Name: Ethiopian Red Lentil Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 6 Servings
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons berbere; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 cups dried red lentils; 1/3 cup dried onion; 2 tablespoons black mustard seeds; 9 cups vegetable broth (or water); 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (to serve)

Ethiopian Red Lentil Soup

By :Meals in a Jar Cookbook by Pamela Ellgen

My church shares its building with an Ethiopian congregation, which has introduced me to the spice berbere (BER-bur-ay). It’s actually a spice blend—like curry powder or garam masala—and is comprised of onion powder, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice. I prefer to purchase my spice blend rather than mixing it myself. The pungent flavors and aromas of the spices permeate the red lentils. Make sure to finish the soup off with the lime juice. The black mustard seeds aren’t essential, but they look beautiful in the jar and bring complexity to the otherwise quite simple lentil stew. Jar size: 3 cups

Course

Soup

Cuisine

African

Difficulty

Medium

Browse Category

Soups, Stews & Broths

Duration

less than 15 min

Diet	Gluten Free, Vegan

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Main Ingredient

Lentils, Mustard Seeds, Onion, Vegetable Broth, Water

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

5 minutes

Servings

6 Servings

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

2 teaspoons berbere
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups dried red lentils
1/3 cup dried onion
2 tablespoons black mustard seeds

For Cooking and Serving

9 cups vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice to serve

Course

Soup

Cuisine

African

Difficulty

Medium

Browse Category

Soups, Stews & Broths

Duration

less than 15 min

Diet	Gluten Free, Vegan

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Main Ingredient

Lentils, Mustard Seeds, Onion, Vegetable Broth, Water

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

5 minutes

Servings

6 Servings

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

2 teaspoons berbere
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups dried red lentils
1/3 cup dried onion
2 tablespoons black mustard seeds

For Cooking and Serving

9 cups vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice to serve

Instructions

Preparation:

Layer the dry ingredients in the jar in the order listed.

To Cook:

Place all of the jarred ingredients into the Instant Pot. Add 9 cups of vegetable broth or water. Stir to mix. Cover with the lid and ensure the vent is in the “sealed” position. Pressure Cook or Manual on High for 5 minutes. Allow the steam pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure manually.

To Serve:

Stir in the freshly squeezed lime juice.

Meals in a Jar Cookbook by Pamela Ellgen

Pamela Ellgen is a food blogger at Surfgirleats.com and cookbook author of Mastering Meal Prep, Sheet Pan Ketogenic, Cast Iron Paleo, and Soup & Comfort. Her work has been featured in Outside Magazine, TODAY food, Healthline, Huffington Post, Edible Phoenix, and The Portland Tribune. When she’s not in the kitchen, Pamela enjoys surfing, practicing yoga, and playing with her kids. She lives in California with her husband and two children.