Sauté the onion in the olive oil over a low heat for 5-10 minutes until soft and lightly browned.
1 onion (large), 1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4 garlic cloves
Add the carrot and celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes until glossy and browned.
2 celery sticks, 2 carrots
Add the vegetable stock, lentils, and dried herbs and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently with the lid on for 20 minutes.
1.2 L vegetable stock, 100 g dried brown lentils, 2 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
Add the gluten-free pasta pieces and simmer for 5-10 more minutes until the pasta is cooked and the lentils are soft.
80 g gluten-free small pasta pieces
Stir in the white miso paste until dissolved and well distributed through the soup. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with chopped chives or parsley sprinkled on top.
1 tablespoon sweet white miso paste, salt and pepper
Instant Pot Instructions
Set the IP to "Sauté" and add the oil. Wait for it to heat up then add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 5-10 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables are slightly browned.
Add the vegetable stock, lentils and dried herbs and mix well. Lock the lid and set the IP to High Pressure for 10 minutes.
1.2 L vegetable stock, 100 g dried brown lentils, 2 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
After 10 minutes, do a quick pressure release (careful not to burn yourself!) and stir. Add the noodles then put the lid back on, lock in place and set the IP to High Pressure for 2 minutes. (Don't worry, it will come back to pressure very quickly).
80 g gluten-free small pasta pieces
After 2 minutes, do a quick pressure release, then stir in the miso paste and serve!
Thermomix Instructions
Add the oil, onions (quartered) and garlic (sliced) to the TM jug and set to 3 secs. / sp. 5. Scrape down the sides then set the TM to 5 mins / 120°C / sp. stir.
Add the carrot and celery (both roughly cut into chunks) and set to 3 secs. / sp. 5. Scrape down the sides then set to 3 mins / 120°C / Rev. sp. 1.
2 celery sticks, 2 carrots
Add the vegetable stock, lentils and dried herbs. Set TM to 20 mins / 100°C / Rev. sp. 2.
1.2 L vegetable stock, 100 g dried brown lentils, 2 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
Add the gluten-free noodles. Set the TM to 6 mins / 100°C / Rev. sp. 2.
80 g gluten-free small pasta pieces
Add the miso paste. Set the TM to 15 secs / Rev. sp. 3. Serve.
1 tablespoon sweet white miso paste
Notes
This soup is also delicious without the noodles, cooked for the same time (30 minutes) but just without adding the pasta.
If you are not a fan of lentils, you could use chickpeas or even vegan chicken pieces instead.
To cook with tinned lentils, just skip the 20 minute simmering and combine steps 4 and 5 so that you add the tinned lentils together with the pasta pieces and stock and herbs, and simmer for 10 minutes only.
If you are making this soup ahead of time, do not add the pasta as it will absorb all the liquid and go mushy. Instead, add the pasta at the time of re-heating and cook for 10 minutes when re-heating, to ensure the pasta is cooked.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days but if the pasta is included, you may need to add more stock on re-heating.