Author Notes
This is a good old and simple recipe for lentil soup inspired by my mum's cooking and my Egyptian background, ground cumin is the star of this dish and is one of Egypt's staple spices. In only 30 mins you could be snuggling up with one of these delicious bowls. Hope you enjoy it. —Yossra
Ingredients
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3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil,plus extra to serve
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1 large
onion, coarsly chopped
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4
garlic cloves,crushed
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2 cups
red lentils, washed and drained
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1.5 teaspoons
ground cumin, plus extra to serve
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1 teaspoon
seasalt,plus more to taste
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1 tablespoon
tomato paste
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6.5 cups
filtered water
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Pinch
freshly ground pepper to serve
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2 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
Directions
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warm olive oil in a deep pan over low to medium heat
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add chopped onions and stir for 3 mins, or until soften, then add crushed garlic and stir for 2 more minutes or until garlic starts to sizzle.
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add water and stir gently, and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to lowest, cover the pan and leave to simmer for 30 mins, stir twice or 3 times during cooking and check if it needs more water. Make sure the pan is covered while simmering.
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when lentils are completely cooked, the soup will look creamy and the lentils will dissolve in the liquid. Turn the heat off . check seasoning, add a pinch of salt if needed. Leave to cool down before blending.
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blend all ingredients in a blender for 1-2 mins, or until soup is smooth and creamy.
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warm it up if cold then add a dash of lemon juice, and serve in separate bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of ground cumin and some freshly ground black pepper.
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