Egyptian red lentil soup

Red lentil soup is a very satisfying and easy soup with Middle Eastern flavors. This Egyptian red lentils soup takes less than an hour to make and all in one pot. Bonus: it is vegan and freezes very well too.

Lentils are a huge part in the Mediterranean cuisine. If you are looking for more lentil recipes try this Lebanese lentil soup, Moroccan Harira, Persian soup or vegan stew.

Ingredients

Directions:

1. In a deep pot mix in lentils and all the vegetables.
2. Add water or stock then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Partially cover the pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 20-25 minutes.
3. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend to your preferred consistency.
4. Add spices and mix well, taste to adjust.

Variations:

You can add almost any veggies in this soup. One or more of the following is pretty common:

• Fresh herbs especially parsley and cilantro. Cilantro is a personal favorite.
• Peppers, you name it bell pepper, sweet, jalapeno, Anaheim ... etc.
• Potatoes : this is one of the most commonly added veggies and mostly done to give the soup some volume.

Tips:

• Some people like to saute onions and garlic in some olive oil prior to adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Tip from reader, Crystal: "I recently made an interesting topping to swirl over the top for color and an extra kick. Heat some olive oil to very warm in a small pan, add smoked paprika powder and mix well to a runny paste consistency that is more oily than paste like, then add some crushed chipotle pepper (best option) or crushed red pepper to taste. Not only adults love it….my kids actually ask for it too and it takes the soup to a whole other level!". Thanks for the tip.
• I've also tried this with Za'atar and it was amazing.
• If you like you soup smooth, then blend it very well and better use a blender. If you like it with texture, you might consider blending half the mixture keeping the other half as is. If you decide to do that, it is better to add your veggies crushed or finely diced so you will not end up with a whole garlic clove in your spoon.
• You can also add ground coriander for more flavor.
• I am used to this soup made up with only water, you can use vegetable stock or any stock of choice.
• You might also dissolve a tablespoon of tomato paste in a couple of tablespoons of hot water and add it to the mixture for more color.

Serve with:

This soup is great with crackers, pita chips, croutons, garlic bread or just pita bread.

Can I freeze lentil soup?

The answer is yes, absolutely. This soup can even be made ahead of time and frozen. I do not recommend keeping it in freezer for more than a month. On a side note, I do not like the texture of frozen carrots, so if you make your chunky and left some diced carrots in the soup it might not taste good when defrosted. My advice is to puree the soup and freeze it.

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Red lentil soup

The Egyptian take on red lentil soup is so simple and takes less than 30 minutes start to finish. Delicious, warming lentil soup vividly colored with bold flavor.

5 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Egyptian, Mediterranean, Middle East

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 123.9kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup (200g) lentils, washed under running cold water.
• ▢ 1 celery stalk diced.
• ▢ 1 Roma tomato quartered.
• ▢ 1 (150g) onion , quartered.
• ▢ 1 (100g) carrot diced.
• ▢ 1 1/2 liter boiling water/stock divided
• ▢ 2 teaspoon salt or to taste.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin.
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Instructions

• In a deep pot mix in lentils and all the vegetables.
• Add 1 liter of water or stock then bring to a boil over medium high heat.
• Partially cover the pot and reduce heat to medium.
• Cook for 20 minutes or until everything is cooked.
• Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend to your preferred consistency.
• Add spices and mix well. Check to adjust seasonings.
• Check for consistency, if thick for your liking add more water/stock.

Notes

Note1: For variations of the recipe, it is common to use one or more of the following: fresh herbs especially parsley and cilantro. Cilantro is a personal favorite. Peppers, you name it bell pepper, sweet, jalapeños, Anaheim ... etc. Potatoes, this is one of the most commonly added veggies and mostly done to give the soup some volume.

Note2 Some people like to sauté onions and garlic in some olive oil prior to adding the rest of the ingredients.

Note3: Tip from reader, Crystal: "I recently made an interesting topping to swirl over the top for color and an extra kick. Heat some olive oil to very warm in a small pan, add smoked paprika powder and mix well to a runny paste consistency that is more oily than paste like, then add some crushed chipotle pepper (best option) or crushed red pepper to taste. Not only adults love it….my kids actually ask for it too and it takes the soup to a whole other level!". Thanks for the tip. I've also tried this with Za'atar and it was amazing.

Note4: If you like you soup smooth, then blend it very well and better use a blender. If you like it with texture, you might consider blending half the mixture keeping the other half as is. If you decide to do that, it is better to add your veggies crushed or finely diced so you will not end up with a whole garlic clove in your spoon.

Note5: You can also add ground coriander for more flavor.

Note6: I am used to this soup made up with only water, you can use vegetable stock or any stock of choice.

Note7: You might also dissolve a tablespoon of tomato paste in a couple of tablespoons of hot water and add it to the mixture for more color.

Serve with crackers, pita chips, garlic bread or even just pita bread. Lemon wedges and green onions are traditionally served on the side.

 

Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.

Vitamins are in percentage value. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition

Calories: 123.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.3g | Protein: 8g | Potassium: 123.4mg | Fiber: 5.9g | Sugar: 4.3g | Vitamin A: 43.7IU | Vitamin C: 12.2mg

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