Shorbat ‘Adas Lentil Soup

The combination of sweet creamy butternut squash and rich floury lentils makes this soup a hand and heart-warming delight. It really is a one pot wonder which helps fend off the cold winter months.

(recipe and image produced by the ‘Welcome to Palestine’ team)

Ingredients

Serves 6 – Time 1 Hour 15 Minutes

200g Uncooked Red Lentils
1 Medium Butternut Squash
1 Large White Onion
4 Large Cloves of Garlic
2 Celery Stalks
1 Large Carrot
1 Large Red Pepper
1 Medium Chilli
1 Medium Handful of Parsley
2 Litres of Vegetable Stock
2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Tsp Paprika
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions

Put a large soup pan on a medium heat with the olive oil. Finely chop the onion and garlic and fry until it turns soft and begins to go golden.

Peel and de-seed the squash and roughly cut into 1cm by 1cm chunks along with the celery, carrot and pepper. Add the vegetables to the pan and fry on a medium heat for 15 minutes.

Dry toast the cumin seeds until they begin to darken and then crush them in a pestle and mortar. Add the cumin powder, chopped parsley, chilli and paprika to the pan and mix well. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Stir in the vegetable stock and lentils and bring up to a steady boil. Leave it on a medium heat for at least 45 minutes and blitz with a hand-held blender to a consistency of your choosing.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a chunk of bread.