Lentil Soup

Lentil soup is nourishing for both the soul and the body. It is a favourite at winter time in the Middle East. And what gives it its wonderful flavour is the tiqlaye at the end of the souping. What I mean by that is the final step of frying the garlic and coriander in butter or olive oil and adding to the soup, sizzling hot. It is really the piece de resistance of this soup. This final touch gives a lot of Arabic dishes like Molokhia and many stews that distinctive salty, earthy flavour. Method

Lentil Soup
2015-10-08 03:54:33

Ingredients
- 1 cup orange lentils
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 large carrot cubed
- 1 large potato cubed
- 1/2 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 3 cloves garlic mashed with tsp sea salt
- 1.3 litre water
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 organic vegetable cube stock
- table-spoon half/half rape seed oil +olive oil (for the actual soup)
- tsp butter +tsp olive oil for the coriander garlic.
- Salt/Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fry the onion in half and half rape seed oil/olive oil. I always add some salt at this point so the onions don’t brown. Once soft (5-10 minutes) Add the chopped carrot and potato. Saute another 10 minutes. Add the lentils and water and veg cube and boil for 20 minutes (this is when I add the cumin seed powder and leave some till the end too) until all is cooked and tender. Liquidate in food processor or hand-held piece. On the side, fry the garlic and chopped coriander in 1 tsp butter and dash of olive oil until cooked- coriander becomes dark and garlic cooked but not burn. Add to the soup with the fat it’s cooked in. Bon Apetit
- P.S if you want to increase amount just double everything. Although I always like to not add too big a quantity of lentils to vegetable ratio- in roder to taste the other vegetables- keep ratio of lentils to 1.5 cup if you are to double everything.
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chichineni
December 17, 2014
Lentil soup is my favourite and this looks delicious! I’m definitely gonna try this for New Year’s day 🙂 xx
kitchenbutterfly
December 19, 2014
Love the sound of the tiqlaye. That’s ‘tempering’ like the Indians do with spices. I have to try it. Superb
chocolates1974
December 20, 2014
yes Oz. Cant wait till you get here and we can experience stuff sans the world wide web..
Sally
December 30, 2014
This is the first thing I learned to cook in the Middle East and the thing I make most often. Love your extra garlicy touch.
chichineni
January 4, 2015
Was at Panni and Pierre’s place and they made your lentil soup from this recipe..was so delicious! 🙂 xx