Red Lentil Soup - Moroccan or Sephardic Styles

Red Lentil Soup - Sephardic or Moroccan

A nice hot, orange bowl of Red Lentil Soup is a lovely dinner for a Winter Evening. Even better, it can be whipped up in the time it takes to make a processed meal-in-a-box from the grocery.

I got the idea for this soup several years ago from a great Sephardic Jewish Cookbook called Olive Trees and Honey - then I adapted the recipe to make it my own.

Here's the recipe:

This is a close-up of the tiny "red lentil"  - as you can see, it's really
orange. If you buy these in an Indian Grocery - which I recommend -
they're called "Split Masoor Dal."

Sephardic Red Lentil Soup
Sort & Rinse till water runs clear
3 cups of Red Lentils
8 cups Water
Bring to a boil, and simmer till done - about 30 minutes (stir periodically, and add boiling water if needed)
(If cooking your Red Lentils in a Crock Pot or Slow Cooker, cook them 3 hours on HIGH)
Add
4 cups Yachni Sauce
1/2 teaspoon Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Cumin
Puree soup with immersion blender, and add:
2 to 4 Tablespoons Lemon juice
Garlic Salt to taste



Moroccan Red Lentil Soup
Sort & Rinse till water runs clear
3 cups of Red Lentils
8 cups Water
Bring to a boil, and simmer till done - about 30 minutes (stir periodically)
(If cooking your Red Lentils in a Crock Pot or Slow Cooker, cook for 3 Hours on High)
Add
4 cups Yachni Sauce
2 teaspoons paprika (smoked paprika also delicious in this recipe - your choice : )
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Puree
(Lemon Juice & Garlic Salt may also be added to taste here, if desired)

Serve either soup with Crusty Bread & Salad. If desired, soup may be garnished with chopped tomatoes. Other nice toppings: Croutons, Wheat Berries, Popcorn : ), or rice.

Make-ahead tip: Both these soups freeze excellently (do not add rice or garnishes before freezing). You can make a double batch of the lentils & yachni, puree, then season half as Sephardic and half as Moroccan before freezing to make two meals at once.

Tips for dining with Omnivores: Either of these soups would be nice with some shredded chicken on top to garnish. A simple sandwich could be served on the side. A cheese & Cracker plate would also go well.