This Middle Eastern Green Lentil Soup features tender lentils, hearty chickpeas, and a spiced broth. Serve as is or stir in some chopped greens.
Ingredients
1 cup green lentils
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, diced (around 2 or 3 carrots)
1½ teaspoons cumin
1½ teaspoons coriander
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon marjoram or oregano
½ teaspoon ground fennel
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
8 cups hot water
4 teaspoons vegetable broth powder, or replace 4 cups of the water with 4 cups of prepared vegetable broth
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup tomatoes, peeled and chopped
half of a pepper (green, red, or a deseeded chile)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
handful of parsley or cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Pick through your lentils for any foreign debris, rinse them, drain, and set aside.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the olive oil and the onion with a pinch of salt until the onions are browned and caramelized. This can take up to 10 minutes, just don't let them burn.
Add the garlic and carrots and sauté for another minute. Add the spices: cumin, coriander, paprika, thyme, marjoram, fennel, allspice, and pepper and sauté for 10 seconds before adding the water/broth. Finally, add the lentils, bay leaf and salt and let the soup come up to a boil.
After it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium and add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and the half pepper. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, then give it a taste test to see if the lentils are done. If they aren't tender yet, simmer for another 5 minutes.
Finish the soup with the lemon juice and parsley and serve.
Notes
-This soup is versatile; add black beans instead of the chickpeas or stir in roughly chopped greens like swiss chard or spinach.
-If you choose to only use water and no broth, adjust the amount of salt accordingly.
-If you prefer it spicy, add ½ teaspoon or more of Aleppo pepper flakes or another hot pepper.
Recipe by Lands & Flavors at https://www.landsandflavors.com/middle-eastern-green-lentil-soup/