A Very 'Carrot Forward' Red Lentil Soup

Some days you go to the farmers market with a list. Other days you go and just... can't say no. That was me yesterday at Shirley's Tamarack Farmers Market, standing in front of a table from Palomino Valley Farm, completely charmed by a pile of the most beautiful carrots. No list required — those carrots were coming home with me.

Geoff and Josh Souza are incredible farmers and genuinely sweet guys.

Today they became soup. A very "carrot forward" soup, if I do say so myself, built on a base of red lentils that cook down into something silky and comforting in almost no time at all. It's the kind of soup that tastes like it took a lot more effort than it did — which, frankly, is my favorite kind of recipe. Many soups that include the red lentils go in the direction of Indian spices and coconut milk. But, I wanted something different ... that would really highlight the sweetness of these lovely carrots.

I made mine in the Instant Pot, and between the sauté and the pressure cook, it comes together in under 30 minutes total. The real bonus round, though, is what happens with the carrot tops — instead of tossing them, I blitzed them into a quick pesto with roasted pistachios, fresh garlic, lemon and olive oil. Drizzled over the top of the soup right before serving, it adds this bright, herby contrast that makes the whole bowl feel a little more special.

Carrot & Red Lentil Soup with Carrot-Top Pistachio Pesto

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 12 minutes (plus about 10 minutes to come to pressure) Servings: About 6-ish Equipment: Instant Pot, plus an immersion blender or high-speed blender.

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, diced (I used a red onion, 'cause that's what was in the fridge)

• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

• 3–4 cups fresh carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces

• 1 cup dried red lentils

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• 4 cups broth (I use Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken concentrate)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

OPTIONAL: I used about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the House Blend Vegetable seasoning from The Spice House. It's my go-to for dishes like this. I buy the 'flat packs' and keep 'em in the freezer to refill the bottle in my spice rack whenever.

For the carrot-top pesto:

• Tops from 2 small bunches of carrots

• About ½ cup+ roasted pistachios (mine were from the bins at Winco)

• A few fat cloves of fresh garlic

• A squeeze or two or three of fresh lemon juice

• Enough extra virgin olive oil to emulsify

Instructions

1. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the oil, and once it's hot, sauté the onion until it just starts to "color." Add the carrots and sauté for another couple of minutes. Stir in the lentils and broth, and make sure to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot — this helps you avoid the dreaded "Burn" error code.

2. Secure the lid and set the pressure release valve to Sealing (mine does this automatically, but yours may not). Select Manual/Pressure Cook on High Pressure and set the timer for 12 minutes.

3. When the cooking time ends, let the pot sit undisturbed for a 10-minute natural pressure release. After that, turn the vent valve to release any remaining pressure, then remove the lid.

4. Blend the soup until it's super smooth and creamy. You can use a handheld immersion blender, but I find a high-speed blender gets it silkier.

5. Taste and adjust the seasoning — more salt and pepper if it needs it, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten everything up.

6. For the pesto: Combine the carrot tops, pistachios, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor. Stream in enough olive oil to bring it together into a loose, 'spoonable' pesto.

7. To serve: Gently warm the pesto, loosening it with a bit more olive oil if needed, and drizzle it generously over each bowl of soup.

   
   

Serve alongside a simple salad and some good, crusty bread, and you've got yourself dinner.