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Lentil Soup in a small bowl with a handle. The handle and the rim of the bowl are of a brown color. There is a white kitchen towel with beige stripes on its ends that's curving around the bowl over to the right corner. The lentil soup bowl is sitting over a cutting board. Grains of lentils are sprinkled over the board, and around the bowl.
Chantal

Lentil Soup

This lentil soup recipe is thousands of years old. It is even mentioned in the Bible, the time when Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of lentil soup. Even though it is not the most famous dish in Lebanese cuisine, it has been famous in its own right all throughout history. I hope you will like it as much as Esau did, but don’t sell your birthright!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups brown lentils or green. I personally prefer the brown ones
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • ¼ cup of long grain rice
  • 1 tablespoon salt or to taste
  • 9 cups of boiling water.

Equipment

  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Medium bowl
  • Large fine sieve
  • Cutting board
  • Medium stockpot
  • Wooden Spoon

Method
 

  1. Place the lentils in a medium bowl. Rinse and drain them using a strainer. Do this about 3 times or until the lentils are thoroughly cleaned. Allow the lentils to soak in cold water for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  2. Place the 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil (depending on how much you prefer to use) into the stockpot. Turn the stove onto medium heat and place the diced onions into the pot with the olive oil. Stir frequently to avoid the onions from burning.
  3. Once the onions have become translucent and golden brown, drain the lentils and add them into the stockpot with the onions. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Add in 6 cups of boiling water into the pot. Turn the heat on high. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. After the 30 minutes have passed, check to make sure that the water is not completely evaporated. If most of the water has evaporated, add in the remaining 3 cups of boiling water. Stir, and allow to cook for one and a half hour stirring occasionally. Check on the soup every 30 minutes to make sure that the water has not completely evaporated. You want to achieve a porridge consistency. So if you need more water, don’t be afraid to add more!
  6. After the lentils are fully cooked and have achieved the desired consistency, add in the 1 tablespoon of salt (or to taste) and stir.
  7. You can serve this dish with rice bread, pickles, cucumbers, onions, radishes, or any other type of vegetable that you might like. You could also add in a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to your bowl. I personally prefer it as is. I just add a whole lot more salt to my bowl (because I love salt) and I prefer to eat it with Lebanese pickles, cucumbers, and onions.

Notes

You can cook the lentils for only 30 minutes if you don’t like the porridge consistency, but I suggest you give it a try before you do this.
The way how this dish is made varies from region to region in Lebanon. It even varies from family to family. My mom never soaked her lentils or cooked them as long as I do, but I prefer to do it this way. I like my lentil soup to be super creamy, but yet still have a little bit of the lentil consistency.
Sometimes I start my lentil soup around 10:00 AM and let it slow-cook for 5-7 hours on very low heat. It’s a very easy dish to prepare. It only requires some patience to wait for it to be ready.
Another way I heard of people preparing this dish, is by completely blending it after it is fully cooked. I personally don’t like the idea, but if you like extremely creamy textures, you can try it and decide whether you like it or not.