A couple of weeks ago, my husband, son and I headed out to celebrate my birthday. It was a cold snowy night here in the northern U.S. As we headed into town, my son said “Why don’t we go to another restaurant?” Really? Another restaurant? This is MY birthday I thought. He was referring to the Middle Eastern restaurant downtown, a quiet, small place that serves amazing authentic Middle Eastern food. I didn’t argue because, the weather was terrible and this place was certainly more conveniently located than the one I originally had in mind. The snow kept getting worse and I finally relented. Boy, am I glad I did!
My meal came with a Middle Eastern lentil soup that was simple, but gloriously flavorful and comforting. One spoonful and I was in love. My husband and son had to try of course! They both said “you need to make this at home.” So here we are, on a cold but sunny day I experimented and succeeded. I got a thumbs up from both of them. This recipe only has a few basic ingredients, but it is so delicious, you would think otherwise. The idea to use allspice was my son’s. I agree that it gives a lot of depth to the overall flavor. The lemon infusion at the end brightens up the flavors of this fabulous Middle Eastern lentil soup. One great thing about lentils is that they don’t take as long to soften as other beans, so this Middle Eastern soup can be made in very little time.
Lentils are thought to have originated in Central Asia, and one of the first foods to have been cultivated nearly 8,000 years ago. Lentils are mentioned in the Bible on a couple of occasions: Jacob traded his brother Esau his birthright for a bowl of lentils. Jacob was hungry after spending all day working in the fields. Lentils were also used by the Jewish people to make a bread during the exile years in Babylon. Today the leading producers of lentils are: India, Syria, China and Turkey. Lentils are super healthy! 1 cup of lentils has 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of dietary fiber. Lentils are also rich in B vitamins, potassium, Calcium and Zinc.
If you like the exotic flavors of Middle Eastern food here are some of my favorites you can bookmark for later or pin them on Pinterest.
Chicken shawarma is a dish you can make on the grill or pan sear with small pieces of chicken, a tasty spice bend and then wrap in a pita with a tomato, onions and top with a yogurt sauce.
Zatar or za’atar is a spice blend you can easily make at home for dipping oils, sprinkle on hummus or toasted pita bread.
Lamb stew infused with rose water, dried apricots, cherries and almonds has a really nice combination of sweet and savory flavors in a rich broth.
A salad to try would be a traditional Middle Eastern style tabouleh or tabbouleh that consists of lots of parsley along with bulgur wheat, mint, tomato and onions. You will love the bright flavors in this dish!
Your meal Middle Eastern dinner would not be complete without a dessert of these pistachio rose water shortbread cookies. These are so easy to make and have such a nice floral note.
Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
Healthy and full of flavor! Middle Eastern lentil soup is simple yet it has exotic flavors you won't forget! This is one of my all time favorite soups!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry lentils rinsed
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 2 Tbsp lemon fresh squeezed juice
Instructions
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In a soup pot heat olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute until onion is translucent. Add 4 cups of broth and the lentils. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add cumin, salt, and allspice. Turn down heat and allow to simmer for about 30-40 minutes.
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Using an immersion blender blend solids thoroughly.
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Add the remaining broth and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
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Add the lemon juice.
This looks delicious! I love trying different ethnic dishes and I am looking forward to trying this lentil soup, Pinned 🙂 Would love for you to share it at my Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up at: http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Did you know that it is the Int’l Year of the Pulse and that lentils are pulses! In fact, we plan on announcing that our next ingredient on Tasting Jerusalem will be lentils. So versatile yet a simple soup is still one of my favorite things to do with a lentil. This is a lovely story – glad your bday dinner turned out so well.
Hi Beth, I didn’t know this is the International year of the pulse. How cool!!! As a matter of fact, I’ve been working on an article for the blog on pulses. I will have to hurry up and finish it. Yes, lentils are very versatile. I am also glad my bday dinner turned out; things did not bode well when we headed out that night.
Lentil soup can be so comforting – I imagine just what you needed on a snowy night! – and I love Middle Eastern flavors. This sounds delicious.
Thanks Caroline. Yes, lentil soup is comforting. By the time we left the restaurant the snow had abated somewhat, thankfully.
I love lentils but I never seem to make them. I buy them and they sit in my cupboard for a year and then I throw them out and buy some more. But I do love them and this looks most delicious!
Thanks Denise. Lentils are awesome. I will be making more in the future.
I am glad you enjoyed your birthday dinner, even if it wasn’t what you had planned. The soup looks great by the way!
Thanks! Like I said sometimes when you least expect it….
I love lentil soup, it is so tasty. Yours looks lovely
thanks Alison!
Sounds like you made the right restaurant choice, I love lentil soup, this version with the allspice and lemon juice sounds wonderful!
I think I made the right choice too!! The funny thing is that it was my son who chose; I just agreed.
Lentil soup is so comforting.
We love lentil soup here so much! I make it all the time. Our versions are similar…I’ve never used celery though. I’ll have to try yours too! 🙂
The celery was my idea. I try to do a mirepoix base for all my soups. Give it a shot and let me know what you think.
Just made this tonight and OMG! What a delicious take on lentil soup! Ours had just the right balance of heat and a little sour from the lemon juice. Added a little drop of sour cream and some fresh parsley as a garnish, made some crusty bread and we were all happy campers! Thanks for the recipe, it’ll end up being a winter staple for sure.
Hi Aaron, I am so glad you liked it. It is such a simple recipe, but so good. The sour cream and parsley sound like a great addition.n I am now thinking that I have to make some soon too, as well as some crusty bread.
You are so welcome! Enjoy your weekend.
Wow. This is the real thing. Thank you so much for publishing your recipe. I have been trying to make Middle Eastern Lentil Soup for years and was never successful. I used to go to The Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts to eat their Lentil Soup and Pumpkin Kibby. Tastes just like it! I can’t thank you enough. Maybe you will publish your Pumpkin Kibby recipe next!
I haven’t even finished cooking (currently boiling) and didn’t even have all the ingredients or all the ingredients for the allspice substitute but I did a taste test…. so delicious!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤ I have no blender so I won’t blend them either. Can’t wait to eat my lentils! Thank you for the recipe!
This sounds wonderful! I have always blended mine but I bet they go great over some rice too!
I’m looking forward to making this. What kind of lentils do you use for this soup? From the picture it appears they are brown or green lentils…?
We always use green lentils. Let me know how you like it. It is one of my family’s favorite dishes!