Egyptian Black Lentil Soup

In our everlasting attempt to expand our cookbook collection we traveled to Egypt and picked up a copy of My Egyptian Grandmother's Kitchen by Magda Mehdawy (on our way we managed to see the major sites and taste some local specialties). Our first recipe trial was very successful, resulting in a hearty lentil soup, excellent for any time of year. For a nicer look and a lighter consistency, you should use yellow lentils.

Ingredients:

500 gr black lentils

1 tomato, quartered

1 carrot, quartered

1 tsp salt

1 large onion

1 tbs veg oil

1 cup water

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tsp cumin

chopped parsley

The Recipe:

Wash the lentils well. Transfer to a large pot, add the tomato, carrot and salt and cover with water.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree in a blender.

Chop the onion and fry it with the oil in a large pot until golden brown. Add the pureed lentils, water, lime juice and cumin. You may add more water as needed. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer to serving bowls, garnish with chopped parsely and serve. The soup will taste even better tomorrow. When reheating you might want to add some water since it tends to thicken in the refrigerator.