Lentil soup is one of my staple foods. As a vegetarian, I like it because it’s a good source of protein. And since I’m trying to lose weight, I like it because it’s filling without being a creamy, rich soup. It’s easy to make and it holds up well in the freezer. Really, what’s not to love?
One of my favorite varieties of lentil soup is the Middle Eastern kind. Back in the day, my husband and I lived near a wonderful Middle Eastern restaurant called Pita House. It had fast food prices, but the food was fresh and light. (Well, maybe the falafel wasn’t light. But it was delicious!) During the colder months of the year, they served the best lentil soup. It had a strong aroma of cumin and they’d serve it with a slice of lemon that you’d squeeze into it just before eating. A cup of that Middle Eastern lentil soup and a side of fresh-baked pita bread with baba ghannouj was my favorite lunch for many years.
When I saw the recipe for Arabian Lentil and Rice Soup in Appetite For Reduction
YES! It was exactly like the soup from Pita House. Granted, it has been several years since I’ve had the soup, so my memory might be a little bit cloudy, but it has the strong cumin flavor that I remember and squeezing in a little bit of lemon juice at the end really seals the deal. I made a big batch and froze it so I can enjoy my favorite lentil soup whenever the craving hits me.
An easy (and delicious!) cumin-scented Middle Eastern Lentil and Rice soup. Adapted from Appetite For Reduction's Arabian Lentil & Rice Soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 c. brown lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 c. brown rice
- 6 c. vegetable broth
- lemon wedges for serving (wedges from 1 lemon is a good amount)
Instructions
- Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes.
- Add garlic, salt, and pepper and saute for another minute. Add spices and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add lentils, rice, and broth. Cover Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer partially covered for 40 minutes, or until rice and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
1 serving is 5 Weight Watchers PointsPlus
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This soup looks scrumptious! It reminds me I need to eat lentils more often
Thank you! Everyone should eat lentils more often!
They’re definitely my favorite legume to cook with because they don’t require all the pre-soaking, boiling for an hour, etc. They’re pretty much impossible to mess up.
This sounds delicious! In college I had a variety of friends among the International students, and we’d trade off cooking. I LOVE the middle eastern flavors. I am going to try this right away. Thank you!
I hope you enjoy it! I love Middle Eastern flavors too, particularly cumin (although cumin is in a lot of other cuisines too!).
This is something I’d definitely make! I love lentil soup, though I haven’t made it in a long time! Having bread (like in your photo) to go with it sound delicious too.
Pita bread would have been even better, but I didn’t have any on hand so I borrowed a piece of my husband’s jalapeno cheese bread for the photo.
I love lentils! I must try this recipe!
Thank you for stopping by my blog! I am so happy to find a fellow vegetarian blogger, I have been looking through you recipes and I must say I love them all!!
I am going to make this next weekend for my week of lunches. The rice and lentils are sure to keep my tummy happy until dinner!
Aw, thank you! And I hope you like the soup if you make it–it’s definitely one of my favorites!
I’ve only ever tried one lentil recipe and it was okay but not stellar – I’m going to have to give this one a try. Do you eat the lemon wedges with the lentils or squeeze the juice into them or what?
Oh, oops, I guess I should have clarified that–you squeeze the juice into the soup. My husband eats lemon wedges like that, but they’re way too sour for me.
Sounds like a simple yet flavorful vegan soup recipe!
It is–sometimes the simplest recipes are the best ones!
Yay, I already have all the ingredients to make this on hand! Thank you for the perfect timing on sharing this recipe
That’s why I made it this week too–I had everything I needed to make it!
I made this recently and had to come back here just to tell you how much I LOVED this recipe! Perfect for making ahead for my lunches. I tried it first without the lemon and it would have been okay to eat, but the squeeze of fresh lemon juice really adds to the flavor.
Thanks for letting me know! I agree, the lemon juice totally makes the soup.