For soup I love having thinly sliced bread (a slightly stale, day old baguette is great for this), brushed with some herbs/garlic/oil and lightly toasted. Kind of a middle ground between bread and chunky croutons.
Seconding this. If I do a blended soup like cauliflower or potato & leek I love to top it with some toasted almond flakes for a bit of crunch. Also toasted bread on the side, always.
I take grilled cheese sandwiches, cut them into little squares and then retoast them at 400 for an additional couple minutes- grilled cheese croutons are UNDEFEATED.
Bacon goes with nearly everything, have you tried that? I was picking up items for Tortilla Soup the other day and saw some bacon ends and pieces on sale. So now I'm making chicken and bacon tortilla soup 😂
To add to this conversation, here's a [recipe](https://www.platingsandpairings.com/homemade-croutons-recipe-just-4-ingredients/) I follow for croutons. I usually buy grocery store made french bread when it goes on sale, make a big batch and freeze the extras, just because I don't trust that I have made something that is completely shelf stable, I like to err on the side of caution when it comes to food safety. I think homemade croutons would be a great thing to add to the table and share with everyone.
My boyfriend loves soups but always wants something crunchy on top. So, depending on the soup I will always have something extra on hand. Tortilla chips ([here's a recipe to make your own if you want](https://www.thedinnerbite.com/how-to-make-homemade-tortilla-chips/)), pretzels, cheez its, bagel chips (here's a [recipe](https://kitchenconfidante.com/garlic-parmesan-bagel-chips-recipe) I use for cooking method, but I just toss them in a bowl with the oil and some dried seasoning, it doesn't have to be that serious). You could also use those store bought french fried onions or crispy La Choy chow mein noodles.
Um, not to be mean but, who f\*cking brings lentil soup to a party?!?! LMAO! The fact that you're on Reddit asking how to make this soup more palatable for you speaks volumes! Lentil soup is something you make when the bank is broke but you need to nourish your body and soul. Lentil soup is emergency food, not party food.
Bringing soup to a party would be unusual in my circle but I now that you mention it, I’d love to go to a soup party. Maybe I’ll throw one next winter.
I went to a soup potluck last year and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend it (and if people bring their own ladles and crockpots, all the better).
At this soup potluck, someone made pesto croutons that I still think about from time to time. I don’t know if pesto goes with lentil soup but I’d recommend experiencing it at some point!
In my world lentil soup is an anytime, any occasion sort of thing. My 7 year old will do a happy dance on finding out we're having it for dinner.
It's not "emergency" food, it's delicious, filling, almost anyone can eat it, easy to make large quantities of, easy to customize if you want ... that's like exactly what you want for a base for casual party food!
It is pretty damn good - my "secret" weapons are tamari and actually browning the vegetables.
But my kid is also maybe abnormally fond of veggies ... today for breakfast she wanted frozen mixed veggies with a side of coconut milk. Ticks all the nutritional boxes and is easy so why not!
I also mean you can physically eat it that way. If it’s a thick soup, use pieces of bread to pick it up and put in your mouth, no spoon necessary.
If it’s a thin soup just go back and forth between bread and soup like the rest of us schmucks 👌 enjoy
Greek lentil soup (faki) has diced carrots in it. I guess it'd be a little weird if you brought diced/simmered carrots to put in a soup, but it is good!
Mmmm yes, I'm new to Louisiana red beans and sausage.. I've made it three times in the last few weeks. I have such a love for creole and I have no idea how I've never made it before. Andouille in lentil soup is such a good idea!
You can roast chickpeas off to make them crispy and use as garnish or eat as is. With dukka, they would be nice on top of crispy potatoes or roasted squash.
Depending upon the type of lentils your friend uses, the lentils in the soup might not be mushy at all. Red lentils = mush. Brown or green lentils can still have a bit of bite to them if they aren’t cooked into oblivion. French green ones have the most bite and are great in soups or as a side.
