Red Lentil Soup

Red lentil soup. Nisik in Kurdish. I love it SO much. Probably because it always amazes me how the colour mysteriously changes during cooking. I don't really eat this much, but it's great. They serve it at Kurdistan Restaurant as a starter. Shano cooks it almost everyday at the moment because of Ramadan and it's a good thing to eat after fasting, I've had it in Kurdistan at someone's house as part of many different dishes. Sometimes there is vermicelli inside, sometimes it's spicy, sometimes it's just plain. Love it all the same.

I have only made this a few times. I took this set of photos back in May 2009. An age ago.

The recipe is so simple. Just put some of the red lentils and a bit of rice into the pot with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour, depending on the type of lentil that you get. Some takes a bit longer to break down.

I like to add a dried chilli for a bit of a kick. It's only subtle though. I prefer that to chicken powder, or any other flavourings.

Chop an onion very finely and fry in onion until it's soft, but not brown.

 Pour the onions into the soup and cook for a bit longer. Season with salt to taste. 

Different people prefer different consistencies. You can make it quite runny by adding more water, or have it pretty thick. I'm in two minds about that. Both taste just as good.








This always reminds me of one person who introduced and taught me how to make this dish. He always made it taste the best.