This Egyptian red lentil soup was featured in the latest Food & Wine magazine. As soon as I laid eyes on the recipe, dinner decision was made.
What a wonderful meal it turned out to be. I loved the addition of the cumin, coriander and ancho chile, it adds a totally different flavor combination to your traditional red lentil soup.
This Egyptian red lentil soup is also very quick and easy to assemble. It became an instant keeper to my recipe repertoire. Give it a try- I am convinced you will love it, too!
Red Lentil Soup Egyptian Style | Print |
- 2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 white medium onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, copped finely
- 2 celery ribs, chopped finely (I used leeks)
- 3 garlic gloves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin, ground
- ½ teaspoon coriander, ground
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
- 1 pound ( 453 g) tomatoes, seeded and diced (I used organic canned diced tomatoes)
- 2 cups ( 14 ounces or 396 g) red lentils
- 8 cups water
- salt
- yogurt
- lemon wedges
- warm pita ( I used organic flour tortillas)
- Melt the butter in a big soup pot on medium heat and add the vegetables (onion, carrots, celery, garlic). Cook until softened for about 5 minutes.
- Add the spices ( cumin, coriander, ancho chile) to the veggie mixture and cook for another few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and let them cook for two minutes.
- Add the lentils and water, season salt and cook the soup over lower heat for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are very soft.
- Puree your soup with a stick blender. Add some more salt to taste and serve with yogurt, lemon wedges and warm pita.
Adapted from my copy of the Food & Wine magazine issue Feb. 2012.

{ 8 comments }
That sounds delicious 🙂 I quite often make dahl, with a lot of the same ingredients, it's so warming for a chilly winter day!
I can certainly see why that would become a family classic! So many great flavors going on, and it sounds just perfect to warm you up on these nice cool days.
Finally got to comment. I've isolated my problem to a new update on I. E. Really strange that it seems to be giving me a hard time on your site. I changed to Safari and it works just fine. Oh well, sorry for causing you concern. This soup looks good. I love lentils.
This looks gorgeous and I love the flavor profile. I will add this to my soup rotation!
ok, can you believe I have every single item on hand to make this? It sounds very flavorful! The only time I've ever had anything Egyptian was at the restaurant at the Art Museum when King Tut was here. Gotta try this.
I have been making a very similar red lentil soup for years. It is one of my go to soups and I make a large batch to freeze. My version has an Ethiopian influence and includes a touch of ginger and paprika. Your photo is fantastic.
What a yummy way to eat healthy! I love soup and could eat it everyday. Stay warm, dear friend. XOXO
That soup looks heavenly! So creamy and thick! Thanks for sharing. Have a fab weekend!
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