As I chatted with Tala, a UAE based Lebanese food blogger about Ramadan in Lebanon (post on this link), I had learnt that like in most Middle Eastern cuisines, the red lentil soup is a staple Ramadan soup without which no Ramadan iftar menu is complete. Tala generously shared her red lentil soup recipe here with us and this is how she makes it. Give it a try and enjoy.
The Staple Soup
Ingredients
Serves: 4-6 Cook Time: 30- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 onion
- 2 carrot
- 1 sweet potato
- 3 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cups Water
- A drizzle of DS Premium Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- A drizzle of lemon
Wash and soak the lentils for ten minutes. Dice the onions.
Peel and chop the carrots and the sweet potato into bite size cubes.
Add the vegetable oil, onions and 2 teaspoons of salt in a deep pot and sauté until the onions are translucent. (Keep a handful of onions on the side to be used for the croutons). Add half the carrots and the sweet potato and the full amount of white pepper to the onions and sauté for 3 minutes. (The other half of the carrots and sweet potato will be used for the croutons). Add the 4 cups of water to the vegetables and bring to a boil.
Strain the lentils and add them to the boiling water and veggies. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot. Have a taste test and add salt according to your liking.
Serve hot and drizzle some lemon and paprika on top.
To make the croutons
Take the remaining onions, carrots and sweet potato and lay them out on a sheet pan.
Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the vegetables.
Bake in the oven until roasted, about 30 minutes.
Use these garnish the sup.