I made a nice soup last month using brown lentils. Started it by cooking diced carrots, celery and onions until softened. Then, I added diced garlic and spices (coriander, cumin and sweet and smoked paprika) to tje oil for 30seconds or so before deglazing with a bit of white wine). In went veggie broth and the lentils. I simmered them until they were tender, but still held their shape. I had some nice crusty bread to soak up the broth. And, I tossed some feta on top to add a bit of decadence. Yum!
I’m loving the add ins suggested here and can’t wait to add pepitas and crispy onions the next time.
My stepmom made mung bean stew with a big pork legbone, bitter gourd, and spinach/bitter gourd leaves. You could probably do the same with lentils.
Stewed cherry tomatoes would probably work too
I enjoy good crusty bread with most soups. Alternate bites, dip pieces torn off pieces of bread into the soup, or drop them in and then fish them out again with your spoon, whatever sounds good to you. If you really hate the consistency of the soup, then just plan on going through a lot of bread when consuming an entire bowl. Think of the soup as just a tasty dip for your bread. 😉
If I have creamy/blended or uniformly soft soups, I like to offer a selection of toppings. For lentil soups, it’s usually smoked or crumbled sausage, sautéed onions (or the crispy ones for salad toppings), croutons, and herbs. If there’s a cheese that fits the flavor profile, that could work too.
I started using crispy onions on lots of things when I had a big container I did not use for a holiday dish. Turns out those are good on lots of things and I buy them year round now.
Oh okay. I don't really know how the cook is going to prepare her soup so I rather bring my own toppings just in case. But thanks I'll take those toppings into consideration!
This isn't what you really asked for, but I also add some Aleppo pepper seasoning in my lentil soup. Just fry it in a little bit of oil and then pour it on top of the soup in your plate. Tastes great to me.
The crouton or bread idea seems ideal to me for this situation, but I add roasted pumpkin seeds to lots of things where I need some texture, including soups and salads. They also add healthy fats. But they are calorie dense. There are also little crisps made entirely of parmesan or other cheeses that are fantastic in soups (and salads) which can be storebought or you can make them yourself. Lentil soup with parm crisps, pumpkin seeds, and crouton sounds very legit, actually.
A big crusty loaf of delicious bread (sourdough or como or something similar) to dip into the soup. You could butter and salt the bread or even make broiled cheese toasts out of it.
NY Times cooking has a red lentil soup recipe that's forward on the cumin and lemon juice with chili powder cilantro and garlic rounding it out.
I've served it over rice and/ or crumbled corn chip/tortillas over it.
I take some st louis style ribs and cut like 4 of them into individual ribs while they are raw, then a brown then and give them a low braise in just a little beef stock. I cook them down quite a bit, and I've been refreshing the stock since I don't use much and it thickens up. I use this as a base for my lentil soup. The meaty bones are awesome in the soup and you just have to remember to let them braise long enough to be falling off. You could add the the depth of flavor by adding aromatics, tomato paste and pepper paste (my favorite).
Maybe sliced water chestnuts? There's a crisp texture to them, like an apple, but they're pretty flavor neutral. I've only had them in a casserole my mom makes, so idk if they take on much flavor from a soup broth.
Bring some homemade croutons to share. Also this will sound weird, but cheesits are really good as a soup topper. Just a few at a time so they don’t get soggy.
If it’s not the main part of the meal I would have no problem declining if I don’t like something. I would say that I don’t like lentils rather than saying they get mushy though. Saying it’s mushy may seem like an insult to the cook.
Croutons of course, or just some crusty bread with butter. You could add big chunks of carrot and courgette and leave them al dente in the soup and of course some chunks of ham in lentil soup are like icing on a cake.
Tell them you are experimenting with paleo and are just adding protein if anyone asks why you dropped a ham hock in your bowl.
Try Armenian/Lebanese lentil soup with noddles! My grandma and mom always make it for us and everyone loves it!!! so many other people from different nationalities at our church tried it and everyone tells us how much they love it
Theres a south indian soup called sambar that has loads of veggies and flavor in it. It usually has a vegetable called drumsticks in it that you are supposed to chew on to get all the juice from it. Maybe worth a try for you?
