Spiced red lentil soup recipe

Throughout January, Borough Market-based restaurant Arabica Bar & Kitchen will be serving this spiced red lentil soup and donating £3 per bowl sold to the Soup for Syria initiative. And it’s a warming, wholesome, fragrantly-spiced, vegan-friendly crowd pleaser of a dish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

3tbsp olive oil

2 small onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2tsp Ras el Hanout

½tsp Urfa chilli flakes

1 bay leaf

2tsp tomato paste

200g red lentils

3tsp pomegranate molasses

1200ml hot water

Sea salt, to taste

Black pepper

To finish

Fresh thyme leaves

Sumac

Fried onions or shallots (Available from any oriental supermarket)

Black pepper

Method

Peel and finely dice the onion.

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onions and cook on a low heat until they soften, become translucent and give off their natural sweetness.

Add the garlic, bay leaf, Ras el Hanout spices and continue to cook on a low heat for further minute, stirring continuously.

Add the tomato paste, red lentils and slowly add the litre of boiling water mixing as you go. Finally add the pomegranate molasses. Bring to the boil. Skim the surface if necessary. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or till the lentils are fully cooked and begin to break down.

Blend the soup to a smooth consistency and season with salt to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more water.

To serve, ladle into deep soup bowls, drizzle with olive oil, liberally sprinkle with crispy onions, a pinch of cracked black pepper, a few fresh thyme leaves and a tiny pinch of citrusy sumac.