBIOTIC BLEND provides 5 g of prebiotic fibre per serving from wholefood sources, along with digestive enzymes that support gut comfort. It stirs into yogurt, porridge or a smoothie.
Prebiotic fibre and probiotics work as a pair. Prebiotics are the food, probiotics are the bacteria. If you already take FOR RELIEF, adding fibre is simply feeding what you are already sending in.
"People overcomplicate gut health. Most of the gains sit in eating more plants, more often, in more variety. A pot of soup with four different vegetables and a bag of lentils in it is doing more work than most supplements." — Matt Jones, Sports Nutritionist, KÄLLA
Is this a good autumn recipe?
It is one of the better ones. Peppers, tomatoes and onions are still good into September, and the soup freezes well, so a double batch on a Sunday covers several dark weeknights.
It also reheats without splitting, because there is no cream in it. Make the salad fresh, not in advance.
Who is this for, and who is it not?
This is a flexible weeknight dinner or a substantial lunch. It is naturally vegan and gluten-free as written, so it works for most tables without adaptation. Check the label on your stock and your salad dressing if you are coeliac.
A word of honesty on the fibre. If you have IBS or a known sensitivity to FODMAPs, a bowl this high in fibre, with onion and garlic in it, may not sit well. That is worth knowing before you make a double batch. The same caution applies to PREBIOTIC BLEND, which contains chicory root inulin and oat flour, so it is neither low-FODMAP nor gluten-free. If you are coeliac or FODMAP-sensitive, it is not the right product for you.
And a gentle reminder that we would rather say out loud than not: a varied plate is the foundation. Supplements are there to support a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, never to replace them.
Ready to make it? The full ingredient list and step-by-step method are below.
Ingredients
- 4 red bell peppers
- 900 g vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning, for the vegetables
- Pinch of salt and pepper, for the vegetables
- 100 g dried red split lentils
- 360 ml water
- 480 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 40 g rocket, for the side salad
- 3 radishes, sliced
- 1 tbsp salad dressing of choice
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Cut the tomatoes into quarters if small and eighths if large, and cut the peppers and onion into similar-sized pieces.
- Spread the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic cloves over two lined baking trays. Toss with the avocado oil, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Roast for 18 minutes.
- While the vegetables roast, put the lentils and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Set aside a few pieces of roasted vegetable for garnish. Transfer the rest to a large blender with the vegetable stock and the cooked lentils, and blend until smooth.
- Pour the soup into a large pot and bring to the boil. Stir in the remaining 2 tsp Italian seasoning, the dried basil, salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Toss the rocket and sliced radishes with the dressing. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the reserved roasted vegetables and serve with the salad alongside.
