Lebanese Lentil Soup with Lemon and Noodles

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This Lebanese Lentil Soup with Lemon and Noodles is easy-to-make, healthy, and so delicious! Pair it with a salad for a light dinner.

LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON AND NOODLES

*This post was updated on 2/22/17.

With my father in law being Lebanese, and my in-laws living next door, my kids have grown up on Lebanese food. I have grown to love it as well.

I’ve learned to make a number of Lebanese recipes…stuffed squash, stuffed swiss chard, hummus, and lentils are all favorites around here. I actually cook a lot with lentils because the kids really like them and ask for them frequently. Plus they’re inexpensive and healthy! Can’t go wrong with that!

This Lebanese Lentil Soup with Lemon and Noodles is one of those family favorites. I would venture to guess most Lebanese families make a variation of this easy lentil soup recipe. My mother-in-law passed the recipe down to me, and I know it was passed down to her. I probably make it at least twice a month.

It’s one of my go-to recipes when I didn’t plan dinner, or I don’t have much time. I always have the ingredients in the house.

I usually double the recipe because we all like leftovers here, and this lentil soup always disappears quickly. You may need to add a little liquid to your leftovers, because the lentils tend to absorb the liquid.

The only thing I have done to her lentil soup recipe is add more liquid, and I usually use broth (or part broth / part water) instead of using water only, which you can do. Sometimes I throw in spinach. You really can’t mess up this recipe.

It’s also budget friendly…you can make it for a family of 4 for under $10 easily. If you use water rather than broth, you can save even more.

So let’s get cooking!

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Rinse your lentils and place them in a pot. Add your broth or water, and bring the lentils to a boil. Lower your heat, and cook them until they are tender, which will be about 25 minutes.

While your lentils are cooking, sauté the chopped onions in a bit of vegetable oil until golden brown. Towards the end, add your garlic. Make sure your garlic does not burn! Add the onions and garlic to lentils.

If you want to keep this all to one pot, start out by sautéing your onions and garlic first, then add the lentils and the liquid to the same pot. This isn’t the traditional way to do it, but I have done it when I want to save on clean up. I do think there is a slight flavor difference when I add them after the lentils have cooked for a bit, but my family has never said a word when I’ve made the recipe the other way.

Once the lentils are tender, add the broken spaghetti and continue to cook until the noodles are ready.

Remove the lentil soup from heat, and add the chopped cilantro leaves, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

 

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