Categories: Grain & LegumesSoups

‘Winter Red Lentil Soup with Browned Onions’ by Christine Datian

If you subscribe to The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, you know that Christine Datian submits recipes regularly to the ‘Recipe Corner’
section. She notified me of her recipe which appeared in the September 17th
issue (page 14), and asked if I would post it here. I happily agreed!


With autumn officially upon us, the time is right to think about
soup. Perhaps Christine’s ‘winter’ soup recipe is a bit premature, but I’m sure
you’ll find it delicious anytime.




If you’re looking for more lentil soup recipes,
check the list below and click on the recipe’s name.


Christine Datian’s Winter Red Lentil Soup with Browned Onions as made in The Armenian Kitchen.


Winter Red Lentil Soup with Browned Onions by Christine Datian

Serves  8 to 10 – or more!

Robyn’s Note: Since I was cooking for two, I made half the amount of Christine’s original recipe and it yielded 5 to 6 hefty servings.


Ingredients:



2 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed, drained, (and sorted to
remove any unwanted particles)

1/4 cup coarse or medium bulgur

4 cups low sodium chicken or beef broth, or 2 quarts lamb
broth, if available (NOTE: If using 2 qts. of lamb broth, omit 4 to 5 cups water.)

4-5 cups water

2-3 stalks celery (plus green tops), chopped or diced

2-3 medium carrots, chopped or diced

1-2 teaspoons dried mint, crushed

Dash of (dried) sweet basil

Sea or kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Paprika, cayenne or Aleppo pepper to taste




1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

a few Tbsp. butter

Garnish options: Chopped fresh parsley and mint

    Lemon wedges

Preparation:


Bring the broth and
water to a full boil in a large pot.  Add
the lentils and bulgur to the boiling liquid with the remaining
ingredients- except the chopped onion and butter. Stir. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Stir again and cover pot. Cook for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Onions cooking in butter

Before serving,
sauté a large chopped yellow or white onion in a few tablespoons of butter
until the onions are browned.



Browned onions

Add the browned
onions to the soup 5 minutes before serving, and top with chopped fresh parsley
and mint, if desired.  



Serve soup with
lemon wedges on the side and extra paprika, cayenne or Aleppo pepper.



The following list represents some of our favorite Lentil
Soup recipes which have been posted over the years:


View Comments

  • Can you clarify the broth...only 4 cups chicken or beef broth but 8 cups if lamb broth? Do you leave out water with lamb broth?

    • Yes, the broth can be clarified. And, oops! I should have indicated that the water was omitted when using 8 cups of lamb broth. Thanks for pointing that out!

Recent Posts

Easter Menu Planning? Look no further!

  I don’t know about you, but in our family, we’re all about tradition when…

4 weeks ago

St. Sarkis Day and 3 celebratory recipes

It’s that time of year again! St. Sarkis Day, the moveable feast day on the…

3 months ago

A Traditional Recipe for Armenian Christmas Eve – Nevik

Way back in 2010 Ara Kassabian shared his family’s recipe for Nevik with The Armenian…

4 months ago

Thanksgiving Recipes Revisited

With Thanksgiving Day just hours away, I thought I’d share a few of our favorite,…

5 months ago

George Mardikian’s Chicken Tchakhokhbelli recipe, dish favored by Georgian princes.

My family and I had the distinct honor of meeting George Mardikian at his restaurant,…

10 months ago

Antonio Tahhan and his recipe for Kbeibat, Middle Eastern dumplings

My first encounter with Antonio (Tony) Tahhan, the Syrian-American food writer, researcher, and storyteller, spans…

10 months ago

This website uses cookies. find out more.