Algerian Lentil Soup
Today I have something from an Algerian cuisine that is so undiscovered and uncommon to find or just mixed in the restaurants with Lebanese dishes that are much more popular. This way you probably had a nice traditional Algerian dish but don’t even know about it.
When my partner made this soup for dinner for the first time, I completely fall in love with it. Great spices like cumin, ginger, smoked paprika topped up with a healthy amount of garlic just works so beautifully. List of simple ingredients, the fact that there is no meat stock, makes it a vegan-friendly recipe, just completely blew my mind.
Lentils – brown, green, yellow, red, or black. These amazing grains are a hidden gem. Considered a quiet superfood. Low in calories, rich in iron, and an excellent source of protein. Easily cooked in 5-20 min by soaking is just as quick and easy as pasta or rice.
This recipe is simply great to have in your cookbook in case you just don’t feel like cooking. A one-pot hearty soup that is ready in just an hour that will satisfy every member of the family on a cooler day. So make this recipe and bring a bit of a beautiful Algerian culture to your home.
Algerian Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Large Tomatoes
- 3 L Water
- 1 cup Green Lentil
- 1 Medium Potato
- 1 Large Carrot
- 1 Celery Stick
- 1 Large Onion
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1.5 tsp Cumin
- 0.5 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- Fresh Coriander
- Salt
Instructions
- Pour water and lentils into a large pot and boil on medium heat for 20-30min or until the lentil gets soft and the first layer of skin separates.
- Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half and grind the flesh on large hols of a vegetable grater, leaving the skins behind. Set aside.
- Chop carrot, potato, and celery into bite-size pieces. Next chop onion in a fine cube.
- Add oil, grated tomato, all of the chopped vegetables, and spices (cumin, paprika, ginger) into a pot. Follow with chopped garlic cloves and tomato puree. Stir all the ingredients well together and simmer on medium heat for 30-40min until the potato is cooked and the soup gets thick.
- Season with salt to taste and serve with freshly chopped coriander sprinkled on top. Great with a side of crunchy bread for dipping.