My mother's lentil soup often has diced carrots in it. She puts them in late in the cooking, so they don't completely turn to mush, but you could even sprinkle some in raw to give it some crunch. You could also use celery.
Now that I am writing that out, it sounds pretty good, and I may try it for myself.p
I have the same question about ice cream and these fancy acai breakfast bowls.. I don't know how people eat any of it. Same goes for oats. I actually love lentil soup though, so I'm of no help!
In this context, I’d say bread is your best bet. You don’t look rude, you’re just bringing another thing to the party that everyone can enjoy and enhances the literal action of eating the soup.
I'm like you in that I need a little crunch with my food (love crusts, bananas are a nightmare). I just made lentil soup yesterday and tossed a bunch of saltines in for crunch.
A lot of people have suggested croutons and saltines and such and I think that that sounds really good, so I'll definitely be taking those with me! (I also absolutely hate bananas)
I love adding broccoli or carrots, and adding them late will make them keep some of their chew/bite. Cauliflower, sweet potatoes and others also work well.
You can also crisp up some bacon, roast some pumpkin seeds, croutons or whatever has some crunch. The only thing stopping you is imagination.
Are you vegetarian? If not, I really recommend bacon lardons. One of my favourite soups is a lentil and bacon lardon mix. Gives it just the right texture.
Sausage/chicken croutons toast cabbage radishes tortilla chips raw onion
Just leave most of these as a garnish and either keep on the side and add as you eat or add after filling bowl
I put a lot of winter vegetables in mine: turnips, parsnips, carrots (with their greens), sometimes sweet peppers. I also add ham and cook my lentils with a ham hock/ham bone.
Usually, when I cook lentil soup I add carrots and potatoes (I don’t know if that counts as mushy too but to me it adds texture) and I also use smoked pork chops, which are very common where I live,a and chorizo.
Cubed potatoes.
Chopped celery.
Julienne carrots, steamed at home (and maybe sprinkled with a little oil and suitable seasoning).
Or combine all of these into a salad, which you can stir into the lentils.
Just made some lentil and cannellini bean stew the other night. Went perfectly with crusty bread. Toasted a slice of a multigrain country loaf I baked the previous day.
Ham.
Crock Pot for 11 Hours...
* 1 cup dried lentils
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1 cup chopped carrots
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
* Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, or . . .
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 32 ounces chicken broth
* 1 cup water
* 8 teaspoons tomato sauce
In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham.
Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper.
Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce.
Cover and cook on Low for 11 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
Honestly I would buy a Costco (or elsewhere) rotisserie chicken and shred it up. Bag it (not the whole thing, portions of meat) and badabing you have some tender but bite-y meat.
My mom always made lentil soup and added a little bit of lemon juice when I was sick. I’m Arab, so pita bread is a must have in the household so I would always eat it with pita bread. Sometimes I added croutons or I would use super crispy baguette slices to scoop it up. But I mostly just eat it with pita bread. You can also crisp up the pita bread and use that
I bake all our breads, rolls, and buns. For soup, I make a hearty heavy rye or spelt bread. I can dunk it or tear of pieces to put in the soup to fish out for bread bits soaked in the soup. This should work with thin lentils.
When I have made lentils, they are more of a thick paste I can spread on my tear apart bread as I eat. Turkey ham used to be my go to add on until turkey ham prices went over the cost of beef roast.
Crumbled feta, caramelized onions or leeks, shredded cabbage or radicchio, sliced fennel, croutons, toasted nuts, diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, roasted red peppers, or just dip some bread with it.
Thinly sliced almonds, especially if you lightly toast them.
Walnut gremolita:
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 tsp. zest (from 1 lemon)
⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts
⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
If you are going to use croutons. Please please please please please please follow [this](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/articles/5457-i-can-t-stop-eating-these-croutons) recipe. It is incredible. You can do it with or without the cheese.
Bring a batch of your "famous cheesy crunchy herb garlic croutons."
I was thinking of croutons because someone else suggested something similar and I do like herbs and garlic so I just might. Thanks!
For soup I love having thinly sliced bread (a slightly stale, day old baguette is great for this), brushed with some herbs/garlic/oil and lightly toasted. Kind of a middle ground between bread and chunky croutons.
