Palestinian Red Lentil Soup with Sumac and Fried Onions

Name: Palestinian Red Lentil Soup with Sumac and Fried Onions
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely chopped; 2 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin; ½ teaspoon (1½ g) ground turmeric; 1½ cups (300 g) split red lentils, rinsed and drained; 6 cups (1420 ml) vegetable or chicken broth; 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste (reduce if broth is salted); ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 medium (200 g) lemons, 1 juiced (about 3 tablespoons/45 ml), 1 cut into 6 wedges for serving; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil; 2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) yellow onions, halved and sliced into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon (7 g) ground sumac, plus extra for serving; 2 tablespoons (8 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky, golden red lentil soup perfumed with cumin and turmeric, finished with fresh lemon and topped with crisp, deeply browned onions and a dusting of tangy sumac. Humble, fast, and deeply comforting.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: About 8 cups (1.9 liters), serving 6

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the soup
3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium (about 6 oz) (170 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced
2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cumin
½ teaspoon (1.5 g) ground turmeric
1½ cups (300 g) split red lentils, rinsed and drained
6 cups (1420 ml) vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste (reduce if broth is salted)
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 medium (200 g) lemons, 1 juiced (about 3 tablespoons/45 ml), 1 cut into 6 wedges for serving
For the fried onions
3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
2 medium (about 12 oz total) (340 g) yellow onions, halved and sliced into thin ⅛-inch (3 mm) half-moons
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt
1 tablespoon (7 g) ground sumac, plus extra for serving
For serving
2 tablespoons (8 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

4- to 5-quart (3.8–4.7 liter) heavy-bottomed pot with lid
10-inch (25 cm) skillet, preferably stainless steel or cast iron
Fine-mesh sieve
Immersion blender or countertop blender
Slotted spoon
Paper towel-lined plate

Steps

Before you start

Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear, about 1 minute.
Slice all the onions before you start cooking so the soup base and the topping onions are ready to go.
Use a pot of at least 4-quart (3.8 liter) capacity; the soup foams and rises as it comes to a boil.
Have a blender or immersion blender ready if you want a smooth soup.

1
Sweat the aromatics
- Heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil in the 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped onion and carrots with a pinch of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with golden edges, and carrots begin to look glossy and slightly softened.
Tip: Don't let the onion brown deeply here; lower the heat if it colors too quickly.
2
Bloom the spices
- Add the garlic, cumin, and turmeric.
- Stir constantly for 45–60 seconds so the spices toast in the oil without scorching.
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Ready when: The mixture smells strongly of toasted cumin and garlic and looks bright yellow-orange.
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown, add a splash of broth right away to stop it from turning bitter.
3
Add lentils and broth
- Stir in the rinsed lentils to coat them in the spiced oil, about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the 6 cups (1.42 liters) broth, the remaining salt, and the pepper.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, which takes about 6 minutes.
- Skim off any foam on the surface with a spoon.
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Ready when: Soup is at a steady rolling boil with pale foam on top.
Tip: Stay nearby; red lentils foam and can boil over.
4
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom, since lentils settle and can stick.
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Ready when: Lentils have collapsed into a thick, porridge-like soup, and a carrot piece mashes easily against the side of the pot.
Tip: If the soup becomes too thick to stir easily, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water.
5
Start the fried onions
- While the soup simmers, heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil in the 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sliced onions and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Spread into a layer and cook, stirring every 1–2 minutes, for 5 minutes until wilted.
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Ready when: Onions have released their liquid, softened, and begin to turn pale gold at the edges.
Tip: Don't crowd the pan; use a wide skillet so onions fry rather than steam.
6
Crisp the onions
- Continue cooking the onions, stirring every minute and reducing the heat to medium if they color too fast, for 8–10 more minutes.
- Stir in the sumac during the last 30 seconds.
- Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the oil in the skillet.
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Ready when: Onions are deep golden-brown with crisp, dark edges; they will crisp further as they cool.
Tip: Pull them just before they look done; they keep darkening from residual heat and burnt onions taste bitter.
7
Blend the soup
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Blend with an immersion blender until mostly smooth, about 1 minute, leaving a little texture if you like.
- For a countertop blender, work in two batches, filling no more than half full, and vent the lid with a towel over it.
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Ready when: Soup is velvety and uniformly golden, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Tip: Hot soup expands when blended; never fill a blender more than halfway.
8
Season with lemon
- Return the soup to low heat if needed.
- Stir in the juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons/45 ml).
- Taste and add more salt, a pinch at a time, until the flavors taste bright and balanced.
- Thin with hot water or broth, ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time, if it is thicker than you like.
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Ready when: Soup tastes tangy and savory, with the lemon noticeable but not sharp.
Tip: Add the lemon off a hard boil to keep its flavor fresh.
9
Serve
- Ladle the soup into 6 warm bowls.
- Top each with a generous spoonful of sumac onions, a drizzle of the flavored onion oil from the skillet, a pinch of extra sumac, and parsley if using.
- Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.
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Tip: Add the onions at the table or just before serving so they stay crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Rinse the lentils well; it removes dust and excess starch that cause heavy foaming.
Salt the broth in stages and taste at the end, as store-bought broths vary widely in saltiness.
Finish with lemon at the end; acid added early dulls and can slow softening of the lentils.
For extra richness, drizzle each bowl with a teaspoon of good extra-virgin olive oil.

Make ahead

"The soup (through blending, before the lemon juice) can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently, thinning with water, then add the lemon. Fry the onions the day of serving for best crispness, or store them airtight at room temperature for up to 1 day."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze (without onions) for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat over medium-low heat, stirring often and adding water or broth to loosen, until steaming hot. Store fried onions separately at room temperature for up to 1 day; re-crisp in a dry skillet for 2 minutes."

Substitutions

split red lentils → Brown or green lentils. Simmer 35–40 minutes and add an extra ½ cup (120 ml) broth; they hold their shape more, so blend well for a creamy texture.
ground sumac → Lemon zest. Use 1 tablespoon finely grated zest for a similar bright tang, though the color and flavor will differ slightly.
vegetable or chicken broth → Water plus 1 extra teaspoon salt. The soup will be milder; add an extra pinch of cumin and lemon juice to compensate.
olive oil → Neutral oil such as sunflower. Gives crisper onions with less olive flavor.