Best Red Lentil Soup With African Spices Recipes

Red Lentil Soup with North African Spices Recipe - (3.4/5) image

Provided by DreiFromBK

Number Of Ingredients 17

4 4tablespoons 4tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1 1 large onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
3/4 3/4teaspoon 3/4teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 1/2teaspoon 1/2teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 1/4teaspoon 1/4teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 1/8teaspoon 1/8teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch Pinch cayenne
1 1tablespoon 1tablespoon tomato paste
1 1 1 garlic clove, minced
4 4cups 4cups chicken broth
2 2cups 2cups water
10 1/2 10 1/2ounces 1/2 (1 1/2 cups) red lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 2tablespoons 2tablespoons lemon juice, plus extra for seasoning
1 1/2 1 1/2teaspoons 1/2teaspoons dried mint, crumbled
1 1teaspoon 1teaspoon paprika
1/4 1/4cup 1/4cup chopped fresh cilantro

Steps:

Pair this soup with a salad and bread for lunch or a light supper. 1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, and lentils and bring to simmer. Simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft and about half are broken down, about 15 minutes. 2. Whisk soup vigorously until it is coarsely pureed, about 30 seconds. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and extra lemon juice to taste. Cover and keep warm. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Thin soup with water, if desired, when reheating.) 3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in small skillet. Remove from heat and stir in mint and paprika. Ladle soup into individual bowls, drizzle each portion with 1 teaspoon spiced butter, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

Moroccan Spiced Red Lentil Soup image

Provided by Food Network

Categories main-dish

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced or pureed
4 stalks of celery, washed and sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 generous pinch saffron
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large or 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound red lentils
2 quarts water
1 cup cooked wheat berries
6 Italian Roma tomatoes, cored and diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed, leaves sliced thin crosswise
1 loaf long skinny bread, sliced on the diagonal 3/4-inch thick
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil or softened butter

Steps:

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, 10 minutes until softened and beginning to color. Add garlic and cook one minute to release its aroma. Add celery and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, the pepper and the turmeric, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, and bay leaf and cook 2 to 3 minutes to develop the flavor of the spices. Add tomato paste, potatoes, lentils and water and cook 45 minutes; the lentils and potatoes should be quite tender. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon salt, wheat berries and tomatoes and heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve garnished with cilantro.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush oil or butter on both sides of bread slices. Arrange bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool croutons on a wire rack.