Cookbook:Egyptian Lentil Stew

This stew is a lovely stew to make on cold nights for a family. It is also very simple to make. It is an Egyptian lentil stew, and the recipe is used a lot in the Middle East. In Arabic, this stew is called shorbat ads which means "lentil soup".

Ingredients

 * 2 onions, peeled and chopped
 * 4 tablespoons olive oil
 * 8 cups water
 * ½ pound red lentils
 * Salt to taste or 4 tablespoons of soup mix (you can use any kind of soup mix, or if you don't have any, you can just leave it out)
 * 1 teaspoon ground cumin
 * 1 teaspoon ground coriander
 * 1 lemon

Equipment

 * Knife
 * Cutting-board
 * Large pot
 * Tablespoon measure
 * Large stirring spoon
 * Measuring cup
 * Juicer

Procedure

 * 1) Place the chopped onions into the big pot, along with the 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
 * 2) Sauté the onions on low heat until they turn translucent and slightly golden.
 * 3) Add the 8 cups of water, lentils, soup mix, cumin, and coriander to the pot with the onions.
 * 4) Stir, then turn up the temperature of the stove to about medium heat (you want it to be slightly bubbling, but not boiling).
 * 5) Let it simmer for an hour, stirring every few minutes to make sure that it doesn't burn. You may have to turn the temperature of the stove up or down a little. Taste, and add salt if needed.
 * 6) Turn off the stove and put the pot on a different burner so that it doesn't continue to cook.
 * 7) Take your lemon, and cut it in half. Then, squeeze it on the juicer until there is no more juice in the lemon.
 * 8) Stir the lemon juice into the pot.
 * 9) Taste the soup, and serve! Cumin and more fresh lemon and can be added to the bowl according to preference.