•شوربة العدس الأخضر •
This Middle Eastern Green Lentil Soup features tender lentils, hearty chickpeas, and a spiced broth. Serve it as is or stir in some chopped greens.
Because of their filling nature and considerable nutritional value, both red and green (sometimes called brown) lentils feature prominently in Middle Eastern cuisine. They also taste great and are much quicker to cook than beans. Another commonly eaten lentil soup is made with red lentils which, due to having their skins removed, disintegrate and don’t hold their shape up as well as these green ones.
This is a soup that I ate very often while growing up. Indeed, I still make and eat this or red lentil soup on a weekly basis. As an easy to make, delicious, and nutritious meal, this soup is perfect for any time of the year. In the colder months, it is warm and can be embellished with root vegetables, and in the warmer months, it can be made brighter with the addition of seasonal greens. I love it best when some roughly chopped swiss chard is added, but spinach and kale are also excellent.
- 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
- 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.
-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.
Thank you for this detailed step by step guide. Can’t wait to try this soup!
Great! Yeah try it out, it’s not too hard!
Thanks for this recipe! It’s a very cool Autumn here in Australia and I have been making plenty of soups to keep myself warm. I definitely will be making this recipe.
Hey Thalia! Oh this is perfect for chilly temperatures…lentil soups are a mainstay for me during cooler months!
Excellent recipies
Thanks so much Terry! 🙂
Hi Omar,
Perhaps I am being a bit stupid, but I can’t seem to figure out when to add the green lentils.
I would be very grateful for an answer, as this dish looks absolutely delicious!
Hi Karolina! You’re right, it’s not clear! Just add the rinsed lentils in with the water/broth. I’ll update the directions to be more clear, thank you!
Thank you very much! 🙂