Spicy Red Lentil

Lentils scented with aromatic cumin and flavored with tangy lemon and garlic, garnished with golden crisp sautéed onions and a little cilantro: a mid-eastern style lentil soup that is both delicious and attractive, and best of all, quite quick and easy and to prepare. Since the soup is water based, no special broths are needed. And the ingredients, except the cilantro, are all pretty much kitchen staples.

I’ve adapted this recipe fusing approaches from several Middle Eastern style lentil soups. The spiciness is most common with the soup flavorings of the Gulf states or North Africa, while the red lentils are more Egyptian. Another recipe on this site, Lebanese Style Lentil Soup, has a much milder flavoring. I’ve come to love these middle eastern lentil soups, and for this I owe thanks to David Scott, author of Recipes for and Arabian Night (Pantheon 1983). His was the first cookbook of Arab recipes I acquired, and I’ve made many of his recipes my own through years of repeating and experimenting.

The Ingredients
1 cup red lentils
5 cups water
1 onion, sliced thin
4 Tbsp Olive Oil, or other good quality oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch fresh spinach or 8 oz. pkge frozen leaf spinach
juice of 1 large lemon, and quarters to server
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
salt and pepper
¼ cup loosely chopped cilantro leaves (also called coriander)

Notes on the ingredients
Frozen spinach works as well as fresh, but completely thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much of water as possible. Otherwise the spinach will turn to mush when you sauté it with the garlic!

Slicing the onion: Not easy without a high end slicer, or professional experience. But, you will find the onion is much easier to handle if you cut in half from the root to the stem end (vertically). With the cut side down, you can slice thin with greater control.

Getting Started
The lentils cook quite quickly, so it is important to have all other ingredients fully prepped or started. The onions take a good 15 or 20 minutes to simmer and caramelize, so they should go first. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add the sliced onions and allow to simmer over medium low heat, stirring as needed to prevent uneven cooking.

The spinach leaves, if fresh, should be thoroughly washed, stems removed, and if large, sliced horizontally in two inch ribbons. Baby spinach doesn’t seem to work as well, but sometimes its the only fresh available. If frozen, thaw in the microwave and remove as much water as you can, as in the above note.

Bring the lentils to boil in the five cups of water, cover and reduce heat. Allow the lentils to simmer for no more than 20 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet type pan to medium, add the garlic and gently sauté until it begins to soften (not color). Add the spinach, stirring to coat evenly until all wilted. Set aside until lentils are ready. Next, check the onions – they are done once they have reached a golden crispness. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Assembling the Soup

When lentils are cooked, add the cumin, salt and either cayenne or freshly ground pepper. Swirl in the spinach and let the soup simmer for a good five minutes to blend the flavors. Just before serving and off the heat, swirl in the lemon juice. Serve, garnishing each plate coriander leaves, caramelized onions and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Lots of pita, lightly sprinkled with water and warmed to a gently crisp in the oven is great with the soup. Homemade hummus makes the meal divine.

Cauliflower Cress Soup

Like the Zucchini soup in the preceding post, Cauliflower Cress Soup is a really aromatic but light puree, ideal for slimming lunches, or a starter for a warm weather salad supper. There's the nuttiness of the cauliflower and the stronger flavor bite from the fresh watercress, which makes it soothing and interesting at the same time. This recipe is an even lighter version of a recipe with the same ingredients, courtesy of Martha Stewart Living. Martha Stewart uses double the butter, and suggests a chicken broth – her version is also excellent, if not as diet perfect. Don't substitute with oil or spray, though. The butter is both for flavor and texture, and doing without altogether doesn't seem to get the flavor richness for this soup.

The Broth
I like to start with a vegetable broth – here is a suggestion:
4 to 6 cups water
½ onion studded with 2 cloves
6 sprigs Italian parsley with stems.
½ carrot, cut into chunks
1 small celery stalk with leaves
1 bunch watercress, stems only (leaves are for the puree, see below!)
1 sprig fresh tarragon, if available
½ teaspoon salt

Bring all ingredients to a boil and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain out all vegetables and reserve the broth for the recipe. Freeze any extra broth for another use.

The Soup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced - or use onion and shallot mixed
1 small head of cauliflower, separated into florets
1 bunch watercress, leaves only
4 cups vegetable stock (see above)
1 cup water
2 thinly sliced radishes and parsley leaves for garnish

Melt butter and add diced onions in a saucepan large enough to accommodate all the soup. Sautee, covered, over low heat to for 10 minutes. Steaming under cover allows the onions to simmer using less fat!

Add the broth and water and cauliflower, and bring to a boil. Simmer until the cauliflower is soft. Stir in the watercress leaves, but do not cook. Puree the soup in batches, or, using a stick blender, blend right in the saucepan. Season with additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Pour soup into serving bowls, and garnish with thin radish slices and a few leaves of parsley.

Zucchini Soup

A delicate but satisfying vegetable puree to enjoy as a springtime lunch. Follow with slices of chilled fresh pears.

The Broth – Chicken or Vegetable
Use 1 cup of a light chicken broth, like the one following
5 cups water
1 whole chicken breast, with bones but with skin removed
1/2 onion, studded with 2 cloves
1 medium leek, sliced in 1 inch rings
1 carrot, cut in chunks
1 celery stalks and some celery leaves, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 parsley stems, whole
1/2 tsp salt
Simmer all ingredients together for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside for another dish. Strain the broth and discard the vegetables.

Or, for a light veggie broth, omit the chicken, double the celery and add in a teaspoon of minced tarragon.


The Vegetables
4 cups diced zucchini
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 T minced parsley and freshly ground pepper for garnish

For the Soup
2 tablespoons of chopped onion
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of broth (see above)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
or, subsitute for the broth and salt
1 cup water with 1 chicken bouillon cube

Dice zucchini and soak in ice cold water with a dash of salt for 20 minutes, then drain in a colander. While zucchini is soaking, chop the onion and parsley.
Sauté onion and butter in saucepan. When onion is translucent, add broth, zucchini, and salt; mix well. Cook until zucchini is tender –no more than 10 minutes. Combine the zucchini mixture with parsley and process in batches in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley and pepper.

4 servings; 2 carb grams per serving.