Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

 

Serves: 6-8

This soup originated from a woman who lived in a little village on the Nile; it is in Claudia Roden’s latest book Med and it is wonderful. The cooked down lentils bring a creaminess to the soup, the spices bring a warmth and it’s finished off with the (optional) sharp sweetness of the caramelised onions 

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
300gms cup of dried red lentils
2 litres vegetable stock
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of chilli
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Ingredients- caramelised onions

3 large onions, sliced
Splash of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar

Method

1. Soften the onions, carrots and garlic in olive oil in a large pan on low heat for about 10 mins.
2. Add the lentils and stock and bring to the boil and then simmer for 40mins, until the lentils have disintegrated. As foam appears on the top skim it off.
3. Meanwhile cooked the caramelised onions in a pan on low heat with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar until dark and soft, about 30-40mins.
4. Stir in the cumin, coriander, chilli and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. If the soup needs thinning add a bit of water, it shouldn’t be too thick.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with caramelised onions.

Spiced Lentil & Carrot Soup

 

An RTE Recipe

Ingredients

·         1 tbsp Coconut Oil

·         2 celery stalks, diced

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 medium onion, diced

·         400g carrots, diced

·         140g red lentils

·         2 tsp cumin

·         3 tsp smoked (or plain) paprika

·         1200ml hot vegetable stock

·         1 tbsp Glenisk Natural Yogurt

·         Salt & Pepper

Method

1.    Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

2.    Add the garlic, celery and onion to the pan, reduce the heat and allow the vegetables to sauté.

3.    Once the onions and celery become translucent, add the carrots and allow to sauté for about 5 minutes.

4.    Mix the spices and lentils through and heat gently for about 3 minutes.

5.    Add the vegetable stock and bring the pan to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid for about 20 minutes until the lentils have absorbed the stock and plumped up

6.    Remove from the heat and blend the soup with a handheld blender or food processor to your preferred texture.

7.    Serving suggestion: topped with a dollop of yogurt & sprinkle of smoked paprika served with slice of Oat & Seed Yogurt Loaf.

Spiced Lentil Soup

A Michelin-starred chef’s recipe for a simple soup with big flavour

Ahmet Dede shares a dish he grew up eating – spiced lentil soup is a staple in Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 200g red lentils (black or green lentils also work)
• 1.2 ltr water (or chicken, beef, vegetable stock) - maybe less
• Natural yoghurt
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 tsp chilli powder or flakes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried mint (or fresh mint or coriander, chopped, if available), plus extra for serving
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Method


1. Thinly slice the onion and garlic.

2. Add oil to a deep saucepan and sweat the onions and garlic for a few minutes until translucent.

3. Add the tomato purée and keep cooking on low heat till it caramelises, this will take a couple of minutes.

4. Add the lentils and the spices, stir and continue cooking on low heat for another minute.

5. Add the water or stock. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are soft.

6. When the lentils are cooked, use a hand blender or a regular blender to blend to a smooth texture. Check the seasoning and add more salt or spices, to your taste.

7. To serve: Add a pinch of salt to the natural yoghurt. I like adding mint, either fresh or dried. Pour the soup into a bowl and drizzle with yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with a slice of toast.

Thai Style Hot and Sour Soup Base

A spicy Thai style soup base that's full of flavour and very versatile.  The objective is to get a balance between hot, sour, sweet and salty flavours in the base.  It's endlessly variable - add vegetables (peas and green beans are very good,  chopped mushrooms also),  fish or shellfish (prawns are great), chicken or other meat,  noodles or any combination.

Ingredients for 8 portions
(basic soup can be frozen and additional ingredients added when thawed)

• 1 litre of stock (I use homemade chicken stock whenever possible)
• 1 400ml can coconut milk
• 1 large onion - peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots - peeled and chopped
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1-2 tbsp red or green Thai curry paste (Mae Ploy is good - quantity depends on desired spiciness)
• 1-3 tbsp fish sauce (depending on saltiness of the stock. Use soy sauce instead for vegitarians)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 limes, juiced (this is the sour component)

Method

• Sweat the onions and carrots over gentle heat for 15 mins, then add the curry paste and sir for a minte
• Add the stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer until carrots are soft
• Blend, add the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice.
• Now taste it.  You're looking for a good balance between the hot, sour, sweet and salt flavours so you may need to adjust some of the last four ingredients to get your desired balance.
• That's the base - you can chill or freeze it at this satge.
• To serve,  add your desired ingredients, bring to boil and cook until additions are fully cooked.
• Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve

Tom Yum Soup

(Serves 6 people)

1,200 ml        Chicken Stock (Homemade best but stock cubes taste ok)

90 g              Tom Yam Paste (Mae Ploy is very good and widely available in Ireland)

3 Stalks         Lemongrass – chopped & bruised (keeps well in freezer)

6 no.              Dried Kaffir Lime Leaves

2 no.              Limes – juiced.

60 ml             Fish Sauce (Squid brand widely available in Ireland)

30 ml             Sugar

Sprinkle         Fresh Coriander - chopped

Prawns or Thin Sliced Mushrooms or Shredded Cooked Chicken

• Boil the stock – add paste, lemongrass, lime leaves & lime juice.  Simmer 20 mins
• Add fish sauce and sugar to get a balanced salt-sour-sweet-hot taste (may need to add a little more paste)
• Strain out the foliage,  add choice of prawns, mushrooms or chicken and sprinkle fresh coriander on each bowl