Peace is the fruit of activity, not of sleep.
-Egyptian proverb
I circled back to the Middle East today. I longed for a glowing spicy soup, and concluded to turn to the flavors that I have been appreciating recently. I had an enticing bag of orange lentils, and chose to make an Egyptian inspired spicy lentil soup. While this soup has a spicy curry undertone, it also delivers savory depth from the cinnamon and cardamom. I toasted chickpeas, tossed in olive oil and the identical spices from the soup which made a charming crunchy garnish. Bread is the backbone of Egyptian cuisine, and is consumed at most meals. To accompany the soup I prepared grilled flatbread with roasted garlic and chives. You may bake the flatbread, but I recommend grilling it for additional flavor and char. This was superb for dipping. The evening conveyed an authentic Egyptian meal with beans and bread encased in bold deliciousness, two true staples of the culture. I dream that you will coalesce me on this travel expedition.
Egyptian Lentil Soup
3 T unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t ground cumin
3 T unsalted butter
1 large onion, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t ground cumin
1 t sweet paprika
1/2 t ground coriander
1 t cardamom
1/2 t ground coriander
1 t cardamom
1/2 t cinnamon
1 T hot curry powder
1 T hot curry powder
1 dried hot chili
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups orange lentils (if you can't find orange lentils, you can use a different color)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large stockpot or dutch oven melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, chili and curry powder then stir to coat the veggies with the spices. Cook for a few minutes to toast the spices. Add the tomatoes and the stock and bring to a simmer. Season generously with salt and pepper and add the lentils. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes, until lentils and vegetables are very soft.
In a few batches, puree the soup in a food processor until completely smooth (or use an immersion blender). Transfer back to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you like it a bit more spicy, you can add a little cayenne pepper and more black pepper (this is a boldly flavored soup).
Serve with flatbread wedges and top with a bit of Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice. I also garnished the soup with some roasted chickpeas and fresh chives. There are millions of recipes out there for roasted chickpeas, but basically just rinse and dry off some canned chickpeas, toss them with a bit of olive oil and seasonings you like, and roast them on a baking sheet in a really hot oven (400 F) until they are crispy. I just added all of the spices that I used in the soup and they were a perfect compliment to the creamy soup and tangy yogurt.
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 cups orange lentils (if you can't find orange lentils, you can use a different color)
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large stockpot or dutch oven melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and saute until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika, cardamom, cinnamon, chili and curry powder then stir to coat the veggies with the spices. Cook for a few minutes to toast the spices. Add the tomatoes and the stock and bring to a simmer. Season generously with salt and pepper and add the lentils. Simmer for about 30-40 minutes, until lentils and vegetables are very soft.
In a few batches, puree the soup in a food processor until completely smooth (or use an immersion blender). Transfer back to pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you like it a bit more spicy, you can add a little cayenne pepper and more black pepper (this is a boldly flavored soup).
Serve with flatbread wedges and top with a bit of Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice. I also garnished the soup with some roasted chickpeas and fresh chives. There are millions of recipes out there for roasted chickpeas, but basically just rinse and dry off some canned chickpeas, toss them with a bit of olive oil and seasonings you like, and roast them on a baking sheet in a really hot oven (400 F) until they are crispy. I just added all of the spices that I used in the soup and they were a perfect compliment to the creamy soup and tangy yogurt.
Chive and Roasted Garlic Flatbreads
2 packages instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 Call purpose flour
2 t coarse salt
3 T finely chopped chives
1 1/2 C lukewarm water
2 packages instant yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 1/2 Call purpose flour
2 t coarse salt
3 T finely chopped chives
1 1/2 C lukewarm water
1 bulb of garlic
oil or non-stick cooking spray
Preheat oven to 400. Cut the bulb of garlic in half. Place the garlic halves in foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap up tightly, and bake until soft 15-20 min. Allow to cool before squeezing cooked garlic from each clove. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400. Cut the bulb of garlic in half. Place the garlic halves in foil, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Wrap up tightly, and bake until soft 15-20 min. Allow to cool before squeezing cooked garlic from each clove. Set aside.
In a
bowl, combine yeast, sugar, flour, and salt, stir to combine. Slowly
stream in the water while mixing just until a ball starts to
form. Turn dough out onto a clean surface, and knead until the dough forms a nice elastic ball. This will probably take at
least 10 minutes, so be patient. When the dough is ready you should be able to
gather it into a tight ball and when you press your finger in, the imprint
should spring back. If the imprint does not spring back at all, keep kneading.
When the dough is just about ready, knead in the chives and roasted garlic until thoroughly mixed
in.
When the dough is fully kneaded, spray a glass or metal bowl with non stick cooking spray or coat lightly with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn over a few times to coat. Cover the bowl with a slightly damp towel and place in a warm area for about an hour to rise. It should double in size. You can tell if the dough has sufficiently rested when you poke your finger into it and the imprint stays and does not spring back at all.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and punch it down to get all the excess air out of it. Cut the dough into eight pieces pieces and gather each piece into a ball. Place each ball under a damp towel while you are working on the rest, this will prevent them from drying out and forming a skin. When all the dough has been portioned and shaped, let rest under the towel for 10-20 minutes. After they have rested, heat a dry grill pan (I did this on a gas grill) over medium-high heat. Take one or two of the pieces (depending on how big your grill pan is) and roll each out to about 1/8 inch thickness. Place each flatbread on the grill pan and grill until it starts to puff up, then flip to cook the other side. It takes about 3-4 minutes total per flatbread if you have your grill hot enough.
When the dough is fully kneaded, spray a glass or metal bowl with non stick cooking spray or coat lightly with oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn over a few times to coat. Cover the bowl with a slightly damp towel and place in a warm area for about an hour to rise. It should double in size. You can tell if the dough has sufficiently rested when you poke your finger into it and the imprint stays and does not spring back at all.
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and punch it down to get all the excess air out of it. Cut the dough into eight pieces pieces and gather each piece into a ball. Place each ball under a damp towel while you are working on the rest, this will prevent them from drying out and forming a skin. When all the dough has been portioned and shaped, let rest under the towel for 10-20 minutes. After they have rested, heat a dry grill pan (I did this on a gas grill) over medium-high heat. Take one or two of the pieces (depending on how big your grill pan is) and roll each out to about 1/8 inch thickness. Place each flatbread on the grill pan and grill until it starts to puff up, then flip to cook the other side. It takes about 3-4 minutes total per flatbread if you have your grill hot enough.
Until tomorrow...Peace.
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