Red Lentil and Carrot Soup

Description

A tasty + nutritious Middle Eastern-style Red Lentil and Carrot soup that is packed with vegetables and flavour, making a filling and tasty meal.

Ingredients
  • 1 1/4 cup red lentils, rinsed until water runs clear (allow to soak until ready to use)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 bouillon cube (vegetable or chicken)
  • 8 cups hot water
  • lemon juice, freshly squeezed (garnish)
  • cilantro or parsley, finely chopped (garnish)
  • chili flakes (garnish)
Instructions
  1. 1

    Rinse the red lentils until the water runs clear. Place the lentils in a bowl, fill with water about 1 inch over the lentils, and let it soak until ready to use. 

  2. 2

    In a Dutch oven or any soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, stirring occasionally until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. 

  3. 3

    Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute. 

  4. 4

    Add the tomato paste, dried oregano, ground cumin, paprika, black pepper, salt, and bouillon cubes. Stir for about 30 seconds, breaking up the bouillon cubes at the same time. 

  5. 5

    Drain the water from the lentils and add the lentils to the pot. Stir until combined. The extra water from the lentils should help lift up what's stuck at the bottom of the pan. 

  6. 6

    Add the 8 cups of water, stir, and bring to a boil. 

  7. 7

    Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils and carrots are tender. Give the soup a stir occasionally, removing any scum off the surface of the soup if necessary. 

  8. 8

    Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. 

  9. 9

    Taste the soup and adjust for salt. 

  10. 10

    Serve the soup with a squeeze of lemon juice, and a sprinkling of cilantro/parsley + chili flakes. Enjoy! 

Keywords: lentil soup, middle eastern soup, red lentil and carrot soup, best lentil soup, iftar recipes, shorba recipe, palestinian soup, lebanese soup, ramadan recipes, easy iftar recipes
Read it online: https://www.spoonfulofscrumptious.com/recipe/red-lentil-and-carrot-soup/