Saturday, April 16, 2011

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup, good for the soul & your belly

A good friend of mine shared this recipe with me many years ago, and it has become a staple in my repertoire. Why do I love this soup so much? Because it is so versatile. When I first started to cook this recipe I was vegetarian and it was great,  I have since started to eat meat again (as you can see by my post about short ribs ;) ) and with a slight change in ingredients, it changes too, or not depending on my mood. It is also easy to add different spices or ingredients if you want to mix it up a bit. Now about the good for the belly part, this is a super healthy soup. Lentils are a great way to get protein, iron and fibre into your diet plus they are also an excellent source for amino acids such as isoleucine and lysine which are are extremely healthy, particularly if you are a vegetarian. 


I have never served this soup without praise, so hope you and your family enjoy it as much as mine do. So without further adieu...


EGYPTIAN RED LENTIL SOUP


2-3 tbsp olive oil
pinch of kosher salt
1 sm-med sized onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
pinch cayenne
dash of cumin & coriander seeds
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
  1. Saute the garlic and onions with the salt until the onions are clear
  2. Add in the ginger and saute for 2-3 mins
  3. Add in the lentils, and saute until they are coated with the ingredients
  4. Add in the stock, spices and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 30-45 mins, or until lentils are cooked thoroughly.
  5. Enjoy!!
I forgot to say that I also love this recipe because it is so quick and easy to make. I served it with a dollop of goats cheese and some fresh chopped cilantro. Also, works well with a crostini on the side with pesto goats cheese & tomato....mmmm

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