Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

Any time Aaron and I eat at a Middle Eastern restaurant, we always get the lentil soup.   It is very hearty, filling and superbly spiced.   After trying for quite a while, I have finally perfected a close copy of our favorite version.   Here is what I ended up with, along with a couple of variations.   Don't limit yourself to the vegetables mentioned here.  If there is something else you like or want to add, do it.   Likewise with herbs or spices.   Enjoy!

1 lb. bag of red lentils, washed

10 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 ½ cups chopped carrots

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

6 (or more) cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

3-4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. cayenne pepper or paprika

2 tsp. tumeric

¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven.   Add the chopped onion, carrots and garlic.   Fry, stirring often, until they begin to brown.   Add the cumin, cayenne and tumeric, fry for a short bit, until fragrant, then add the chicken broth and lentils.   Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.   Simmer, stirring every so often, until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.   At this point you have three options:   eat the soup as is, puree half of the soup and return to the pot or puree the whole thing.  I personally prefer the second option.   Sprinkle the chopped parsley or cilantro over the top of the soup and serve.   Allow everyone to add lemon juice to taste to their bowls of soup.

Options:  

#1  add some cooked, chopped chicken to the soup and heat.

#2   add chopped cauliflower and/or peeled cubed potatoes with the other vegetables

#3   add a dollop of yogurt to the bowl when serving

#4   all of the above

Hummus

I love Middle Eastern food and one of my favorites is hummus.   Hummus is a dip or paste made of pureed chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), garlic, lemon juice, tahini (sesame seed paste), olive oil and spices.   It is usually eaten with pita bread or pita chips as an appetizer, but it can also be used as sandwich filling or a dip for vegetables.    It is quite tasty and also very healthy.   For example, tonight my dinner will be hummus, an assortment of raw vegetables, some pita bread and some cubes of low fat feta cheese.   MMMM

Hummus is another of those things that you don't have to strictly follow the recipe and still have it turn out tasty.    Put in anything you like in addition to what I list below.   I've seen hummus recipes that use black beans instead of chickpeas.   Others that add some roasted red peppers or green onions.   I even saw one that used peanut butter in place of the tahini.   Follow your taste buds!    Enjoy!

1 15-oz can of chickpeas or 1 1/2 cup home cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
the strained juice of about 5 lemons
4 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground red pepper

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.    Whirl until pureed and smooth.   Refrigerate.   When serving you can drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you like and dust with a bit more ground red pepper or paprika.   Eat with raw vegetables or pita bread.   Enjoy!