Arabic Yellow Lentil Soup

I learned to make this amazing soup while living in Dubai. Its so refreshing, healthy, and tasty! Your whole family will love it!

Ingredients

• 14 oz yellow lentils or yellow split peas
• 1 tablespoon The Spice King All Purpose Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon whole cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Dash ground cayenne pepper
• Dash ground chili powder
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
• 1 jalapeño or 1 red chilli pepper whole, un-punctured
• 10 - 12 cups chicken stock
• Creme fraiche or yogurt for garnish
• Chopped parsley, scallions, or cilantro fro garnish
• 1 small onion chopped
  
  

Directions

1. In a large pot, sauté onions, spices briefly to release flavor.
2. Add beans and broth.
3. Simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
4. Remove bayleaf and pepper from pot.
5. Puree mixture in a blender until smooth.
6. The soup should be a medium napee, or coats the back of a spoon. If needed add more broth to achieve desired texture. (Some people prefer the soup to be thin while others prefer a more chunky style soup.)
7. Return pureed soup to pot and before serving add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to awaken flavors.
8. This soup can be garnished with a dollop of creme fraiche, yogurt, cilantro, chopped parsley, or chopped tomatoes, and is served with warm pita bread and lemon slices.