Egyptian Lentil Soup

One of my favorite culinary memories from my five and a half years in Egypt was the Lentil Soup lunches at the Khan Khaillili at the end of a successful bead hunt. Or sitting on the terrace of the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, looking out onto the Nile, enjoying this amazing soup.  When I left Egypt, I craved this soup.  Here's what I came up with - not nearly as good as I remember it, but good enough to calm my cravings.





INGREDIENTS

         3 cups clear vegetable or chicken stock.
         1 cup red lentils* 
         
1 tomato, quartered 
         1 small onion, quartered 
         
4 cloves garlic, quartered 
         
1 cup water               
 
         
2 teaspoons ground cumin
         
1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
         
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
         1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
         1/4 teaspoon turmeric
          Fresh lemon wedges
          Finely Chopped Cilantro or Parsley
          Ghee or Butter melted


  DIRECTIONS   

1. Place 3 cups stock, lentils, tomato, onion, garlic in a stockpot over medium heat; cook until vegetables and lentils are softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
2. Blend vegetable and lentil mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir 1 cup water, cumin, sea salt, pepper, and coriander into soup; heat over medium heat until warmed.  
3. Garnish with chopped Cilantro or Parsley and a teaspoon of Ghee or melted Butter drizzled on top before serving. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze into the soup, and a chunk of crusty garlic bread on the side - but not for me!! : ( 

* I now use Mung Beans as it is more nutritious and better for blood sugar than Red Lentils.  

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