A Potage of Lentils

Name: A Potage of Lentils
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Israel
Ingredients: 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cumin, or to taste; 1–2 lemons, halved; cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, to taste; cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce, to taste; salt and ground black pepper; salt and ground black pepper; lemon slices and chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, to serve; lemon slices and chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, to serve; 2 celery sticks, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 8 garlic cloves, chopped; 1–2 carrots, sliced; 250 g/9 oz/generous 1 cup red lentils; 1 potato, diced; 2 bay leaves; 1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups vegetable stock; 45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Lentil Cookbook

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2016

About

This traditional Jewish soup is sometimes known as Esau’s soup. Red lentils and vegetables are cooked and puréed, then sharpened with tangy lemon. On a hot day, this soup can be served cold, with even more lemon juice.

Ingredients

45 ml/3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2

Asia
Israel
Mediterranean
Soup
Jewish
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the celery, carrots, half the garlic and all the potato. Cook for a few minutes until beginning to soften.
Add the lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potato and lentils are tender.