Red Lentil soup

So, one of the “must have” dishes on our table during Ramadan is Soup.
I’ll share a small confession with you: I don’t cook everyday in Ramadan.
My husband and I like to have something light for dinner.  So it’s either soup, salad and an appetizer; or soup and a main dish; or soup and Fatteh.
See? Soup is a must ! 

Red Lentil Soup is one of the most popular soups that many countries prepare. Ways of preparation may different between one country and another, but the main ingredient is remain the same: Red Lentil.
It’s full of nutrients and very good to have for Suhoor as well.
Here’s a picture of my Red Lentil Soup. Happy Fasting !

Ingredients:

Servings: 4 persons

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Total time : 40 mins

• 1 cup red lentil
• 1/4 cup rice 
• 1 potato
• 2 carrots
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 TBsp oil
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/3 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups water 
• 1/2 cube vegetable stock ( optional)

Instructions:

• Soak lentils and rice together for 15 mins.
• Cut your onions, carrots and potato into medium size cubes. 
• Chop the garlic
• In a pressure cooker, add onions and garlic with oil and sauté until golden brown color. 
• Add the lentils with rice after being strained from water. Then add the rest of the veggies. 
• Cover everything with water then add the spices.
• Stir for a couple of minutes then cook in pressure cooker for 10 mins. (If you are not using a pressure cooker it is better to cut your veggies smaller. Then after adding water it will take from 20-25 mins to be well done. )
• Once the pressure cooker is done, open it and blend the soup using a hand blender or mixer. If you feel that the soup is thick you can add more water and blend again.
• Serve it hot with fried or baked pita bread, some chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon.