Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
The advent of Ramadan brings ‘Shorbat Adas’ or Middle Eastern Lentil Soup to iftar tables across the world. It is tradition in Muslim households to break one’s fast as the prophet did with a date, sometimes followed by fruit, and a little later, after prayers and what not, the main meal begins with this nourishing, warming soup of the ages made with lentils, vegetables and healing medicinal spices used to aid in the digestive process.
Lentils are a great source of Polyphenols, B Vitamins, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc and Potassium; as well as fibre and plant based protein. This highly nutritious soup is savory, creamy and delicious; we enjoy as a main meal for lunch or dinner.
Organic Ingredients: Serves 6
2 Cups Red Lentils, washed well
1 Large or 2 Small Onions, peeled & roughly chopped
3 Carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and diced
3 Celery Sticks, chopped
1 Large Yukon Gold Potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1.5 Tbsps. Chicken Better than Buillon
2 Tsps. Ground Cumin
1 Tsp. Ground Turmeric
1 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Celtic Sea Salt
3 Tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsps. Parsley, leaves only, finely diced, plus more for garnish
2 Cups Pita Chips*, recipe below
The Juice of 1 Lemon, plus wedges/slices, for serving
*Pita Chips
Pita or similar Flat Bread
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Celtic Sea Salt
Notes
You’ll need a handheld immersion blender for this recipe. If you don’t have one, you can use a food processor and process in batches once soup is cool.
Method
To make Pita Chips, cut up Pita or Flat Bread using kitchen scissors into bite size squares. Place Pita onto a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Drizzle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top and season with Celtic Sea Salt. Bake in a 400f oven for approx. 7 minutes or until crisp.
It doesn’t matter how you chop your vegetables for this recipe as long as they’re small and somewhat uniform for even cooking, since they’ll be blended later.
Heat a large enameled cast iron dutch oven, or similar, with 2 tbsps. Extra Virgin Olive Oil to medium heat. Add Onions and sauté for 10 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Garlic and Ground Spices and sauté for one minute. Add Carrots, Celery, Potatoes and Salt and sauté for 30 seconds. Add Lentils and saute for 30 seconds. Add Better than Buillon and Water, mix well, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove and discard any scum/foam that rises to the top. Leave to boil for a minute or so while stirring, before covering and reducing heat to a simmer. Heat should be low but not too low, so it’s still gently bubbling. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and uncover. Add Butter and let stand for 10 minutes before blending with an immersion blender until smooth.
Add the juice of 1 Lemon and diced Parsley and adjust Salt & Pepper to taste. Serve in bowls, topped with a few Pita Chips, garnished with a sprinkling of Parsley and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Serve with a Lemon Wedge.
Ingredients, minus Water + Better Than Bullion
Onions and Garlic sautéed with aromatic spices
Sautéed vegetables
Adding water to lentils and vegetables
I used 2 x 9 inch Pita Rounds for my Pita Chips
7 minutes in a 400f oven; crispy perfection
