🥣 Red lentil soup
Home-style red lentil soup is made by simmering red lentils with onion, carrot and cumin until they fall apart, then blending everything smooth. It is velvety, mildly earthy and warming, with a squeeze of lemon added just before eating to brighten it. A drizzle of olive oil finishes the bowl.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1.2 litres water
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, in wedges
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Soften the onion and carrot in 1 tbsp olive oil for 5 minutes.
- Add the lentils, cumin and water, bring to the boil and simmer for 25 minutes until soft.
- Season and blend until smooth, adding water if too thick.
- Serve with the remaining oil drizzled on top and lemon wedges to squeeze over.
How to make it lighter
- Use 1 tbsp olive oil in total — each tablespoon is about 120 kcal.
- Add more carrot or a courgette for a bigger bowl.
- Skip fried toppings and serve with fresh lemon and a salad.
History
Lentils are among the oldest cultivated crops of the Middle East, and blended red lentil soup is an everyday dish from Turkey and the Levant to Egypt and the Gulf. In many Arab homes it is a fixture of winter evenings and of iftar during Ramadan.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →