Egyptian Yellow Lentil Soup

Submitted by CaliforniaJan

"This recipe is adapted from Magda el-Mehdawy's book My Egyptian Grandmother's Kitchen. Lentils are a very ancient food staple, and have been the basis of diets in the Middle East for millennia. To perk up the flavor of this soup, cooks often add a spritz of lemon juice to each serving at the last minute. Note: Ghee is available at Middle Eastern markets. Yellow lentils are actually orange when you buy them in the package, but they quickly turn yellow when cooked. Unlike brown lentils, they take very little time to cook.The amount of cumin can be adjusted to taste"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter, see Tips, below)
• 2 pita bread rounds, each cut into 9 wedges
• 1 lb dried yellow lentils
• 1 medium tomatoes, quartered and seeded
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1 inch slices
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon corn oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups beef stock or 3 cups canned beef broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

directions

1. In large skillet over medium heat, heat ghee. Working in batches of 6, sauté pita pieces until crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2. Wash lentils well in several changes of water until water runs clear. Drain. In large saucepan, combine lentils and enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add tomato, potato, carrot, and salt and bring to boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, skimming any foam that forms on top.
3. Remove from heat. Strain, reserving cooking liquid. In blender, purée solids, adding enough reserved liquid to make mixture smooth. Set aside.
4. In medium pot over moderately high heat, heat corn oil. Add onion and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add puréed lentils, beef stock, and cumin. Simmer until soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with fried bread wedges.

Reviews

[Jamilahs_Kitchen]

Very nice I rarely buy the orange lentils but I actually had some on hand. This was a nice way to use them as usually they disappear in rice or other things when you cook them. I made this for DH for his lunch today and topped with a bit of yogurt. Made for ZWT6 for Looney Spoon Phoodies.

 

[Maryland Jim]

Excellent soup. This is the first time I've used yellow lentils. Makes a very nice soup. Will definitely be making this again. Made for ZWT6 Voracious Vagabonds.

 

[Tea Jenny]

This is very similar to soup that I make all the time, thinking that it wouldn't be noticed I gave it to DH and he did notice the difference. He thought it was a bit spicier than mine, and he likes spicy so It got the thumbs up and full marks. I liked the sauteing of the onions, the flavour really comes out when you cook them like that, I might continue to make mine like that, it's a good tip. We liked this a lot thank you for posting. Made for ZWT#6 2010.