Uploaded September 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
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This lentil soup is based on a lovely Somali dish which, at least around here, is often offered as an amuse bouche before a meal in Somali restaurants. A lovely custom and a lovely dish, this vegan soup is extremely tasty, nutritious and also inexpensive to make. There are undoubtedly many variations on this recipe, so feel free to make your own changes to suit your tastes. That said, only red lentils should be used to make this recipe.
Make sure to rinse your lentils well, until the water coming off the lentils is no longer foamy or milky in appearance. The excess starch and saponins present on the lentils will cause the pot to become quite foamy while cooking. Even with thorough rinsing, the boiling lentils may produce enough foam to boil over. For them to cook properly, they should be simmered in pure water, with no salt added.
The caramelization of the onions takes some time, but they don’t have to be chocolatey-dark. Once they’re a nice color, the rest of the veg sweat with them, and then simmer in water or broth until tender enough to be blended. Before blending, the simmered lentils should also be added, so one hopes to start the lentils while the veg are simmering in order to have them ready at about the same time the soup is ready for blending.
Makes enough for 8-12 portions, rougly 2 liters.
Equipment:
large dutch oven or stew pot
medium-to-large saucepan for simmering lentils
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils simmered 10 min in pure water
3 ea potatoes ~3/4 lb
1 ea onion crosscut thinly
1 ea carrot small dice
1 rib celery optional; small dice
2-6 cloves garlic rough chop
1 ea chili pepper fresh; serrano, jalapeno, poblano or similar
1 Tbsp paprika or gochugaru
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
8 cups water optionally replace some or all with stock or broth
1 tsp bouillon optional: chicken, vegetable, or other bouillon powder
Procedure:
1. Warm the stew pot over a low flame while getting the onion peeled and cut.
2. Caramelize the onion in the stew pot in some oil or ghee.
3. Meanwhile, make sure that the potatoes, carrot and celery are clean, using a brush if necessary especially on the potatoes.
4. Due to my unconscious bias against carrot skin, I typically peel the carrots but not the potatoes, whose peels bring a lot of potato flavor. Peel the carrot and potatoes if you want, and cut them into pieces that will cook in 30-45 minutes: carrots minced, potatoes small diced.
5. Either crosscut the celery nice and thin or mince it.
6. Leave the garlic in large pieces, perhaps even whole. The larger, less-cut the pieces are, the more mellow the garlic flavor will be. Since we recommend a very garlicky sauce as a topping for the soup, we also recommend keeping the soup’s own flavor mellow and round.
7. Keep an eye on the onions so they won’t scorch. Once they are a good color, add the spices and stir everything around.
8. Add the rest of the vegetables and about a cup of the water. Place the lid on the pot and let everything sweat steamily for about ten minutes over medium-low heat.
9. Once the carrots and potatoes are starting to look a bit translucent, add the rest of the water and bring everything up to a simmer.
10. Allow the soup to simmer 30-45 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes crush easily into a smooth paste. Remember to start the lentils about 15 minutes before the veg seem to be ready, for instance when they break apart but not smoothly enough.
11. To simmer the lentils, first ensure the lentils are thoroughly rinsed, then cover them with water (about 4 cups).
12. Bring them to a simmer over high heat, watching closely because they will foam.
13. Turn the heat down and let the lentils simmer covered for about 10 minutes.
14. Once the veg are smashing smoothly and the lentils are done, they may be combined. There is no need to drain the lentils, but if the pot is getting full, some lentil cooking water may be drained off first.
15. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is smooth. Keep warm for service or shock and store. This soup, like nearly all soups, is better the next day but it will always require seasoning adjustment before service. Use salt, lemon juice, tabasco sauce to adjust the soup’s flavors.
