Red Lentil and Lemon Soup

Why it works for Iftar

• A warm starter that is easy to portion into small bowls.
• Red lentils cook quickly without soaking.
• Lemon is added at the end so the flavour stays bright.

Ingredients

• 250 g red lentilsrinsed
• 1 onionchopped
• 1 carrotchopped
• 2 garlic cloveschopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1.2 litres water or unsalted stock
• 1 tsp saltadjust to taste
• 1 lemonjuiced

Method

1. 1Soften the vegetables7 min

   Heat oil and cook onion and carrot over medium heat for about 7 minutes.

2. 2Add aromatics2 min

   Stir in garlic and cumin for 1 minute.

3. 3Simmer25 min

   Add lentils and water or stock. Simmer gently until the lentils are completely soft.

4. 4Blend4 min

   Blend until smooth, adding hot water if the soup is thicker than you want.

5. 5Finish2 min

   Take off the heat, stir in lemon juice and adjust the salt.

Storing and reheating

Keeps refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Substitutions

• Add a small potato for a thicker soup.
• Use coriander instead of cumin for a different profile.

Cooking times assume a standard domestic hob and oven and will vary with your equipment. No nutritional figures are given: calculating them reliably needs the exact brand and weight of every ingredient, and an invented number would be worse than none. If you are managing a health condition, follow your doctor’s dietary advice.