Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
Lentil is an excellent source of fibres and a good source of protein. It is known for its various benefits to health including reducing blood cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease, stabilising blood sugar levels, and even helping with weight loss.
Lentils are also very easy to cook on the stove, and are used in a wide range of cuisines and recipes. Today, we brought to you a delicious easy lentil soup recipe from the Middle East to warm you up during this cold weather:
Ingredients:
1 medium onion chopped
3 table spoons of olive oil
1 tea spoon of ground cumin
1 cup of red lentil
½ tea spoon of black pepper
Juice of one big lemon
2 ½ cups of hot water
Salt (as much as desired)
Fresh parsley for decoration
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chopped onion until they get creamy in colour.
- Add the lentils and stir for a minute.
- Add the boiled water, cumin, black pepper and salt.
- Put the pan cover on and leave the soup to boil.
- Stir well every 10 minutes to prevent lentils from sticking to the base of the pan.
- When the red lentils melt and form a thick soup, add the lemon juice and let it boil for few minutes.
- No blending is necessary unless you want it really smooth.
The great thing about lentil soup is that it gives you total freedom when choosing how thick you like your soup. If you like it thick, then just let it boil longer, if not you can – at any time – add hot water and let the soup boil for few minutes.
Decorate the soup with fresh parsley and serve with chunks of crusty bread.
