Lentil Soup

Tara Faud is the Education Director at the San Elijo Lagoon in our home town of Solana Beach Ca., and she generously shared this delicious family recipe with us. There is something so comforting about this soup and it is so easy to prepare. In our opinion, the squirt of lemon at the end is a must. My entire family enjoyed this soup, including my one year old. He gobbled it up! I’ve posted the recipe and the nice story that came with it below. Enjoy!

I would like to share a family recipe that seems to bring warmth and comfort to all.

I spent the first ten years of my life in Northern Iraq where my father and family are originally from. My traditional Kurdish Grandmother taught my Minnesotan mother how to cook all kinds of Kurdish foods. My favorite comfort food was always my Grandmother’s lentil soup, and I have made it for many friends over the years. Just recently when my 13-year-old was home sick I asked if I could make him some chicken noodle soup and he said he would prefer lentil, his favorite. This soup has come to symbolize the link and comfort sought among generations of friends and family members who have lived vastly different lives on continents far from one another.

Lentil Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion – diced
1 chicken breast half with bone and skin (organic, if you can)
2 cups red lentils (Henry’s Market)
8 cups water (we used chicken broth)
1/3 cup uncooked rice
Salt to taste
Garnish with finely chopped parsley

fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat olive oil, add diced onion, and saute until onion is soft. Add the chicken breast and brown it  in the olive oil and onion, sprinkle with the salt.

Rinse red lentils until water runs clear, add to pot along with 8 cups of water or broth.  Bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken breast and  when cooled, remove meat from bone.

Continue to simmer lentil soup for an additional 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep soup from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Rinse rice and add to pot; simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Soup will be quite thick; thin with water or broth as necessary.  Cube or shred  the  chicken and return it to the soup, add salt to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley and add a squirt of lemon. You may need to thin it a bit with additional water or broth when reheating.