In the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan, we are still covering recipes for the Iftar (the meal after a long fasting day). It is important to start with a soup and a salad, mainly Fattouch, and this lentil soup is usually a favorite. Especially in the summer when the weather is so hot like now, this soup is refreshing and nourishing, and needless to say it is delicious. Ingredients:

• 2 cups of lentils
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon corn oil
• 1/3 cup of short grain rice
• 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin

Preparation:

• Boil the lentils in a large amount of salted water until tender, then discard the water. Then with a hand blender puree the lentils
• In a pot heat the oil and fry the chopped onion until translucent
• Wash the rice and add it to the fried onion and cover with one cup of water, let it simmer on low fire until the rice is nearly well cooked
• Add the pureed lentils to the rice and onion, and cover with about 2 cups of water, season with salt and cumin
• Let it boil on a low fire, stirring occasionally until the rice is well cooked. If the soup thickens, you can always add more water. When the soup is finish put the fire off and add the chopped parsley
• Enjoy eating the soup with some toasted pita bread

N.B : If you like your soup to have a richer taste, add 1 teaspoon of butter at the end of cooking. I did and it was DELICIOUS…

ET VOILA..C’EST TOUT… BON APPETIT. (SAHTEIN)