Friday, October 10, 2014

693. Egyptian Sprouted Lentil Soup


This month's MENA Cooking Club country of choice, following Algeria and Bahrain, and Djibouti, is Egypt and it is hosted by Amira of Arabian Mama.
Egypt has a rich history and a huge impact on Arab culture and food. One gets visions of stuffed pigeons and mountains of koushari served alongside pots of mulukhia and platters of taamia (broad bean felafels), rounded off with syruppy basboosa and warm Um Ali. However, with all this richness one often finds solace in the most humble of foods, and what could be more humble than the lentil seed? I have indeed posted two versions of lentil soup on MCW before (a red and a brown version), but I want this version to be their crown. In addition to the caramelized onions, sparrow's heads (aka meatballs), vermicelli noodles, and plenty of fresh coriander, I soaked the lentils in a little water for three days just to get them sprouted and thereby amplifying the nutritional benefits of the pulse.
Many thanks to the lovely Noor of Ya Salam Cooking for organizing this event every month.


Ingredients:

1 cup orange lentils
2 stock cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp turmeric
250g minced lamb, formed into balls
1/2 cup vermicelli noodles
1/2 cup chopped coriander



Method:

Place the lentils in a shallow dish and rinse, then soak barely covered in water for about three days until they begin to sprout.
Give the lentils a good rinse, drain, then boil them with the stock cubes and four cups of water for 20 minutes.
During this time fry the onion in a little oil and add the spices when soft.
Add the onion and spice mixture to the lentil.
Drop in the minced meat balls and vermicelli and boil for 10 minutes more until cooked through.
Add water to adjust the thickness of the soup and taste for seasoning.
Remember to drink the soup with some vitamin C (like a squirt of fresh lemon or a glass of orange juice) to maximize iron absorption!


 صحة و عافية


15 comments:

Unknown said...

As salaamu alaykum i didn't finish my last comment before i mistakely hit publish ooops! Your soup looks tasty packed full of ingredients i love, i never knew about sprouting lentils being better for us. Jazak Allahu khair for sharing the food knowledge and your soup recipe.

Noor said...

Wow mashAllah I had no idea you could even do that with lentils. Do they taste the same? This looks really good and I cannot wait to try it.

Maryam said...

Yjzeena wayak alkhair Um Hamza. Sprouting seeds and all kinds of beans has amazing nutritional benefits and in some smaller seeds it converts the hard starches we would normally cook out and render them edible raw in salads. I'm still timidly exploring the world of sprouting by starting off small.

Maryam said...

Thanks Noor! I didn't let them reach the green stage of sprouting since I've just started exploring sprouting so the did taste the same. You can try sprouting the lentils to the green stage then tossing them in a salad raw for added benefits.

Carrie said...

Oh neat, I have been reading about sprouting lentils for awhile and definitely want to try it. That looks like such a warm and nourishing bowl!

Maryam said...

Thanks Carrie! I highly recommend giving it a go.

Sneha's Recipe said...

Great sprouted lentil soup, yes lentils when sprouted have more nutrients, here in India we mostly sprout lentils for cooking. Delicious, power packed soup.

Maryam said...

Thanks Sneha!

Unknown said...

Salaamu aleikoum, I'm loving your version of red lentil soup. sprouting the lentils is ingenius!

Joanne T Ferguson said...

Salaamu aleikoum and loved your version of this lentil soup!
I am glad to meet you through MENA!
Congrats on completing this month's Egyptian challenge too!
Cheers! Joanne @What's on The List

cookbakeandenjoy said...

delicious and hearty soup !!!

Maryam said...

Wa alaikum al Salam, Heni. And it's really healthy too.

Maryam said...

Wa alaikum al Salam Joanne. Thanks! It has been a true pleasure being a part of this club and meeting all of you.

Maryam said...

A must-try, Madiha.

Unknown said...

السلام عليكم
صحتين وعافية عليكم ... ما شاء الله ... شوربة العدس حلوة جدا ومغذية ومفيدة بالذات في فصل الشتاء وإضافة الكفتة ليها بتزيدها من القيمة الغذائية ... شكرا ليكي