1–2–3 Lentil Soup
By Andrew Brandon
I call this “1-2-3” Lentil Soup because it’s an easy way to remember the quantities: 1 onion, 2 carrots, 3 cloves of garlic. This recipe is similar to most traditional Arabic recipes for lentil soup; and like any soup you can really do whatever you want and it’ll still taste great. The main difference I’ve seen is that each person likes to use their own particular combination of spices. Some people also add potato for extra heft, but I usually don’t, mostly because it takes more effort, and I think it detracts from the flavor.
Measurements for the spices are approximate and can be easily altered to your personal preference. As with my Beef Stew recipe, I find the flavor of this soup to be greatly enhanced by the addition of ground coriander. Pre-ground spices are fine, of course, but, if practical, freshly grinding whole seeds will give an extra burst of flavor.
It’s very easy to make a double or triple batch of this soup; I like to make a big pot and then freeze individual servings, which sets up a simple work-from-home lunch!
- serves 4
- 20 minutes
- 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups red lentils
- Olive oil
- 1 qt water or broth
Spices
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander seed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Finish
- Juice of 1 small lemon (or ½ large lemon)
- 1 small handful minced parsley (garnish)
- Aleppo pepper flakes (garnish)
Directions
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Heat some olive oil in a stockpot until shimmering. Add the onion and carrot with a dash of salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and the onion starts to brown — this will take a while because the moisture has to cook out of the carrots.
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Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the lentils and spices to the pot and mix everything together. You should now have a dry blend of fragrant ingredients.
Optionally, deglaze with a splash of wine and stir for a minute or so to let it absorb in.
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Pour in about 1 quart of the water or broth, enough to cover the mixture, and set the pot to simmer. Cook (covered or uncovered, it doesn’t really matter) for around 30 minutes, until the lentils taste soft.
During this time, check the soup periodically; you may want to add more water (depending on how thin or thick you like your soup) or salt (to taste) as it cooks.
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Optional: some people prefer a chunky soup and others prefer a smooth texture. If you like it smoother, stick an immersion blender into the pot once it’s done cooking, and blend it a little. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also transfer a portion of the soup to a standalone blender, purée it there, then mix it back in.
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Remove from heat and then stir in lemon juice to taste. Use enough lemon so that its acidity balances out the earthy flavors of the lentils and spices, but if you like a tangy soup, go ahead and add more!
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Serve into bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and Aleppo pepper.
This is but one of the many fantastic recipes available on this blog!