Arabic Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown lentils
• 2 quarts chicken stock (or your choice)
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped or sliced
• 1 medium tomato, quartered
• 2 tablespoons butter, less if desired
• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly
• 1 teaspoon cumin, to taste

Directions

1. 1

   Wash lentils thoroughly and soak if desired.

2. 2

   I never soak them, and they always seem to cook up quickly.

3. 3

   Bring stock to a boil.

4. 4

   Add quartered onion, garlic, tomato and lentils.

5. 5

   Return to boil, then lower heat and allow to simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender.

6. 6

   The amount of time will depend on the freshness of the lentils and whether or not they were soaked, but plan on an hour to an hour and a half.

7. 7

   Over-cooking wouldn't be a problem since this is a blended soup, but under-cooking would.

8. 8

   As lentils approach tenderness, melt butter in a small frying pan over medium-low heat.

9. 9

   Add thinly sliced onion and allow to fry until very dark brown.

10. 10

    Add cumin, saute briefly.

11. 11

    Add mixture to soup and stir through.

12. 12

    Ladle one ladle-full of soup at a time into a blender or food processor.

13. 13

    Using a dishtowel, hold lid down and process soup until homogenous.

14. 14

    When soup has been completely pureed, return to a pot and reheat until ready to serve.

15. 15

    Enjoy!