Lentil Soup

Name: Lentil Soup
Ingredients: 2 litres (3½ pints) chicken or meat stock or water; Juice of ½–1 lemon (optional); Salt and black pepper; Small garlic-flavoured croûtons (optional); 1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional); 1 marrow bone (optional); 375 g (12 oz) lentils, washed if necessary; 1 carrot, chopped (optional); 3 tablespoons oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

A New Book of Middle Eastern Food

By Claudia Roden

Published 1986

About

There are several versions of this favourite winter soup. Red, yellow, green or brown lentils can be used, but the tiny red lentils widely available here are best as they disintegrate very quickly.

The soup can be made with water, but a meat or bone stock will make it considerably richer and tastier.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celer

Soup
Winter
Gluten-free

Method

Soften the onion, celery and carrot, if used, in oil in a large saucepan. Add the lentils, water or stock and the marrow bone which, if cracked, will release even more marrow; bring to the boil and skim if necessary. Simmer gently, covered, until the lentils are very soft. This will take 20 to 45 minutes – the cooking time varying according to the quality and age of the lentils.

When th