Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1.5 cups brown lentils
- 2 litres of cold water, to start
- 4 garlic cloves
- Juice of 3 lemons
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- Salt to taste
For the dumplings:
- 1/2 cup fine burghul, washed
- 1 & half cups plain flour
- 1 onion
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh mint
- 1 teaspoon Lebanese 7spice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Method
- First add washed lentils to a pot & cover with water, allow them to come to a boil & simmer while you prepare the dumplings.
- In a small food processer place onion, parsley & mint, blitz it finely & add it to a bowl with the washed burgul, flour & seasonings. Start bringing the mixture together to form a dough, if needed add water a few tablespoons at a time. Roll into balls & place in a floured plate so they don’t stick.
- Check on the lentils & make sure they’re cooked before adding the dumplings in along with more water if needed to cover. Allow them to cook for another 30 minutes until thickened, overcooked & soft.
- For the dressing, in a mortar & pestle add the garlic with the salt & pound into a paste. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, sumac & cumin. Add this to the soup towards the end of cooking & allow to simmer for a few more minutes.
- Serve with extra lemon! Keeps well for a few days, if needed add water to reheat.
