Ethiopian Red Lentil Soup

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

Cuisine

African

Course

Soup

Difficulty

Medium

Duration

less than 15 min

Diet

Gluten Free, Vegan

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

6 servings, african, berbere, black mustard seeds, contributed, cook 5 min, dried onion, dried red lentils, freshly squeezed lime juice, gluten free, ground turmeric, less than 15 min, medium, Pamela Ellgen, prep 5 min, pressure cook, sea salt, soup, vegan, vegetable broth

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

5 min

Servings

6 Servings

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
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Instructions

Layer the dry ingredients in the jar in the order listed.
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.
Stir in the freshly squeezed lime juice.