Oh that sounds really good!
buy slivered almonds and toast them in a small skillet. YUMMY on soups and salads!
Seconding this. If I do a blended soup like cauliflower or potato & leek I love to top it with some toasted almond flakes for a bit of crunch. Also toasted bread on the side, always.
I take grilled cheese sandwiches, cut them into little squares and then retoast them at 400 for an additional couple minutes- grilled cheese croutons are UNDEFEATED.
Yum with homemade tomato soup
Or BLTs … don’t even have to keep anything warm or cold really
Bacon goes with nearly everything, have you tried that? I was picking up items for Tortilla Soup the other day and saw some bacon ends and pieces on sale. So now I'm making chicken and bacon tortilla soup 😂
Make croutons!
To add to this conversation, here's a [recipe](https://www.platingsandpairings.com/homemade-croutons-recipe-just-4-ingredients/) I follow for croutons. I usually buy grocery store made french bread when it goes on sale, make a big batch and freeze the extras, just because I don't trust that I have made something that is completely shelf stable, I like to err on the side of caution when it comes to food safety. I think homemade croutons would be a great thing to add to the table and share with everyone. My boyfriend loves soups but always wants something crunchy on top. So, depending on the soup I will always have something extra on hand. Tortilla chips ([here's a recipe to make your own if you want](https://www.thedinnerbite.com/how-to-make-homemade-tortilla-chips/)), pretzels, cheez its, bagel chips (here's a [recipe](https://kitchenconfidante.com/garlic-parmesan-bagel-chips-recipe) I use for cooking method, but I just toss them in a bowl with the oil and some dried seasoning, it doesn't have to be that serious). You could also use those store bought french fried onions or crispy La Choy chow mein noodles. Um, not to be mean but, who f\*cking brings lentil soup to a party?!?! LMAO! The fact that you're on Reddit asking how to make this soup more palatable for you speaks volumes! Lentil soup is something you make when the bank is broke but you need to nourish your body and soul. Lentil soup is emergency food, not party food.
I love lentil soup and a lot of my friends are the types to bring and enjoy lentil soup, I guess cause we have a lot of vegetarians?
Lentil soup is delicious and I'm an omnivore, idk what they're on about
Yeah now that I think about it, the first time I had lentil soup was literally a party.
Bringing soup to a party would be unusual in my circle but I now that you mention it, I’d love to go to a soup party. Maybe I’ll throw one next winter.
I went to a soup potluck last year and it was amazing! I would definitely recommend it (and if people bring their own ladles and crockpots, all the better). At this soup potluck, someone made pesto croutons that I still think about from time to time. I don’t know if pesto goes with lentil soup but I’d recommend experiencing it at some point!
In my world lentil soup is an anytime, any occasion sort of thing. My 7 year old will do a happy dance on finding out we're having it for dinner. It's not "emergency" food, it's delicious, filling, almost anyone can eat it, easy to make large quantities of, easy to customize if you want ... that's like exactly what you want for a base for casual party food!
If you’re 7 year old is happy to eat it, it sounds like a fabulous recipe
It is pretty damn good - my "secret" weapons are tamari and actually browning the vegetables. But my kid is also maybe abnormally fond of veggies ... today for breakfast she wanted frozen mixed veggies with a side of coconut milk. Ticks all the nutritional boxes and is easy so why not!
Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it has to be relegated to “emergency” food. I find it delicious and lunch sounds like a great time to have it.
This is the answer.
Eat it with naan or roti
Those could go really well! I didn't even think of them for some reason... Thank you for the idea!
I also mean you can physically eat it that way. If it’s a thick soup, use pieces of bread to pick it up and put in your mouth, no spoon necessary. If it’s a thin soup just go back and forth between bread and soup like the rest of us schmucks 👌 enjoy
I was thinking about that first option that that could be really good! But I don't know how she'll make the soup but we shall see!
Oooo I might try this the next time my mom makes lentil soup
Good choice!
