Orange lentil soup is thick, full of nutritional value, and serves as a complete meal. I like to cook it until the lentils break down and thicken the soup, and then it becomes truly indulgent.
And no, there is no need to cook or soak the lentils before cooking. It’s just important to use orange lentils here and not green/black lentils, which require longer cooking and usually soaking.
By the way, if you decrease the amount of water, you can serve it as a side dish with rice.