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Home » Recipes » Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

Middle Eastern Lentil

Soup
Published: Jan 13, 2020 · Modified: Jan 13,
2020 by Farah Abumaizar · 34 Comments

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A traditional Middle Eastern lentil soup with

potatoes and carrots. Perfectly spiced,
healthy and completely delicious, made very
simply in 30 minutes. This recipe has all the
steps you need to perfect this Middle Eastern
staple either for a starter or main meal option!

What is Middle Eastern Lentil

soup?
It’s a staple soup in the Levant region. The
most important parts of the base are the
lentils, broth, and spices especially cumin
powder. The cumin is used both for flavor and
for digestive purposes. Arabs sometimes find
lentils hard to digest and gas forming, and
cumin revs up digestive enzymes to help you
digest food easier. Iome people keep it simple
with pure lentils and spices, but I like to add a
few vegetables like potatoes and carrots to
offer a hint of creaminess and sweetness and
body to the soup. It’s served with a generous
squeeze of lemon juice, usually one chopped
fresh parsley, and sometimes fried pita bread
croutons, although I don’t usually bother. It’s a
powerhouse of nutrition and substantial
enough to be a meal on it’s own!

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What are the health benefits of

lentil soup?
This article gives you a great overview of the
different health benefits of lentils. In summary:

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Polyphenols: Lentils are a fantastic source of

polyphenols (compounds that fight against
harmful agents in the body like UV rays, heart
disease and cancer).

Protein: They are high in protein, which is why

vegetarians and vegans should really
emphasize their intake.

Iron: They are a good source of iron (1 cup of

lentils

Fiber: They are full of fibre, great for keeping

your digestive system moving and also great
for keeping you full for longer.

They are also a good source of magnesium

and folic acid.

How to make lentil soup:

Very simple! You sauté the onions, carrots and
potatoes in olive oil, then add the rinsed lentils
and saute those for a few minutes too. In goes
all your seasoning and your broth ( I usually
just use stock cubes and water). You can use
either vegetable stock or chicken stock cubes.
The entire mix comes to a boil, and then
continues on a rolling simmer for 25-30
minutes until all the vegetables are cooked
through.

Optional: the thickener:

I’ve made this recipe both with the butter flour
thickener added to the soup and without.
There’s barely any difference, but it’s slightly
richer if you add the butter/flour mix. You can
do it either way!

How to blend lentil soup:

Some people may choose to keep the lentil
soup chunky, but I think it becomes magical
once it’s creamed with an immersion blender
or regular blender.

If using an immersion blender: You can blend

the soup directly into the pot

If using a regular blender of food processor:

transfer the soup in batches to the blender to
avoid overfilling and blend until desired
consistency.

I like to leave a few chunks of potatoes and

carrots, but have the majority of the soup
totally blended through.

FAQs:

How do I store leftover lentil soup?

In the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer

for up to 3 months. Either way, when
reheating, just add a little water to thin it back
to desired consistency.

Is this lentil soup vegetarian/vegan?

It’s vegetarian if you use a vegetable stock

cube, and vegan if you omit the butter/flour
mixture, so definitely adaptable!

What are the calories in this Middle

Eastern lentil soup?

Under 250 calories of goodness a bowl!

How to serve lentil soup:

With a lemon wedge on the side, green
onions, and green olives is how we do it in
Jordan Fried pita bread croutons are
optional but always appreciated.

Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

A thick and hearty spiced lentil soup that's a
complete comfort dish and popular with the
whole family!

4.87 from 23 votes

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Rate

Course: Soup Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes Servings: 4 people
Calories: 233kcal Author: Farah Abumaizar

Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1-2 carrots, finely diced
1 peeled potato, finely diced
1 cup red lentils
6 cups water
2 chicken or vegetable stock cubes
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus any extra to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 heaped tbsp flour
1 1/2 tablespoon butter

Instructions
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over
medium high heat. Add the diced onion,
carrot and potato. Sautee for about five
minutes until onions have softened,
stirring occasionally.
2. Rinse the lentils well, removing any debris.
Add to the saucepan, and saute for three
minutes, stirring constantly so they don't
stick to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the six cups of water, the stock
cubes, and all the dried herbs plus the salt
and pepper.(The dried mint all the way
through to black pepper). Let the soup
come to a boil, stirring occasionally, then
reduce heat to medium and let the mixture
cook uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until
lentils and vegetables are cooked through.

4. In a separate small skillet, add the butter

and let it melt over medium heat, then add
the flour, and whisk constantly until the
mixture bubbles and thickens slightly. Add
this to the lentil soup pot.
5. Once soup is totally cooked through, use
an immersion blender or a normal blender
(And blend in batches), and blend soup to
desired consistency. I like it creamy and
smooth but with a few chunks of veggies.
6. Serve hot, with a slice of lemon, and green
olives on the side.

Nutrition
Calories: 233kcal

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Comments

Dominga says
October 06, 2022 at 10:20 pm

When I originally commented I clicked the

“Notify me when new comments are added”
checkbox and now each time a comment is
added I get
several emails with the same comment. Is
there any way you can remove
me from that service? Thanks a lot!

Reply

Farah Abumaizar says

October 08, 2022 at 1:50 pm

Hi Dominga! Please try the below:

Hi there,

In the notification emails, your reader

should see a link to “Manage
Subscriptions.” By clicking on that link, he
or she will have the option to remove their
subscription to the comments on that
page.

Reply

Amy says
May 07, 2022 at 10:27 pm

I’ve made this three times because it is so

delicious! I’ve subbed cauliflower for the
potato once, because I didn’t have one, and it
was still so so good. Thank you for sharing
this amazing recipe.

Reply

Farah Abumaizar says

May 09, 2022 at 9:03 am

I’m so happy you like this soup as much as

we do Amy! Cauliflower sounds delicious,
I’ll have to try that. Thanks for your
comment!

Reply

Cindy says
March 19, 2022 at 2:55 am

I was looking for a way to add iron to my diet

and came across this recipe – love it!! Fairly
easy to make and so delicous. Thank you so
much for sharing!!

Reply

Farah Abumaizar says

March 19, 2022 at 8:21 am

I am so glad you liked it Cindy! Thanks for

taking the time to comment!

Reply

Andrea O says
March 15, 2022 at 1:48 am

This was delicious! I made a ham stock

instead of chicken flavor cubes and that was
great (for those that eat pork). It tasted just
like the lentil soup at our favorite
Mediterranean restaurant. Thank you!

Reply

Farah Abumaizar says

March 15, 2022 at 1:18 pm

So happy that you liked to Andrea! Thanks

for taking the time to comment!

Reply

Jeff says
January 30, 2022 at 12:05 am

Awesome! Made it over weekend and had to

make a triple batch today. Ran out of lentils so
added white beans to the recipe as well.
Definitely filling! .

Made up some flatbread with some Toum!