This is a traditional Iraqi soup that is mainly cooked in Ramadan. Mainly because it is light and gentile on flavour. Lentils are full of iron, fibre, magnesium and they are good blood sugar stabiliser. Which is exactly what you need after a long fast.

I have blogged two other lentil soups but this one is different because it has fewer ingredients and it is lighter then the previous two.  I am sticking to my mother in law’s recipe ! Since my husband adores his mother’s cooking I must keep his stomach happy too. She dose’t use onion in the soup, you have the option on using one diced onion or not. To use an onion, all you need to do it dice the onion, sauté them and then start from step 1.

Incredibly this is an easy and quick dish to make for Ramadan and any other occasion. You can serve it with hot bread, sprinkle some fried onion on top, squeeze a dash of lemon on top or even add bourgul dumplings or meal balls to it if you want to make it slightly fancy ! I can honestly say the smell is so tantalising, the mixture of cumin and lentils are perfect. Do not add too much turmeric , just enough to colour and give a sight flavour.

Ingredients

1 small bowl of red lentils

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

seasoning

Handful of vermicelli (optional)

Method

Step 1- Soak the red lentils for 10 mints and wash them few times till water runs clear. then add to a hot pan and slightly heat.

Step 2- Add the seasoning and spices and mix well for a few seconds till all lentils are coated.

Step 3- Add water and boil for 20 minutes.  Once the lentils are swollen and cooked use a  soup blender and whizz the soup for few minutes.

Step 4- Add a handful of vermicelli and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.

Serve hot with bread, some partly on top or a squeeze of lemon !