Egyptian Red Lentil Soup

• 5 cups water
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 2 cups potatoes, chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Add the first 5 ingredients to a large pot; cover and bring to a boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until the lentils and veggies are tender.
3.  Take pot from stove burner and set aside.
4. In a small saucepan, add the oil; warm over low heat until the oil is hot but not smoking.
5. Add in the cumin, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir constantly for for 2-3 minutes or until the cumin has released its fragrance (be careful not to scorch the spices).
6. Set spice mixture aside for 1 minute to cool.
7. Stir spice mixture into the lentil mixture; add cilantro, stir to combine.
8.  You can puree the soup, in batches, in a blender OR you can use an immersion blender and blend to desired texture (I like to leave it a little chunky).
9. Add in lemon juice; stir to combine.
10. Rewarm soup in soup pot; season if needed with salt/pepper.