16. Serve garnished with cilantro, and possibly also spicy garlic-cilantro sauce; our forthcoming recipe is based on the ideas of toum from the Levant, and Somali basbaas. It really helps the soup by providing a sharp element. Another good option would be toasted seeds: pepitas, sesame, sunflower, or pine nuts.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Check our our Patreon! patreon.com/loveyourfood
Need a kitchen thermometer? Check out ChefsTemp! Use code LoveYourFood for 15% off a meat thermometer! shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=1003201&m=111859&u=3322095&afftrack=
This lentil soup is based on a lovely Somali dish which, at least around here, is often offered as an amuse bouche before a meal in Somali restaurants. A lovely custom and a lovely dish, this vegan soup is extremely tasty, nutritious and also inexpensive to make. There are undoubtedly many variations on this recipe, so feel free to make your own changes to suit your tastes. That said, only red lentils should be used to make this recipe.
Make sure to rinse your lentils well, until the water coming off the lentils is no longer foamy or milky in appearance. The excess starch and saponins present on the lentils will cause the pot to become quite foamy while cooking. Even with thorough rinsing, the boiling lentils may produce enough foam to boil over. For them to cook properly, they should be simmered in pure water, with no salt added.
The caramelization of the onions takes some time, but they don’t have to be chocolatey-dark. Once they’re a nice color, the rest of the veg sweat with them, and then simmer in water or broth until tender enough to be blended. Before blending, the simmered lentils should also be added, so one hopes to start the lentils while the veg are simmering in order to have them ready at about the same time the soup is ready for blending.
Makes enough for 8-12 portions, rougly 2 liters.
Equipment:
large dutch oven or stew pot
medium-to-large saucepan for simmering lentils
Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils simmered 10 min in pure water
3 ea potatoes ~3/4 lb
1 ea onion crosscut thinly
1 ea carrot small dice
1 rib celery optional; small dice
2-6 cloves garlic rough chop
1 ea chili pepper fresh; serrano, jalapeno, poblano or similar
1 Tbsp paprika or gochugaru
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
8 cups water optionally replace some or all with stock or broth
1 tsp bouillon optional: chicken, vegetable, or other bouillon powder
Procedure:
1. Warm the stew pot over a low flame while getting the onion peeled and cut.
2. Caramelize the onion in the stew pot in some oil or ghee.
3. Meanwhile, make sure that the potatoes, carrot and celery are clean, using a brush if necessary especially on the potatoes.
4. Due to my unconscious bias against carrot skin, I typically peel the carrots but not the potatoes, whose peels bring a lot of potato flavor. Peel the carrot and potatoes if you want, and cut them into pieces that will cook in 30-45 minutes: carrots minced, potatoes small diced.
5. Either crosscut the celery nice and thin or mince it.
6. Leave the garlic in large pieces, perhaps even whole. The larger, less-cut the pieces are, the more mellow the garlic flavor will be. Since we recommend a very garlicky sauce as a topping for the soup, we also recommend keeping the soup’s own flavor mellow and round.
7. Keep an eye on the onions so they won’t scorch. Once they are a good color, add the spices and stir everything around.
8. Add the rest of the vegetables and about a cup of the water. Place the lid on the pot and let everything sweat steamily for about ten minutes over medium-low heat.
9. Once the carrots and potatoes are starting to look a bit translucent, add the rest of the water and bring everything up to a simmer.
10. Allow the soup to simmer 30-45 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes crush easily into a smooth paste. Remember to start the lentils about 15 minutes before the veg seem to be ready, for instance when they break apart but not smoothly enough.
11. To simmer the lentils, first ensure the lentils are thoroughly rinsed, then cover them with water (about 4 cups).
12. Bring them to a simmer over high heat, watching closely because they will foam.
13. Turn the heat down and let the lentils simmer covered for about 10 minutes.
14. Once the veg are smashing smoothly and the lentils are done, they may be combined. There is no need to drain the lentils, but if the pot is getting full, some lentil cooking water may be drained off first.
15. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is smooth. Keep warm for service or shock and store. This soup, like nearly all soups, is better the next day but it will always require seasoning adjustment before service. Use salt, lemon juice, tabasco sauce to adjust the soup’s flavors.
16. Serve garnished with cilantro, and possibly also spicy garlic-cilantro sauce; our forthcoming recipe is based on the ideas of toum from the Levant, and Somali basbaas. It really helps the soup by providing a sharp element. Another good option would be toasted seeds: pepitas, sesame, sunflower, or pine nuts.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
