his was the soup my mother made whenever it was raining. She would look outside and say, “Yawm adas,” meaning “It’s lentil soup day.” Comfort food takes us back to a specific time and place. In my case, I would be enjoying a bowl of this lentil soup in my mother’s kitchen while watching the rain fall on the windows. A bowl of this creamy yellow soup brightened up the cloudiest days. And, of course, I’ve carried on the tradition. When the forecast called for clouds and rain my children always knew what they were eating that day.

6–8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cups orange lentils, rinsed
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• ¼ cup white rice (arborio, or any short-grain rice)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp allspice
• 2 tsp cumin
• sea salt
• Taklia
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Pita croutons (see recipe this page)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until soft.
2. Add the lentils, carrots, rice, and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
3. Continue to cook until the soup thickens and lentils fall apart. Stir periodically so that the lentils don’t stick.
4. Add the spices and season with salt.
5. Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until creamy.
6. To prepare the taklia, in a small frying pan heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute until it perfumes the air, then add the cilantro and stir for an additional minute.
7. Pour the taklia on top of the soup, mix in, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes to heighten the flavor.
8. In a small bowl, mix the yogurt or sour cream with the cilantro.
9. Place a teaspoon of the yogurt mixture on top of each serving of soup.
10. Sprinkle on a few pita croutons.
11. Serve with crusty bread, olives, and lemon wedges. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice will brighten the soup.