Rosa Lev’s Lentil Soup with Chestnuts

By: ELLY LEV

Ingredients

• 1 cup of red lentils
• 2 tablespoons of oil
• 1 cooking onion
• 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
• 1 red hot pepper
• 3 cups of liquid (broth or water)
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 bag of chestnuts, approximately 12 pieces
• 1 ½ tablespoons of butter 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons of whole cumin seeds
• A squeeze of lemon juice for flavor
  

Directions

1. Dice an onion and fry with oil in the soup pot until it’s transparent.
2. Wash the lentils and put into a pot.
3. Put three cups of broth — you can use veggie stock, chicken stock or water, depending on your taste or dietary needs — per one cup of lentils.
   If you see it becomes too thick, you can always put more liquid in it.
4. Add the hot pepper into the soup pot. Add one teaspoon of salt or to your taste.
5. Allow the soup to cook until the lentils have disintegrated, the colour will turn from red to yellow. Stir occasionally.
6. While the soup is cooking, melt the butter in a pan. Slice the garlic into a few pieces and add to the pan, along with the whole cumin.
7. Fry it up until the garlic is nicely browned and fragrant. Make sure it doesn’t burn. Pour a little water into the pan and cook for another minute.
8. When the soup is almost ready, pour the butter mixture through a strainer into the soup. Add the ground cumin into soup and remove the pepper.
9. Once the soup is ready, chop up the chestnuts and add them in. When serving, squeeze in some lemon, depending on taste.

(Pairs well with toasted pita, olive oil and zatar!)