Spicy and full of goodness, this delicious Middle Eastern lentil soup will transport you to exotic places. It’s thick, filling, and full of flavor, yet simple and easy to prepare.
Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
Every time I cook this lentil soup, Jordan and the Middle East come to mind. This recipe is inspired by a soup we had during our trip to Petra, where we spent a wonderful evening at Petra Kitchen.
Cooking this lentil soup is so quick and easy (it’s ready in less than 30 minutes) that it has become one of my favorite evening meals, especially during the Autumn and Winter months when we really need something to warm us up!
This lentil soup is packed full of goodness, is very filling and the scent of spices is so inspiring!
I love lentils and they have been a staple in my diet for years now. Low in calories and high in nutrition, lentils are a great source of protein, and their nutty and hearty flavors make them perfect for soups.
Two essential additions to this soup are ground cumin and black pepper.
Cumin, with its earthy, spicy flavor, brings depth to the soup.
I know it’s a bit more hassle, but grind your cumin at home as you will get a much more intense flavor out of the seeds, and believe me, it’s worth it! Black pepper, with its antioxidant and antibacterial effects, gives the soup a bit of heat.
I also love adding a bit of turmeric to give the soup that extra color. Turmeric has a mild flavor, slightly bitter and peppery, and it’s full of superpowers. With its incredible antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps the liver, lowers cholesterol, and aids digestion.
Once the soup is ready and plated, add the juice of a lemon wedge. The acidity of the lemon with the nuttiness of the lentils creates a seriously delicious and earthy flavor.
Try this middle eastern lentil soup and let me know what you think!
Middle Eastern Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups of red split lentils
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups water
- 3 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- A pinch of finely chopped parsley
- 4 lemon wedges
- 1 teaspoon salt - (more to taste)
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils and drain.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the finely chopped onion and cook until it starts to soften.
- Add the drained lentils to the pot and stir for one minute. Then, add the water, salt, cumin, pepper, and turmeric.
- Bring the ingredients to the boil and let boil on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add more water if needed, to thin the soup
- Sprinkle the soup with finely chopped parsley and serve with a lemon wedge.
- Squeeze in the lemon just before eating.
Nutrition
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Kate says
Turned out well, I love the quick cool time and minimal prep! I subbed vegetable broth for water and added a bit of garlic and chili for a little more heat. I think I’d prefer it blended a little as well for consistency. Nice recipe though!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thanks so much, Kate! glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Lucy says
Just found this recipe on Pinterest. My favourite soups are the red lentil kind. This one was nice and easy to make and it came out looking exactly like the preview pic. Only downside was that even though I followed the recipe exactly, the flavour was quite underwhelming.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
This is one of my favorite soups and I am sorry you didn’t like it. It’s pretty much the same recipe as the flavorful red lentil soup I had in Jordan and I found it delicious. I guess we all have our own views on what we like or don’t like!
Shannon says
Very good! Came out thick, I made sure to boil over medium heat. I also added some extras since other comments mentioned more flavor was needed: curry powder,and a tiny bit of ginger and cayenne pepper. I threw in some carrots and celery too to be even healthier haha. Great recipe, thank you!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Glad you liked it, Shannon 🙂
Danielle says
I’m a big big fan of lentil soups and will trying this out tomorrow! I always love the ones I get from middle eastern restaurants or shwarma shops and I asked one of the guys what he did last week to get such a velvety texture to the soup and he does blend it all once done, incorporates a carrot when sautéing with the onion, and he also uses potato. He didnt tell me the quantities, but his was similar to yours with the pepper, salt, cumin and turmeric! He said an Iraqi man taught him how to make it and its out of this world so I may mix the two recipes to see what magic happens. I don’t think adding coconut milk is the way to go UNLESS you want to change it into a coconut curry lentil soup, which is also great, but then its not the typical middle eastern taste I’m personally after.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Let me know how it turned out, Danielle 🙂
And I agree about the coconut milk!
