Nile River Lentil Soup
"A very tasty vegetable soup from Egypt. I just hope that they aren't actually making soup with water from the Nile, lol."
photo by LifeIsGood
- Ready In:
- 1hr 5mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup red lentil, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 4 cups water or 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 slices lemons (1/4 inch thick or so)
- 1⁄2 cup tomatoes (chopped, canned or fresh)
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
directions
- Heat oil in heavy pot on medium high heat.
- Saute onion and garlic until softened.
- Stir in lentils, ginger, cumin and coriander with onion/garlic mixture.
- Add lemon slices, stock, tomatoes, cayenne, salt and pepper.
- (you can add salt and pepper later, but it's usually added now).
- Add the water or vegetable stock.
- Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for about 45 minutes (it may only take 30 minutes) or until lentils are tender.
- If you like your soup thin, add more stock.
- Take the pot off the burner, discard lemon slices, and puree soup in blender or food processor.
- Season if you have not already added the salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle with coriander (cilantro leaves).
- Alternatively, you can add the cilantro before you put the soup in the food processor.
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Reviews
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I made this soup for the 2012 Best of tag game and I'm so glad I did. It is definitely the best lentil soup I've made. The mixture of spices really sets it apart. Love, love, love it! It's jumping right into my 2012 Best of book...thanks for sharing Annacia! -
This is definitely restaurant quality! I loved this soup so much it just might be the best soup I've ever made. In fact, I'm planning on making this about 5 more time for everyone I know and loved. Thank you! I made pretty much exactly according to the recipe except added a bit more garlic and served with extra lemon slices on the side. Wonderful served with grilled pita bread for dipping.
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This was quick, easy and tasty. I added some things to boost the nutrients: a bell pepper, a carrot, a jalapeno, turmeric and a cup of cooked chickpeas. Oh and a bay leaf. I made the whole thing in my instant pot, which saved time. Started with the saute setting then cooked on high pressure for 20 minutes. -
I have made my share of different lentil soups, but this is definitely up at the top of them all. Just loved the flavours, do not skimp on the spices, they really make the soup. -
This recipe is going into my best of the best file for 2013! Absolutely delicious. I crave it right now as I'm thinking about it. I don't think I would ever had made this recipe if it hadn't been promoted as one of the best recipes of 2012 by a few chefs here. I am so glad I tagged and made this soup. The flavors are outstanding!!!! I love the velvet-like texture of the soup after blending, too. I would not change a thing. Notes: I opted to use vegetable stock and then added only a small amt of water after cooking for a while, I used freshly cut tomatoes and didn't use the fresh cilantro at the end (although, that would be wonderful). Thank you so much for posting this gem!
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Tweaks
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The more I ate, the more I liked it. I used fresh ginger instead of the dried, and briefly cooked the spices with the onions to "bloom" them, before adding the lentils and liquid. I don't bother to chop veggies very fine when I know I will be blending them. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end also brightened the flavor. I made the whole recipe and it was just the right amount for the two of us.
