Spiced Lentil Soup with Lemon- Shawrabat ‘Adas

The Arabs are proud of their lentils, especially in soup form. In almost all of Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s posh restaurants, Shawrabat ‘Adas with red lentils, a local favorite, is included on their menus. Most of the varieties, including this one, made in the Arab Gulf countries use more herbs and spices than other Arab countries. Squeezing a few drops of lemon in the soup gives it a nice added zesty flavor.

SERVES: 8

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

SOAKING TIME: 5 minutes

COOKING TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (200 g) red split lentils
• 2 large onions, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
• 4 tablespoons uncooked Basmati or other white long-grain rice, soaked for 5 minutes, thoroughly rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 8 cups (2 liters) water
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish
• 6 lemon or lime wedges, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan with a lid, combine the red split lentils, half of the minced onions, crushed garlic, soaked and drained rice, salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground red pepper, and water.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the saucepan and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency for the soup.
3. While the soup is cooking, heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining minced onions and fry them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown.
4. Once the lentils and rice are cooked and tender, add the fried onions and lemon juice to the soup. Stir well to combine.
5. Transfer the soup to individual serving bowls. Sprinkle the finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) on top as a garnish.
6. Serve the soup hot and accompany each bowl with a lemon or lime wedge for squeezing juice over the soup before eating.