Crushed Lentil Soup
Lentil Soup inspired by home city of Detroit; home to the largest Middle Eastern population outside of the Middle East.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped finely
- 1/2 cup celery chopped finely - 2 stalks is about the magic number.
- 1/2 cup carrots chopped finely - 1 large carrot will yield about the right amount.
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/4 cup short or medium grain rice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place lentils in a fine mesh strainer and place in the sink under cold water. Let the water run through the lentils until it runs clean, about 2 minutes. Then place the lentils in a large soup pot along with the rice and 2 cups of the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover.
- In a separate skillet or large pan, heat the olive oil and sauté onion, celery, carrots and garlic for 2 minutes. Add in the cumin, turmeric, pepper and salt. Continue to sauté stirring frequently for another few minutes, allowing the flavor to develop into the vegetables. Empty the contents of the pan directly into the pot of lentils, and add the remaining chicken broth.
- Continue to simmer for 35-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Once they're to your liking, add the lemon juice and stir. At this time, you can make your executive decision on if you're going to blend the soup or leave it chunk with lentils. I love it both ways but go with what you like.
Notes
This soup can be pureed and served smooth, or somewhat chunky leaving the lentils whole and semi-broken down. Go with whatever you like best. I'm split 50/50 on what I like better, but in the picture for this recipe I have pureed the soup (because I just had dental work and it's easier for me to eat that way :)
The final result should be a bright and vibrant yellow colored soup, so adding a bit of garnish such as microgreens or chopped pickled radish as I have really makes the colors pop. This makes a great intro to your Middle Eastern feast, or can be a meal all on it's own. Hopefully you like the taste of Detroit as much as I do!