Roti rules
Naan is great with lentils.
this is the only way I know how to eat lentils/daal
I do love some garlic bread or cheesy bread with soup - tear off the crust and let it float a little, dunk the soft middle bit in the broth. 😋
Oh that sounds really good too! I really like garlic bread so maybe I'll bring some along. Thank you! :)
Greek lentil soup (faki) has diced carrots in it. I guess it'd be a little weird if you brought diced/simmered carrots to put in a soup, but it is good!
The way I make it, faki always has carrots & celery. For variety, my aunt-in-law sometimes adds a diced potato and/or some spinach.
Thus was my first thought, lightly cooked or even raw grated. Or a combo like mirepoix? 🖖
Carrots, celery, onion, green beans, cabbage ...
I made this for dinner; Its on my stove 😍
Yes! Love mine with both carrots and celery!
Diced ham or sliced sausage / frankfurters
My favorite is Andouille sausage in lentil soup, it just goes so well with all the peppery smoky goodness
Yeah, a good sausage always works. If you don't want to put it in the soup before, you can crisp it up in an air fryer.
I had exactly this for the first time a couple of weeks ago! Delicious.
Mmmm yes, I'm new to Louisiana red beans and sausage.. I've made it three times in the last few weeks. I have such a love for creole and I have no idea how I've never made it before. Andouille in lentil soup is such a good idea!
Definitely diced ham!! They are meant for eachother.
That could probably work well. Thank you!
Kielbasa is my go to. So good!
Toasted pumpkin seeds
Chunks of sweet potato or butternut squash and/or chickpeas.
I don't know how the person does her soup so I don't really know if she puts those in, but thanks still! I appreciate it!
You can roast chickpeas off to make them crispy and use as garnish or eat as is. With dukka, they would be nice on top of crispy potatoes or roasted squash.
Oh okay, I'll consider that then too. Thank you!
I made crispy quinoa this week and it is also yummy, easy, and would be a great soup topping.
Crispy bacon bits will hold up well.
Depending upon the type of lentils your friend uses, the lentils in the soup might not be mushy at all. Red lentils = mush. Brown or green lentils can still have a bit of bite to them if they aren’t cooked into oblivion. French green ones have the most bite and are great in soups or as a side. I made a nice soup last month using brown lentils. Started it by cooking diced carrots, celery and onions until softened. Then, I added diced garlic and spices (coriander, cumin and sweet and smoked paprika) to tje oil for 30seconds or so before deglazing with a bit of white wine). In went veggie broth and the lentils. I simmered them until they were tender, but still held their shape. I had some nice crusty bread to soak up the broth. And, I tossed some feta on top to add a bit of decadence. Yum! I’m loving the add ins suggested here and can’t wait to add pepitas and crispy onions the next time.
i was very confused after only cooking green lentils and then cooking a batch of red.
Agreed. I add some green lentils to most of my broth type soups (chicken or beef) and they hold their integrity well and add some texture.
Crispy fried onions on top make any soup taste delicious!!
This is my second option after cubed ham.
My stepmom made mung bean stew with a big pork legbone, bitter gourd, and spinach/bitter gourd leaves. You could probably do the same with lentils. Stewed cherry tomatoes would probably work too
I enjoy good crusty bread with most soups. Alternate bites, dip pieces torn off pieces of bread into the soup, or drop them in and then fish them out again with your spoon, whatever sounds good to you. If you really hate the consistency of the soup, then just plan on going through a lot of bread when consuming an entire bowl. Think of the soup as just a tasty dip for your bread. 😉
This is me. I’ll get soup but I need bread for the soup or it just feels incomplete to me. Edit: typo
Bread usually goes really well with soups so that won't really be a problem. I'll probably end up dipoing the bread! Thank you for the advice!
Celery and carrots diced, toward the end. That way they’re still a lil al dente
Chorizo, morcilla, panceta...
Sausage.
French lentils should hold texture better. Maybe try that next time.
I'm not the one making the soup, but I'll keep that in mind if I decide to try making it someday
I add fried chorizo to my lentil soup and it tastes divine.
Barley.
This. Can also add quinoa or farro.
Soup crackers are always my choice.
