Last time, we made savory crepes. Since then the weather has gotten colder, the air crisper, and the nights longer; that means only one thing: Soup time!

First up is an Egyptian recipe from my favorite cookbook Extending the Table by Joretta Handrich Schlabach. This book is one of the few recipe books where I nearly always follow the recipe to a T. So, yes, I recommend this book as a 10/10.

SPICY LENTIL POT/SHORBET ADDIS

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots
• 1 green pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 2 tomatoes, chopped or 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 5-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
• 1½  cups orange lentils (375ml/192 grams)
• 5-6 cups of water (1.3-1.5L)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube (optional)
• 2 tsp ground cumin (10 grams)
• 1.5 tsp salt (7 grams)
• ¼-1½ tsp ground red pepper or chili flakes (1 – 7 grams)*
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lemons cut into wedges (optional)

Method:

*Preparation: around 10 minutes *Cook time: around 50-60 minutes.

1. Chop the vegetables into large chunks and add to a large saucepan.

2. Add garlic cloves, lentils, water and chicken bouillon cube.

3. Cover and bring to a boil.

4. Allow the mixture to boil for 20-30 minutes without stirring.

5. Allow to cool slightly, then strain or puree in batches.**

6. Return to the pot and add the cumin, salt and ground red pepper.

7. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend the flavours.

8. In separate pan, fry ½ cup chopped onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until toasty brown.

9. Float the onions on top of the soup.

10. Serve with lemon wedges to bring out more of the flavors (optional).

*For a spicier taste use ground red pepper.

** If using a blender, be sure to blend thoroughly here. If you don’t have a blender, use a strainer to mash the soup through gradually. Straining the soup helps to thicken it and gives it a pureed/blended consistency.