When I was student and my food budget was narrower, I seldom would eat out. Cooking at home always seemed more logical, as I felt I could do better than wasting my money on $5 salty burritos. However, occasionally I would find myself trapped and hungry in my busy schedule without enough time to even run home and consume a meals worth of calories in peanuts. When such a time would arise, I would take advantage of the cheap, satisfying and delicious lentil soup offered at many of the local middle eastern restaurants. For less than three dollars I could get a bowl or soup on the run and often times a free piece of pita bread to go with it!
The most economical way to buy lentils is in bulk. Conventionally grown lentils are less than one dollar per pound, and organic are often less than 2 dollars per pound. Look for a specialty bulk food store or health food store in your area.
When I do have the time, I like to make lentil soup at home. A pot of lentil soup is a delicious way to make a week’s food budget go further. This makes me wonder why people always reach for ramen when they are feeling poor. Lentils are hardly more expensive and they are nutritionally superior to disgusting ramen noodles. If you make a large batch ahead of time, a red lentil soup will take no longer to re-heat than a bowl of ramen.
A Za’atar: cumin, thyme and sumac.
This recipe is inspired from the middle eastern lentil soups that I so often would enjoy on the go. Red lentils are a pale red-orange color when raw, and they turn a yellow color when cooked, so calling it “red lentil soup” does seem somewhat deceptive. I use sumac (also red in color, but doesn’t affect the soup’s final color) in this recipe because of it is an ingredient that often appears in middle eastern za’atars. It can, however be difficult to find; you can leave it out, or try looking at a specialty spice shop or middle eastern grocery.
Red Lentil Soup
Serves 6
- 1 Large Onion, Chopped
- 1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 cups Red Lentils, rinsed
- 6 cups Water or part Vegetable Broth
- 8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried Thyme
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Sumac, optional
- A few dashes of hot sauce
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add onions and cook until slightly translucent.
- Add the lentils, broth, water, thyme, cumin, and sumac. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil
- Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic. Simmer partially covered for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and add salt, pepper or hot sauce as necessary. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and a few dashes of hot sauce, if desired.
delicious!
I just made this tonight and served it with some freshly-baked crusty bread.
Perfect.
thanks!
so easy! so good! who knew i was capable of making soup? andy, you rock my socks.
Yum! I have this cooking right now, and the whole apartment smells great. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe, and keep ‘em coming.
I added some squash that I fried in cinnamon and salt to this recipe, along with a bay leaf. It came out really well, especially with the bread bowls! Score!
I made this last night. I’ve never made lentils before ever. This is absolutely a new favorite in our house, and so easy!