Main Dishes, Soups
2T olive oil
1 large white onion, peeled and finely diced
3 medium Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
½ cup cilantro leaves, rinsed
5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons xawaash (see Tip)
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
Muufo or cooked white rice (optional), for serving
In a medium pot over medium, heat the oil until rippling, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 7 or 8 minutes.
When the onions have softened, stir in the tomatoes and cover. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to break down completely, about 6 minutes.
When the tomatoes have cooked down, add the lentils, carrot, cilantro, garlic, xawaash and salt. Top with 4 cups of warm water and cover. Cook the soup, stirring occasionally, until all the lentils are starting to fall apart and the vegetables have become soft, about 25 minutes.
If desired, pulse the soup in a blender once or twice until the texture is half smooth and half chunky. Serve with a flatbread like muufo or over rice, if desired. Maraq misir can be stored in the fridge for up
to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
_To prepare your own xawaash blend, add 8 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom to a small nonstick pan. Toast over low heat, stirring continuously, for 1 minute or until the spice mix becomes fragrant, then stir in 1 teaspoon ground turmeric. Makes 4 tablespoons._