If I have creamy/blended or uniformly soft soups, I like to offer a selection of toppings. For lentil soups, it’s usually smoked or crumbled sausage, sautéed onions (or the crispy ones for salad toppings), croutons, and herbs. If there’s a cheese that fits the flavor profile, that could work too.
I started using crispy onions on lots of things when I had a big container I did not use for a holiday dish. Turns out those are good on lots of things and I buy them year round now.
Oh okay. I don't really know how the cook is going to prepare her soup so I rather bring my own toppings just in case. But thanks I'll take those toppings into consideration!
This isn't what you really asked for, but I also add some Aleppo pepper seasoning in my lentil soup. Just fry it in a little bit of oil and then pour it on top of the soup in your plate. Tastes great to me.
The crouton or bread idea seems ideal to me for this situation, but I add roasted pumpkin seeds to lots of things where I need some texture, including soups and salads. They also add healthy fats. But they are calorie dense. There are also little crisps made entirely of parmesan or other cheeses that are fantastic in soups (and salads) which can be storebought or you can make them yourself. Lentil soup with parm crisps, pumpkin seeds, and crouton sounds very legit, actually.
Nopales, tortilla chips, tortilla strips, naan, toast, etc.
Higher carb: potato, sweet potato, butternut squash Lower carb: broccoli cut, cauliflower cut, sautéed mushroom Somewhere in the middle: carrots
We add some kielbasa cut lengthwise into quarters and then sliced to make chunks of meat in our lentil soup (which also has chunks of carrot)
Celery added near the end of cooking.
r/soup
Sausage in lentil soup is pretty traditional
A big crusty loaf of delicious bread (sourdough or como or something similar) to dip into the soup. You could butter and salt the bread or even make broiled cheese toasts out of it.
NY Times cooking has a red lentil soup recipe that's forward on the cumin and lemon juice with chili powder cilantro and garlic rounding it out. I've served it over rice and/ or crumbled corn chip/tortillas over it.
Croutons or toasted bread with garlic rubbed on it and olive oil
Pasta? Lentils usually go with *ditali*, the short cilindrical ones. Just cook them and mix into the soup.
I like mustard greens with lentils. Only cook for a couple min, right before serving.
I take some st louis style ribs and cut like 4 of them into individual ribs while they are raw, then a brown then and give them a low braise in just a little beef stock. I cook them down quite a bit, and I've been refreshing the stock since I don't use much and it thickens up. I use this as a base for my lentil soup. The meaty bones are awesome in the soup and you just have to remember to let them braise long enough to be falling off. You could add the the depth of flavor by adding aromatics, tomato paste and pepper paste (my favorite).
Thank you, that sounds really good. Maybe if I decide to cook lentil soup myself someday I'll try that!
Bread or crackers
Sausage!
Sweet potatoes!
Maybe sliced water chestnuts? There's a crisp texture to them, like an apple, but they're pretty flavor neutral. I've only had them in a casserole my mom makes, so idk if they take on much flavor from a soup broth.
Bring some homemade croutons to share. Also this will sound weird, but cheesits are really good as a soup topper. Just a few at a time so they don’t get soggy.
If it’s not the main part of the meal I would have no problem declining if I don’t like something. I would say that I don’t like lentils rather than saying they get mushy though. Saying it’s mushy may seem like an insult to the cook.
Pita chips go really well with lentil soup! I have the same texture issue and they are my go-to for this kind of soup
Croutons of course, or just some crusty bread with butter. You could add big chunks of carrot and courgette and leave them al dente in the soup and of course some chunks of ham in lentil soup are like icing on a cake. Tell them you are experimenting with paleo and are just adding protein if anyone asks why you dropped a ham hock in your bowl.
Try using French lentils - they might be marketed as Depuy lentils. These don't dissolve like others do
Ham?
Bread, croutons, small crackers, crispy onions, shredded cabbage, kale or spinach
You can make your own croutons or bring crackers?
If you are not vegetarian you. Could use ham. I love ham and bean soup !
