Golden Saffron Basundi in a bowl with pistachios Saffron & Cardamom Basundi White miso Zoni soup with toasted mochi and vegetables Japanese New Year Mochi Soup with White Miso (Zoni) Smoked cheese lentil soup served Smoky Lentil Cream Soup Chai latte cannoli served Chai Latte Cannoli Hungarian beef stew served with bread Authentic Hungarian Beef Stew (Pörkölt) Vanilla Orange Cake decorated with slices Zesty Orange Vanilla Cake Mici meat rolls with fries and mustard Romanian Garlic Meat Rolls (Mici) with Fries Vodka croissants served Orange and Vodka Chocolate Croissants Coffee cream croissants served Coffee Cream Croissants Chanh Muối salted lemons in a glass jar Vietnamese Salted Preserved Lemons (Chanh Muối) Coffee Nankhatai cookies with almonds Coffee Infused Indian Shortbread (Nankhatai) Nankhatai with almond flour, soft almond cookies Almond Flour Nankhatai (Indian Shortbread) Apple Lassi drink with ice and cinnamon Refreshing Apple Lassi Drink Shrimp gyoza fried crisp served Shrimp & Ginger Potstickers (Gyoza) Smoked BBQ salmon with honey-mustard glaze Honey-Mustard Glazed Smoked Salmon Oden with tofu, rich Japanese soup served with tofu, egg, and spinach Classic Tofu Oden Portuguese Bolo do Caco flatbread with garlic butter and parsley Portuguese Pan-Seared Garlic Flatbread (Bolo do Caco) Chef's special burger with foie gras and truffle Rossini-Style Gourmet Burger Orange cake decorated with chocolate glaze Chocolate Glazed Orange Cake Sweet and sour red onion served Quick Pickled Red Onions (Cebolla Encurtida) Golden Saffron Basundi in a bowl with pistachios Saffron & Cardamom Basundi White miso Zoni soup with toasted mochi and vegetables Japanese New Year Mochi Soup with White Miso (Zoni) Smoked cheese lentil soup served Smoky Lentil Cream Soup Chai latte cannoli served Chai Latte Cannoli Hungarian beef stew served with bread Authentic Hungarian Beef Stew (Pörkölt) Vanilla Orange Cake decorated with slices Zesty Orange Vanilla Cake Mici meat rolls with fries and mustard Romanian Garlic Meat Rolls (Mici) with Fries Vodka croissants served Orange and Vodka Chocolate Croissants Coffee cream croissants served Coffee Cream Croissants Chanh Muối salted lemons in a glass jar Vietnamese Salted Preserved Lemons (Chanh Muối) Coffee Nankhatai cookies with almonds Coffee Infused Indian Shortbread (Nankhatai) Nankhatai with almond flour, soft almond cookies Almond Flour Nankhatai (Indian Shortbread) Apple Lassi drink with ice and cinnamon Refreshing Apple Lassi Drink Shrimp gyoza fried crisp served Shrimp & Ginger Potstickers (Gyoza) Smoked BBQ salmon with honey-mustard glaze Honey-Mustard Glazed Smoked Salmon Oden with tofu, rich Japanese soup served with tofu, egg, and spinach Classic Tofu Oden Portuguese Bolo do Caco flatbread with garlic butter and parsley Portuguese Pan-Seared Garlic Flatbread (Bolo do Caco) Chef's special burger with foie gras and truffle Rossini-Style Gourmet Burger Orange cake decorated with chocolate glaze Chocolate Glazed Orange Cake Sweet and sour red onion served Quick Pickled Red Onions (Cebolla Encurtida)
Smoked cheese lentil soup served
Silky and smoky lentil soup with cheese

Smoky Lentil Cream Soup

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses Soups
Lentils symbolize wealth for the New Year, but why eat them only then? This cream soup uses smoked cheese to highlight the earthy flavor of lentils, while cream makes it velvety. It tastes like it was cooked with smoked ham hock, but without the meat.
🕒 Prep Time 10 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 45 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 350 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Immersion Blender: For creaming.
  • Grater: For the cheese.

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Sort and rinse the lentils. Chop the onion and garlic.

Tip: You can soak lentils for 1 hour to speed up cooking, but it's not mandatory.
2 ✓

Sauté the onion in olive oil, then add garlic at the end.

Tip: Sauté garlic for only 1 minute to prevent bitterness.
3 ✓

Add lentils, stir, then pour in the broth. Simmer covered for 25-30 minutes until completely tender.

Tip: They are ready when the grains are almost falling apart.
4 ✓

Remove from heat and blend until creamy.

Tip: Be careful with hot soup!
5 ✓

Return to heat, stir in cream and half of the grated cheese. Warm until cheese melts (do not boil vigorously).

Tip: Fat from cream and cheese creates a full body.
6 ✓

Season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with remaining cheese.

Tip: A drop of vinegar or lemon juice at the end works wonders to lift the flavors.

Recipe FAQ

Why are the lentils still hard?
The lentils were likely old, or you added acidic ingredients (like lemon or wine) too early, which toughs the skins. Always add acid at the end!

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 medium Yellow Onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1.25 cups Dried Brown or Green Lentils
  • 5 cups Vegetable Broth (or water)
  • 0.5 cup Heavy Cream
  • 3.5 oz Smoked Cheese (Gouda or Provolone, grated)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Black Pepper