With many countries being on lockdown and most people worldwide being advised to remain at home if getting out isn’t a must due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have more time on our hands to get cooking.
This can be an excellent thing in all the shock we’re witnessing- you’ll be able to boost your cooking skills, enjoy delicious food, and spend some quality time with family.
To help you have an enjoyable #stayathome, we’ve decided to share delicious recipes with you, including this vegan and vegetarian red lentil soup that’s bursting in the flavor of north African spices (don’t worry, you needn’t be travelling to North Africa to get them!).
It’s actually made of well-known spices that are available in local supermarkets.
It’s a comforting and spicy soup that goes great when served with delicious homemade bread and it’s ideal for rainy days.
When we’re saying North African spices, we’re actually referring to coriander, ginger, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne.
Come on; let’s check out the recipe together…
Red Lentil Soup with North African Spices Recipe
You’ll need the following ingredients:
¼ cup of virgin olive oil
An onion, peeled and chopped
Salt
Pepper
¾ tsp of coriander, ground
½ tsp of cumin, ground
¼ tsp of ginger, ground
1/8 tsp of cinnamon, ground
A dash of cayenne pepper
A tbsp of tomato paste
One clove of garlic, minced
4 cups of veggie or chicken broth
2 cups of water
1 ½ cups of red lentils, rinsed
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 ½ tsp of dried mint
A tsp of paprika
¼ cup of cilantro, chopped
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of oil on medium heat.
When it begins to shimmer, add ½ tsp of salt and cook. Stir occasionally, around 5 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, and ¼ tsp of pepper.
Cook until fragrant, around 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for an additional minute.
Add the broth, water, and lentils and bring the mixture to simmer. Cook and stir from time to time. When the lentils soften and are half broken down, approximately 15 minutes.
Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes a coarse puree, around 30 seconds. If you want to adjust the consistency, add additional broth.
Add the lemon juice and salt if want more.
Cover the soup and turn off the heat.
In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and when it begins to shimmer, remove it from heat and add the mint and paprika.
When serving the warm soup, drizzle the spiced oil and sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top.
Enjoy!
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