Maija says
This was really easy to make. I doubled spices and added a little cayenne pepper for extra kick! Delicious!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Glad you liked it, Maija 🙂
Gabriela says
Love this delicious soup! Super easy and fast to make. Is it possible to use brown lentils instead? Thanks!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hey Gabriela,
If you use brown lentils it will be a completely different texture as brown lentils don’t break as much to create a mushy texture. Plus they will need to cook for over 45 minutes to cook. I don’t think you’ll like it as much! But feel to try 🙂
David says
I have made this soup a number of times and don’t find it bland at all. It just gets better each time I make it. And most people who try it like it.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thank you, David! Glad you like this soup. We love it too and make it almost every week 🙂
Cindy says
Like a few others said, I found this to be a little bland. Definitely needs more spice, maybe some heat and coconut milk. I also didn’t like the consistency, so I put it in the food processor. A good base, but needs tweaking.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hey Cindy, I guess we all have our own taste. When I had this soup in Petra I loved it just as it is 🙂 Coconut milk isn’t really something wildly used in middle Easter cuisine, but feel free to tweak it for your taste buds. You could try chicken broth too if you are not vegetarian.
Karyn says
Great recipe! It was so fast and easy to make. I used vegetable broth instead of water and added some bay leaves but otherwise followed the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thanks so much Karyn 🙂
So glad you liked it!
Emily says
Delicious and comes out perfectly every time. I had been looking for a simple, easy recipe and this one is now my go-to! Love how quickly it comes together. Thank you!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Amazing, Emily!
So happy you love this soup. It’s one of my favorites too! 🙂
Mary says
Haven’t made it yet, but could coconut milk be substituted for some of the water? What would that be like?
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hey Mary, I think coconut milk could work quite well in this soup. It will add sweetness and creaminess. I would add around 1 cup, but just try it and regulate the quantity to your taste! Let me know how it goes!
Martha says
Lovely soup! Thank you 🙂
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thank you Martha! Glad you liked it 🙂
Linda says
This soup was delicious! I added a bit more pepper as I like my food spicy but everything else was great. Not sure about the watery comments. Mine just came out like the pictures: creamy and thick!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thank you, Linda! I am glad you like it 🙂
Claire says
Decent taste but mine came out really watery and not thick looking like the picture. I’d probably add more lentils next time or extra veg to thicken it.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hi Claire,
Not sure as to why it came out watery? I tend to make it simmer on medium heat and I wonder if by doing that it becomes thicker?
Estefany says
Could this be made in the instant pot?
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hi Estafany, I am sure it can be done in an instant pot! I am just not sure about the timing.
Sue says
I found this recipe creamy and light! And quick to prep.
Great, thank you!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thank you so much, Caroline!
Glad you liked it!
It’s one of my favorite soups 🙂
Rose Schmidt says
Nice base recipe, but very bland when following the recipe. I’ve nearly doubled the spices and added some chicken bouillon and curry to add flavor. Somewhat disappointed, it looks nothing like the provided images, which look almost creamy, when none of the ingredients provide that quality. If i had coconut milk handy, I would add a few splashes to up the richness factor. In the meantime, I’ll settle for this brothy lentil soup.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hi Rose,
I am sorry you didn’t find the recipe full of flavour. As I mentioned in the post, I had it for the first time in Jordan and I really like it. I am sure adding chicken broth makes it richer, but I am following a vegetarian/vegan diet as much as possible, therefore I don’t add chicken to my recipes.
I am not sure as to why it didn’t look like the images. I made it several times following these instructions and never had a problem but I would love to help you to troubleshoot the recipe at your end if I can 🙂
Caroline says
This is really nice! I love the taste of the spices, but it’s not too overpowering. Very creamy and tasty! Thank you!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thank you so much, Caroline!
Glad you liked it 🙂
Supriya Kutty says
Thanks for this healthy and tasty recipe. I would love to make this as my husband loves soup and will be happy if I will make it. Share such healthy recipes.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thank you Supriya for your comment! I hope you will enjoy the soup when you try it! 🙂