This is a recipe tried  for the very first time. I had a lentil bag in my pantry and I didn’t know what to do with it, so after a thorough search I’ve decided to do a creamy soup. If you didn’t know by now this soup is very common in the middle eastern area.

Lentil soup is recognized as a highly nutritious, particularly good source of protein, dietary fiber, iron and potassium – so if you are on a diet, this is the perfect recipe.

For about 6 servings you need:

• 250gr. lentil – the best looking is the red one -I’ve had the green one;
• one and a half carrot;
• one medium size parsnip;
• 2 medium size onion;
• 4 garlic cloves;
• 2 roasted bell pepper;
• olive oil – about 4 or 5 tbs;
• 1 tbs tomato paste;
• about 1.5 Lt chicken soup /vegetable soup/ water
• 1/2ts cumin;
• salt and pepper to taste;
• cream, caramelized onion, toast and lemon for serving.

I have to say the caramelized onion and the roasted bell pepper represents my personal touch to this soup, but believe me, the result it’s absolutely wonderful.

First, put the lentil to soak in water for a few hours, best is to let it soak over night.

In a pot, place the lentil and add water just to cover the lentil by 2 fingers, then put it to boil. After reaches the boiling point add the parsnip finely cut.

Lentil and parsnip put to boil

Finely cut the garlic cloves, the onion, the carrots and the roasted bell peppers.

Garlic cloves and onion finely cut

Carrots and roasted red bell pepper finely cut

Separately in a pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic…let it for a few seconds, just to bring out the flavor then add the onion.

Garlic and onion

When the onion starts to look translucent add the carrots and when the carrots are tender add the roasted bell pepper. Now it’s  time to add half of the cumin powder, salt and pepper to taste.

Carrots and roasted bell pepper added

Give a good stir, add the lentil and then the soup. Let it simmer for about an hour – an hour and a half, until the lentil is tender. 10 minutes before you turn off the heat, add the remaining cumin powder and the tomato paste. When it’s done, blend it until it turns into a puree and that’s it… your soup is ready.

Soup added

If you want to serve the soup with caramelized onion, like I did, you need about 4 medium size onion, “julienne” cut, and 4 tbs of olive oil. Heat the olive oil in a pan add the onion, reduce the heat and let it there until it turns into a nice golden-brown color (remember to stir very often so that you don’t burn it). Add one tsp of sweet paprika, give it a good stir and turn off the heat.

Onion at start

Onion at half time…

Final result – caramelized sweet onion

Now, for the presentation, pour the lentil soup into a bowl, add some caramelized onion on top, add cream and serve it with toast and lemon on the side.

Voila – the lentil soup

Another lentil soup close-up

This is really good

My husband don’t care much about lentil, but he liked this creamy soup allot :-).

The mighty lentil soup

So enjoy, hope you’ll like it too.