Yellow or Red Lentil Soup is heartwarming, flavorful, and nutritious. It’s packed with red/yellow lentils, onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, Aleppo pepper paste, and parsley. I balanced nicely with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of pita croutons.
Types of Lentils
Lentils are an excellent source of plant-based protein. They’re loaded with fiber and other nutrients. Brown or green lentils are often use in mujaddara, a pilaf with coarse bulgur and onions, and in traditional lentil soup (shorbat adas). Brown and green lentils both retain a bit more bite and take longer to cook, making them an excellent choice if you want to retain some texture.
Red or yellow lentils, which. can be used interchangeably, cook more quickly, and they provide a more creamy quality.
The UAE has a lot more varieties of lentils available than the US. In the US, use the lentils labeled red or yellow lentils. In the UAE, I use masoor dal.
Why Lentil Soup
Lentil soup is almost exclusively served during Ramadan at the breaking of the fast meal. During Ramadan, Muslims around the world refrain from food, drink, and other indulgences from dawn until sunset. It’s a time for self-sacrifice, increased religious practice, and community.
Once sunset hits, this soup warms my soul and helps ease my belly into. the full meal ahead.
This recipe uses the technique of the traditional brown lentil soup but uses yellow lentils instead. Brown lentils are earthier and retain their texture much more than yellow lentils. I really love the creaminess of the yellow variety and their bright flavor. My mom started making this instead of the brown version a couple years ago, and she hasn’t looked back. I’m sure you won’t either once you try it! It’s warm, comforting and zesty. The addition of Aleppo pepper paste adds a mild heat and nice complexity, but feel free to leave it out if you don’t have it on hand.
Serve the soup with crispy pita croutons and lemon wedges. It’s sure hard to write about food when fasting! I can’t wait to eat more of this tonight!
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to put it in the comments of the post and tag #omayahcooks and @omayahatassi on Instagram.
Yellow Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 small potato, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 c chopped parsley
- 1 c yellow or red lentils
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt, about 5 tsp divided (half if using table salt)
- 1 Tbsp Aleppo pepper paste or flakes
- 2 lemons, quartered
- Pita croutons
Instructions
- Add olive oil, onion, carrots, potato and 2 tsp kosher salt to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic, parsley, and pepper paste. Cook until fragrant, about another minute. Add lentils, 6 c of water and 3 tsp kosher salt (only 1 if using table salt). Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until lentils have opened, about 20 minutes.
- Puree with a hand blender or transfer to an upright blender in batches. Adjust seasoning and serve with pita croutons and lemon wedges.
- Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Reheat before serving by stirring frequently over medium heat, uncovered, until just before boiling. You may need to add water if it's thickened after sitting.