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Red Lentil Soup (Middle Eastern style)

Name: Red lentil soup (Middle Eastern style)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1.5 cups red lentils; 5 cups water (or as required to get the desired consistency); ½ cup finely chopped carrots; 1 celery stalk (roughly chopped); 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped; 5-6 cloves garlic-finely chopped; ½ tablespoon cumin powder; ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 bay leaf; 1 cube vegetable bouillon; Salt as per taste; ½ tablespoon olive oil; Juice of ½ a medium-sized lemon (adjust to taste); Chopped parsley or cilantro; Red chili flakes (optional)

Published: Dec 16, 2022 by Vandana Chauhan. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Red lentil soup is a quick Middle Eastern-style soup made with split red lentils and gently flavored with Arabic spices. If you are looking for light and simple comforting soup recipes then this lemony lentil soup is perfect for you.

Two bowls of red lentil soup with fresh cilantro in the background.

As an Indian, I grew up eating red lentils very regularly as it’s very popular and easily available in India.

We mostly enjoyed it as a dal (curried lentils) with rice or roti. Sometimes my mother also used to make cheela (Indian pancakes) with it. I never had it in any other form.

As a soup, I tried it for the first time in Dubai when I ordered Lebanese red lentil soup in a restaurant.

To be honest, I didn’t like it much then as my taste buds were more used to a more flavorful combination of red lentils with fried garlic, cumin seeds, and green chilies (my mother tempers red lentils with these ingredients). Also, it was not very nicely prepared in the restaurant where we tried it for the first time.

However, the second time we had it in a different restaurant, I loved it. It was also mildly flavored but was delicious.

Now we make this Middle Eastern-style red lentil soup quite often at home.

The best thing about this lemony red lentil soup is that it's made with pantry staples and is very easy to make. So, whenever you crave a bowl of comforting red lentil soup, you can make and enjoy it without thinking much.

Jump to:

History of lentils
What are red lentils?
What goes in Lebanese red lentil soup?
How to make (step by step instructions)?
Can it be made without a pressure cooker or instant pot?
Serving suggestions
How to store?
Can it be frozen?
Recipe tips and tricks
Frequently asked questions
More vegetarian Middle Eastern recipes
More lentil recipes
Recipe

History of lentils

Lentils are considered to be one of the most ancient cultivated foods by mankind. It’s believed that they originated in the Near East from where they traveled to Egypt, Europe, the Mediterranean region, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, India, and China.

In older time, lentil was considered poor man’s food but in Egypt, lentil grains were found buried in royal tombs too.

What are red lentils?

Red lentils are split and skinless brown lentils. They get cooked very quickly and are easy to digest. Low calorie, high iron content, a rich source of protein, a powerhouse of antioxidants - these are just a few health benefits for which you should add red lentils to your diet.

There are different types of red lentil soup recipes that you will find in the Middle East. Though they all taste almost the same, some have a slightly different way of making it.

In a few regions, rice is also added to it like Indian khichdi. But the ratio of rice and lentil in the soup is different than what's used in Khichdi. Also, the lentil soup gets blended with a blender after getting cooked which is not done in Khichdi.

What goes in Lebanese red lentil soup?

For this simple red lentil soup recipe, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredients for Middle Eastern red lentil soup, labelled.

Ingredient notes

Red lentils: Use good quality organic red lentils.
Onion: Feel free to use any type of onion available.
Vegetable bouillon cubes: I have used vegetable bouillon cubes and water, you can replace them with vegetable stock.
Cilantro: Parsley can be used too if you prefer it.
Turmeric powder: It adds a bright yellow color to the soup, makes the soup more nutritious, and adds a mild flavor too.
Ground cumin: This spice is used in a lot of Middle Eastern and Indian recipes. It's one of the key ingredients in this recipe so don't skip it. You can buy it from the spice section of any Indian or Middle Eastern grocery store.
Cayenne pepper: Use any red chili powder depending on how hot or mild you want the soup to be.

How to make (step by step instructions)?

collage of images of steps 1 to 4 of red lentil soup recipe.

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a cooking pot and add chopped garlic. Saute for a few seconds and then add bay leaf.

Step 2: Add chopped onion and cook until the onion becomes translucent.

Step 3: Add chopped celery and carrot.

Step 4: Saute for about 2 minutes.

collage of images of steps 5 to 8 of red lentil soup recipe.

Step 5: Add cumin powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric powder, chili flakes, and vegetable bouillon cube.

Step 6: Saute for a few seconds. You may add a tablespoon of water also so that the spices don't get burned.

Step 7: Add rinsed red lentils and salt.

Step 8: Saute for about a minute.

collage of images of steps 9 to 12 of red lentil soup recipe.

Step 9: Add water and mix everything.

Step 10: Cover the pot and cook for around 20 minutes or until the lentils get nicely cooked.

Step 11: Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup until smooth and creamy.

Step 12: Add fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley/ cilantro, extra virgin olive, and chili flakes.

Your quick and easy red lentil soup with lemon is ready to be enjoyed!

Middle eastern lentil soup in a cooking pot garnished with chopped cilantro, chili flakes, and olive oil.

Can it be made without a pressure cooker or instant pot?

Unlike most other lentils, red lentil doesn't take much time to get cooked so they can easily be cooked in a regular pot.

Even though I have a pressure cooker at home, I prefer cooking red lentils in a regular pot as it gives them a better texture.

Serving suggestions

Serve this Lebanese red lentil soup with some toasted pita bread or a fresh salad like Fattoush, Balela or tabbouleh on the side.

You can also serve some grilled vegetables, falafels, or falafel wraps with it.

How to store?

To store, transfer the soup to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.

Can it be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze this lentil soup for 3 months in batch-size containers.

To reheat, thaw and then transfer to a cooking pot. Cook until nicely heated. Add more vegetable stock or water, if the soup is too thick.

Also, for a fresher taste, flavor it with more ground cumin, pepper, and lemon juice. Drizzle some more extra virgin olive oil on top.

Recipe tips and tricks

You can also add tomatoes to this soup for more flavor. It will also give a nice red color to the soup.
Instead of seasoning this soup with plain ground cumin, use roasted cumin powder. It tastes better.
For extra lemony flavor, also add lemon zest along with lemon juice.
You can also skip the step of blending the soup if you prefer a slightly coarse texture.
Red lentils taste the best with a sour ingredient. In India also lime or lemon juice is always added to red lentil curry. Similarly, this soup won't taste the same if you don't add lemon juice to it. Consider lemon juice a key ingredient in red lentil soup and don't skip it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to soak red lentils before cooking?

No, you don't need to soak red lentils in advance as they get cooked very fast in comparison to most other lentils. However, if you do soak them they will get cooked even faster.

Can this soup be made with brown lentils too?

This particular Middle Eastern soup is made using red lentils only. So, for an authentic dish, you need to use red lentils only. But, you can follow the same recipe to make soup with other lentils too like brown or yellow. Just alter the cooking time depending on which lentil you are using.

Are lentils gluten free?

Yes, all lentils are naturally gluten free.

More vegetarian Middle Eastern recipes

If you also love the flavors of Middle Eastern food and looking for easy ideas to make vegetarian Middle Eastern recipes at home then don’t miss to check the following links:

More lentil recipes

I love lentils and I don't think I have lived a single day of my life without eating them in some form. If you also want to add more lentil recipes to your meal plan, then don't miss to check the recipes below:

Red lentil soup in a white bowl garnished with chili flakes, fresh herbs, and olive oil. — Lebanese lentil Soup

Recipe