Persian-Style Red Lentil and Tomato Soup

"This tangy soup is low-fat, quick and easy to prepare! It is a copycat-of a-copycat recipe from the soup served at Reza's, a Persian restaurant in Chicago (so called because I have never been to Reza's, but once had someone else's imitation of it!). Sumac powder and dried limes can both be found at Middle Eastern groceries or ethnic stores."
 
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photo by Sephardi Kitchen photo by Sephardi Kitchen
photo by Sephardi Kitchen
Ready In:
50mins
Ingredients:
16
Serves:
4
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ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped finely
  • 1 carrot, chopped finely
  • 1 celery, chopped (optional)
  • 2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups chicken stock
  • 12 cup red lentil, rinsed
  • 1 bunch parsley, chopped (or 2tbs dried)
  • 1 tablespoon dried dill
  • 1 -2 tablespoon sumac
  • 1 dried lime (strongly preferred, but can substitute with 1/4 c lime or lemon juice)
  • 12 teaspoon turmeric
  • 12 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper
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directions

  • Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook until the onion is softened.
  • Stir in the turmeric and paprika. Add tomatoes and stock along with the dried lime. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. If the dried lime is still floating, cut it in half with a knife or kitchen scissors now that it is softened.
  • Add the lentils, return to a simmer. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are cooked.
  • Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree half the soup, return to the pot.
  • Add sumac and parsley/other herbs, cook 5 minutes longer.
  • Serve hot with bread and a dollop of yogurt (optional).

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Reviews

  1. Holy cow--how have I not reviewed this recipe yet? I've made this half a dozen times at least and it never disappoints. Made it for a soup potluck at work and it was just as popular as the heavy, fat-laden, cream-and-sausage soups (bleh). Proof that healthy, vegan food is delicious! My carnivorous husband likes it and so does my 12-year-old stepdaughter.
     
  2. I tried this recipe in hopes that it would be like the lentil soup at my favorite restaurant. It's even better. I'm amazed and thrilled. This will be a staple for me from now on.
     
  3. I love cooking Persian food, and everything in the recipes *seems* like it should make a good Persian soup, but something just isn't quite right. For one thing, I think the parsley needs to cook a lot longer -- it tasted far too "green" with the parsley barely cooked. I hope it's better tomorrow. For the future, I would put the parsley in earlier, and maybe tinker with the spices. If it's a lot better tomorrow, I'll change my rating.
     
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I am a junior at the University of Illinois @ Urbana Champaign, studying Speech and Hearing Science with a concentration in Audiology. I grew up in a very small rural town in northern Illinois and attended a residential high school (IMSA) in Aurora. I love soccer, fishing, dissecting stuff, drawing and painting, henna, pyrography, knitting (although I am not very good at it!) cooking and prowling for recipes online, Judaism, reading, rock climbing, and the outdoors. I hope to pursue a doctorate in Audiology (AuD) after undergrad. I have always loved cooking and trying new foods, and moving into my first apartment has been a wonderful opportunity to do so. However, it has also been quite a transition getting used to actually cooking for myself everyday, without making a huge ordeal. I do believe I am getting better at fixing a meal in a more efficient amount of time :)
 
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