Tunisian Lentil Soup with Tabil and Tomato Paste

Name: Tunisian Lentil Soup with Tabil and Tomato Paste
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon (6 g) coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) caraway seeds; 1 teaspoon (2 g) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste; 1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder; ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) large yellow onion, finely chopped; 1 medium (100 g) medium carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste; 1½ cups (300 g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained; 7 cups (1650 ml) vegetable broth or water, hot or room temperature; 1½ teaspoons (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste (use less if broth is salted); 1 large (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 2 tablespoons), half cut into wedges; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, rustic soup of brown lentils simmered with caramelized tomato paste and tabil, the Tunisian blend of coriander, caraway, garlic and chile. Finished with lemon and a drizzle of olive oil, it is hearty, bright and easy.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 5 min
Makes: About 8 cups (1.9 liters), 6 servings

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Ingredients

6 servings

For the tabil
1 tablespoon (6 g) coriander seeds
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) caraway seeds
1 teaspoon (2 g) crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 teaspoon (3 g) garlic powder
For the soup
¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 medium (100 g) medium carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
4 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste
1½ cups (300 g) brown lentils, rinsed and drained
7 cups (1650 ml) vegetable broth or water, hot or room temperature
1½ teaspoons (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste (use less if broth is salted)
For serving
1 large (about 3.5 oz) (100 g) lemon, half juiced (about 2 tablespoons), half cut into wedges
¼ cup (10 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Equipment (6)

Small dry skillet (8-inch / 20 cm)
Spice grinder or mortar and pestle
5- to 6-quart (4.7-5.7 L) heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid
Fine-mesh sieve
Immersion blender or regular blender (optional)
Wooden spoon

Steps

Before you start

Make the tabil first (step 1) or use 2 tablespoons of a store-bought blend; toasting whole seeds gives the best flavor.
Rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and pick out any small stones or debris.
Brown lentils hold their shape; do not substitute red lentils, which dissolve.
Have the lemon and extra olive oil ready for serving.

1
Toast and grind tabil
- Set a small dry skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the coriander and caraway seeds and toast, shaking the pan often, for 1–2 minutes.
- Tip into a spice grinder or mortar, cool 1 minute, then grind to a fine powder.
- Stir in the red pepper flakes and garlic powder.
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Ready when: Seeds smell warm and nutty and are a shade darker, not smoking.
Tip: Burnt seeds turn bitter; remove them from the pan as soon as they smell fragrant.
2
Soften the vegetables
- Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrot and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 8–10 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft, translucent and just starting to turn golden at the edges.
Tip: If the vegetables brown quickly, lower the heat a notch.
3
Add garlic and tabil
- Stir in the garlic and all of the tabil.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
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Ready when: Strong spice-and-garlic aroma; garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Tip: Add a splash of broth if the spices start sticking.
4
Caramelize tomato paste
- Push the vegetables aside, add the tomato paste to the cleared spot, and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring and smearing it against the pot, then mix it into the vegetables.
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Ready when: Paste darkens from bright red to brick red and smells sweet and rich.
Tip: Cooking the paste removes its raw, metallic taste and deepens the soup.
5
Add lentils and broth
- Add the rinsed lentils and 7 cups (1650 ml) broth or water.
- Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
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Ready when: Liquid reaches a steady boil with bubbles across the surface.
Tip: Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
6
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to low so the soup bubbles gently.
- Partially cover and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the lentils are completely tender.
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Ready when: Lentils mash easily between two fingers with no chalky center; soup is thick but spoonable.
Tip: If it thickens too much, stir in ½ cup (120 ml) hot water at a time.
7
Partially blend
- Remove from the heat.
- Pulse with an immersion blender 5–6 times, or ladle 2 cups into a blender, purée, and stir back, to thicken the soup while leaving plenty of whole lentils.
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Ready when: Soup looks creamy with whole lentils still visible.
Tip: Vent the blender lid and cover it with a towel when blending hot liquid.
8
Season and rest
- Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the juice of half the lemon (about 2 tablespoons).
- Taste and adjust salt, lemon or red pepper.
- Let sit off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Soup tastes bright and well seasoned, not flat.
Tip: Lentils soak up salt, so season at the end and taste before adding more.
9
Serve
- Ladle into bowls.
- Drizzle each with about 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, and serve with a lemon wedge.

Good to know

Tips

Do not salt heavily before the lentils are cooked if using salted broth; adjust at the end.
Add the lemon at the end; acid early can keep lentils firm.
Serve with crusty bread, a spoonful of harissa, or a soft-boiled egg for a fuller meal.
Fresh, recently bought lentils cook more evenly than old ones.

Make ahead

Make the soup up to 3 days ahead; it thickens and tastes even better the next day. The tabil can be ground up to 1 month ahead and stored airtight.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, adding water or broth to loosen, until steaming hot.

Substitutions

brown lentils → green or French (Puy) lentils. Same amount; Puy lentils may need 5 extra minutes.
coriander seeds → 2 tablespoons store-bought tabil, or 2 teaspoons ground coriander plus ¾ teaspoon ground caraway. Skip the toasting step; add with the garlic.
vegetable broth or water → water. Use 1 teaspoon more salt in total and taste at the end.
lemon → 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar. Adds similar brightness.