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Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

A quintessential Egyptian soup with a whole-foods twist!
Course Soup
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author Nada E.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 medium red onion roughly quartered
  • 1 medium sweet potato about two cups worth, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium tomato roughly chopped
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 small carrots or one large, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 heaping tbsp of cumin powder
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 litre water or vegetable stock plus more as needed

Optional toppings

  • Caramelised onions
  • Baked pita chips
  • Lemon juice
  • Toasted cumin seeds
  • Organic extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients to a large pot and cover with water or vegetable stock.
  • Bring to the boil, then add in seasonings before covering and bring the heat down to medium-low to simmer.
  • Cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are soft enough to slice easily. That’s the best indicator for me as they take the longest to cook.
  • Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully pour contents into a blender, and blend till creamy.
  • Add back into the pan and thin out with water as needed, remembering to taste and re-adjust seasoning.

Notes

I use sweet potato to up the nutritional profile of this soup (can’t get enough beta-carotene!), but feel free to use a regular potato for a more traditional taste
For a spicy variation you could add one de-seeded chili pepper, or even 1 teaspoon of curry powder (note, that will alter the original flavour dramatically)
For a chunkier texture you could pulse half of the mixture in a blender and set aside before adding to the rest of the pureed soup