red lentil and carrot soup
This soup is a nod to one of my favorite cuisines: Ethiopian food. The depth of flavor, the spices, the variety, the way the food is shared, are just a few of the many reasons that I love it so much. While I would never pretend to label this soup as “Ethiopian”, I borrow Berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend typically used in chicken or meat dishes like doro wot or kai sega wot. While it varies, most Berbere contains paprika, cumin, cayenne, coriander, cardamom, mace, fenugreek, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, as well as other herbs and chili peppers. I welcome you to make your own but, for ease, this recipe uses store bought Berbere. You can typically find it at your local grocery store, but I encourage you to seek out a local Ethiopian grocery store or to find quality, ethically sourced Berbere online. Here is an article about how to find good, authentic Berbere.
The Berbere and aromatic herbs like garlic and ginger bring so much flavor (including a decent amount of heat!) to the vegetables and lentils. The coconut milk brings a perfect balance to the mix while the cilantro and lemon juice at the end really elevate the dish adding the perfect amount of brightness. This soup is quick, easy, and is great for meal prepping. You’ll want to be sure to have some bread on hand to scoop up every last bite.
red lentil and carrot soup
ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
2 celery sticks diced
1-2 large or 3-4 small carrots diced
3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1-2 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
1 tbsp Berbere spice
1 ¾ cup red lentils
Salt
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
2 cups water
Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
Handful cilantro, roughly chopped
Optional, but recommend: bread to serve
instructions
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the yellow onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions are translucent, and the carrots are starting to soften (they will still be pretty firm at this point).
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then add the Berbere and stir to combine, cooking for another minute or so.
Add the red lentils and stir, making sure to coat the lentils in the spice. Then add 1 tsp salt, coconut milk, water, and stir to combine.
Bring everything to a boil. Then, turn heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook for roughly 20-25 minutes, checking and stirring every five minutes or so to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn. It is done once the lentils are fully cooked and starting to fall apart and the carrots are soft.
Turn off the heat. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches a mostly smooth texture. If you find that the soup is too thick, thin it out by adding water until you get to your desired thickness.
Taste and season as necessary (I usually add ½ tsp salt). Add lemon juice from half of a lemon and stir to combine. Taste and add more lemon juice if necessary.
Serve! Divide between bowls and top with more lemon juice and the chopped cilantro. Serve with your favorite kind of bread.
Enjoy :)
