This easy Middle Eastern Red Lentil Potato Soup cooks in less than 30 minutes. It’s packed with flavor from garlic, onion, cumin, and paprika, and high in fiber and protein. This is definitely a filling bowl of comfort.
4cupschicken broth(replace with vegetable broth or water for vegetarian option)
4cupswater
2cupsred lentilspicked over and rinsed
⅓cupmedium-grain rice
2small or 1 large white or yellow (waxy) potatopeeled and diced into ¼-inch cubes
2clovesgarlicminced
2teaspoonsground cumin
2teaspoonspaprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the chopped onion, cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and water, raise the heat and bring to a boil.
Then add the lentils, rice, potato, garlic, cumin, and paprika. Season with salt and pepper. When the mixture returns to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick, for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the lentils, rice, and potatoes are all tender. The rice will likely take the longest to cook.
Readjust seasonings as needed and serve.
Notes
You can swap out the rice with an equal amount of fine (#1 grade) bulgur wheat if you would like. This is another delicious option, although the soup will no longer be gluten-free if you use bulgur.
Reduce the cumin to 1 teaspoon if you would like a less pronounced cumin flavor in your soup.
The soup will continue to thicken as it sits and cools. When reheating leftover soup, if it seems thicker than your preference add a small amount of water to thin it out.