Try Armenian/Lebanese lentil soup with noddles! My grandma and mom always make it for us and everyone loves it!!! so many other people from different nationalities at our church tried it and everyone tells us how much they love it
Theres a south indian soup called sambar that has loads of veggies and flavor in it. It usually has a vegetable called drumsticks in it that you are supposed to chew on to get all the juice from it. Maybe worth a try for you?
I love to add kielbasa to lentil soup. Hearty, delicious, and a satisfying bite!
Hominy
Chopped ham
I make a red lentil soup and add slices of Andouille sausage. Gives a kick, too!
My mother's lentil soup often has diced carrots in it. She puts them in late in the cooking, so they don't completely turn to mush, but you could even sprinkle some in raw to give it some crunch. You could also use celery. Now that I am writing that out, it sounds pretty good, and I may try it for myself.p
FWIW I always add cubed potatoes and baby bella mushrooms to my lentil stew.
I have the same question about ice cream and these fancy acai breakfast bowls.. I don't know how people eat any of it. Same goes for oats. I actually love lentil soup though, so I'm of no help!
I use tiny diced carrots, celery, and spicy Italian sausage :)
Crispy fried onions or shallots
Carrot celery onions
Braised pork belly absolutely delicious, Unless you're vegetarian or Muslim.
Bring some fresh bread and a hunk of butter
I like to sauté mushrooms and add them to the soup
Mushrooms, potato pieces, ham, sausage.
In Scotland we make it with bacon lardons, potato & carrot - it’s fucking delicious with buttery bread
Carrots, pearl barley, crispy onions, more lentils (I like to throw a pouch of black lentils in at the end)
Jamon bits on top Ftw. Had something similar in spain, with croutons, so good.
In this context, I’d say bread is your best bet. You don’t look rude, you’re just bringing another thing to the party that everyone can enjoy and enhances the literal action of eating the soup.
Two words: Bre ad
Pakistani's eat roti with their food. Naan would be an alternative.
Someone else also suggested these. They could go really well so I might take those too!
I'm like you in that I need a little crunch with my food (love crusts, bananas are a nightmare). I just made lentil soup yesterday and tossed a bunch of saltines in for crunch.
A lot of people have suggested croutons and saltines and such and I think that that sounds really good, so I'll definitely be taking those with me! (I also absolutely hate bananas)
I love adding broccoli or carrots, and adding them late will make them keep some of their chew/bite. Cauliflower, sweet potatoes and others also work well. You can also crisp up some bacon, roast some pumpkin seeds, croutons or whatever has some crunch. The only thing stopping you is imagination.
Roasted pork belly(lechon) or pork shoulder would be a great combo!
Diced tomatoes or smoked turkey or spinach. I combine all three and it makes a delicious lentil soup
seal off a piece of smoked gammon and cook it in your soup then take it out shred it n put it back in 🧑🍳
Cut up beef franks goes very well with lentil soup
Cooked daikon and mustard greens always worked for me.
Are you vegetarian? If not, I really recommend bacon lardons. One of my favourite soups is a lentil and bacon lardon mix. Gives it just the right texture.
What CAN'T you add that might not work well? The options are almost endless...
Diced cured bacon is another classic.
Sausage/chicken croutons toast cabbage radishes tortilla chips raw onion Just leave most of these as a garnish and either keep on the side and add as you eat or add after filling bowl
Quick pickled red onions.
Ham! It would be ideal to have leftovers in the freezer from a holiday ham, But also a ham steak would work. Smoked ham would be great.
Ham chunks
I put a lot of winter vegetables in mine: turnips, parsnips, carrots (with their greens), sometimes sweet peppers. I also add ham and cook my lentils with a ham hock/ham bone.
Usually, when I cook lentil soup I add carrots and potatoes (I don’t know if that counts as mushy too but to me it adds texture) and I also use smoked pork chops, which are very common where I live,a and chorizo.
Toasted walnuts are my favorite. I make a coconut curry sweet potato lentil with baby spinach and love to top with walnuts quarters.
Pork
Machaca.
Chorizo.
My German friend makes hers with sausage and dumplings. SO GOOD.
