Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2009

My husband and I love the lentil soup at various middle eastern restaurants in our neighborhood, so I've been looking for a recipe to make something similiar. This was perfect! I did make a few small adjustments though. I used a little more chicken stock (8 cups), a little less lemon juice (1/4 cup), swapped out tumeric for the cayenne pepper and served with lemon wedges. Absolutely delicious!

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Melissa

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Reviewed: Nov. 22, 2009

This delicious soup is ridiculously easy; I did not bother blending it, and we enjoyed the texture. I did not use cilantro, and it did not lack anything. I did add a tiny bit of coriander as suggested by another reviewer, to make up for the lack of cilantro. So easy, so delicious!

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Meredith

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Reviewed: Nov. 9, 2009

Very good! I decided not to puree the soup because the texture reminded me of split pea soup, which we like. If I make it again, though, I think that I would puree it per directions. The flavor is very lemony, which we liked, but I would caution you to use less if you do not like a strong lemon flavor.

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cookin'mama

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Living In: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

This soup definitely merits 5 stars for flavor, ease of preparation, nutritiousness and bonus points for inexpensive! The combination of the red lentils, cumin, cilantro and lemon are fresh and earthy at the same time. I would say all the ingredients are key to the success of this soup. I used vegetable stock instead of chicken and only used the juice from half a juicy lemon. I did not bother blending it at the end and I really enjoyed the thick texture. Great comfort food! Ate with a buttered whole-wheat baguette and it was hearty and very satisfying. I will definitely be making this soup again Thanks for a great tasting and easy recipe!

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shari

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Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2009

Fresh, delicious, and downright healthy. Do not skip the fresh squeezed lemon juice! It completes this dish!

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Dillard

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Lafayette, Louisiana, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 3, 2009

This soup was excellent and very easy to make - this recipe is a keeper! I also did not need to puree the soup, I just let it cook for an hour or so and time did the work for me. I mistakenly forgot the lemon juice and it was still wonderful.

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heather

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Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2009

Surprisingly delicious! And I say surprisingly because that first taste blows you away! Tastes nothing like I thought it would from the smell and look. Like others have mentioned, go easy on the lemon juice. Maybe even 1/2 cup is too much. The cumin is a must. Do not leave it out or substitute it. It is very filling, so if you're dishing up a bowl the size pictured, that's going to be your main course.

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Kenny

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Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2009

This was soo good, even un-blended.

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CINDY18LOU

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Dallas, Texas, USA

Living In: Austin, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 24, 2009

I love this soup! I followed the directions exactly, except I only added 1/2 C lemon juice, instead of 3/4 C. The peppery flavor with the lemon is fantastic! It's a great cold-weather soup.

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Beth from NJ

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Reviewed: Oct. 22, 2009

Wow!!! Talk about comfort food. This is right up there with mashed potatoes, Texas Chili and Black Beans and Rice. It was smooth and creamy, spicy, and (yea) healthy. I look for foods for my family that meet 4 criteria: tastes good, good for you, easy to make and cheep. This is a keeper!!

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Sharon

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Reviewed: Oct. 6, 2009

Yum! The first time I made this, I squeezed fresh lemons and the full 3/4 cup was too tart after I added the cilantro so I just use 1/2 cup. For bottled juice, I use what the recipe calls for. I hate cleaning the blender so I use an old hand-cranked egg beater in the pan-- I like the lentils less pureed so this works fine. Chicken or clear vegetable broth works good as a substitute when I don't have any stock on hand but stock tastes better.

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Apostrophe

Home Town: Elgin, Illinois, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 5, 2009

Delicious! This will be one of my go-to soup recipes now. I did have a hard time finding the red lentils (had to go to an ethnic store since they were not available in my chain grocery store) - but it was well worth it. Thanks for a delicious, easy recipe.

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PeaPea

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Reviewed: Oct. 1, 2009

I hate having the same thing twice in a row - most of the time it will be months before I repeat a recipe. Had this Wednesday and I cannot wait to have it again next week. So good and so good for you! Thanks!!

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laurieloo82

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Reviewed: Sep. 24, 2009

YUMMY! As a veggie, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I also listened to other reviewers and replaced black pepper for the cayenne. Top this soup with some feta... SO GOOD!!! :)

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Smileigh

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Reviewed: Sep. 17, 2009

This is excellent and soo delicious, Thank you.

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iman

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Reviewed: Sep. 17, 2009

This was incredible! Tasted just like the lentil soup served in an Arabic restaurant. I did not have the red lentils on hand so I used regular lentils and added a little turmeric to give it some color. I also halved the recipe with no problems. The cilantro, cumin, and lemon flavors all compliment each other perfectly in this soup.

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dereynolds

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Reviewed: Sep. 15, 2009

liked it when i first tasted it and then realized i couldn't eat a whole bowl. too lemony and just not what i was expecting...i think i'll keep looking....

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Cyn D.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Sep. 14, 2009

This soup has loads of flavor... but... a little TOO much flavor for us. I would definitely make this again, minus so much lemon. The first couple bites tasted really good. But the more we ate it, the less we liked it. I would definitely recommend to go easy on the spices!

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Leslie

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Reviewed: Sep. 10, 2009

I made this with dinner tonight and we liked it a lot. I used just 1/4 tsp cayenne and it was plenty spicy for us (I have a 5 year old daughter), 2 Tb oil, the juice of just one medium lemon, more salt, vegetable base instead of chicken, and 2 chopped carrots. Also some extra cumin: it's hard to get too much of this awesome spice in my household. I did not have any cilantro on hand so I skipped it but it was great anyway. Highly recommended for weekday supper; try with salad and a baked potato. Easy, high fiber, and healthy!

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KIMBICA

Cooking Level: Professional

Home Town: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Tucson, Arizona, USA

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Reviewed: Aug. 30, 2009

I made this soup at the coffee house and everyone loved it, it sold out! I did make some changes. I added 4 chopped carrots,it added some sweetnes and 2 cups of hummus for thickness and more flavor. this has become a regular on the menu.

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