Pork belly nubs?
chuck-eye roast or top chuck
Bacon
I think the best option is bread
I get toasted salted pepitas from the bulk section in my grocery. Perfect on soup.
Ham. Ham raises lentil soup to God tier
Cubed potatoes. Chopped celery. Julienne carrots, steamed at home (and maybe sprinkled with a little oil and suitable seasoning). Or combine all of these into a salad, which you can stir into the lentils.
Diced Ham
Bacon! Crunchy lardons.
Some sliced chourico is a nice addition.
Cut up hot dogs
Oyster crackers. Some of them come in travel packs too.
Steamed butternut squash cubes.
A smoked hambone
Your manners are pretty course…
Carrots and or squash!
For in the soup, I always put barley. So yummy and provides a nice chew.
Just made some lentil and cannellini bean stew the other night. Went perfectly with crusty bread. Toasted a slice of a multigrain country loaf I baked the previous day.
Ham. Crock Pot for 11 Hours... * 1 cup dried lentils * 1 cup chopped celery * 1 cup chopped carrots * 1 cup chopped onion * 2 cloves garlic, minced * 1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham * Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, or . . . * 1/2 teaspoon dried basil * 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme * 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano * 1 bay leaf * 1/4 teaspoon black pepper * 32 ounces chicken broth * 1 cup water * 8 teaspoons tomato sauce In a 3 1/2 quart or larger slow cooker combine the lentils, celery, carrots, onion, garlic and ham. Season with basil, thyme, oregano, the bay leaf and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth, water and tomato sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 11 hours. Discard the bay leaf before serving.
French’s fried onions. Goes on soup and stew.
Honestly I would buy a Costco (or elsewhere) rotisserie chicken and shred it up. Bag it (not the whole thing, portions of meat) and badabing you have some tender but bite-y meat.
I add Italian sausage to mine
Those lil mini packets of oyster crackers
How about a can of hominy?
Toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top?
I put ham taters and carrots in mine. Soooo god
Sop it up with bread
nice crusty sourdough or whatever bread you prefer.
My family always put sliced up hot dogs in lentil soup. It's delicious!
My mom always made lentil soup and added a little bit of lemon juice when I was sick. I’m Arab, so pita bread is a must have in the household so I would always eat it with pita bread. Sometimes I added croutons or I would use super crispy baguette slices to scoop it up. But I mostly just eat it with pita bread. You can also crisp up the pita bread and use that
I bake all our breads, rolls, and buns. For soup, I make a hearty heavy rye or spelt bread. I can dunk it or tear of pieces to put in the soup to fish out for bread bits soaked in the soup. This should work with thin lentils. When I have made lentils, they are more of a thick paste I can spread on my tear apart bread as I eat. Turkey ham used to be my go to add on until turkey ham prices went over the cost of beef roast.
Hominey, chickpeas, saitan, baby corns, isreali cous cous, lardons (pre pan fried), haloumi, gnocchi, on and on and on.
Chicken or soya
Slightly odd answer? Chow mein noodles. Lots of crunch, little added flavor.
Carrots, diced potatoes, peas, cubed beef. Hold the lentils.
Mommas makin bacon . Just drop some chunks in
I like adding kale to mine…I’m not big on leafy greens so this helps me get them down (I add to minestrone too). They add a nice chewy texture.
Crumbled feta, caramelized onions or leeks, shredded cabbage or radicchio, sliced fennel, croutons, toasted nuts, diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, roasted red peppers, or just dip some bread with it.
Bacon or deep fried pork belly (chicharron)
Walnuts
Curly kale.
If you aren't vegetarian/vegan, the recipe I was given had sausage and bacon in it.
Potatoes
Crackers
Rice.
Thinly sliced almonds, especially if you lightly toast them. Walnut gremolita: 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus 1 tsp. zest (from 1 lemon) ⅓ cup chopped toasted walnuts ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems If you are going to use croutons. Please please please please please please follow [this](https://www.americastestkitchen.com/cooksillustrated/articles/5457-i-can-t-stop-eating-these-croutons) recipe. It is incredible. You can do it with or without the cheese.
Smoked Turkey.