A Lovely Lentil Soup

When we came from Casablanca to Los Angeles, my uncle Albert insisted that my parents rent an apartment in Beverly Hills. So, my parents rented a small apartment on the corner of Charleville Boulevard and Doheny Drive.

It was kitty-corner to the small branch of the Beverly Hills Fire Department. The first week we all jumped up in the middle of the night whenever the sirens would blare. Somehow, we adjusted to the noise.

My older brother Solomon enrolled at Beverly Hills High School, with its famous swimming pool, fabulous tennis courts and stellar Observatory. My brother Moise and I went to Beverly Vista Elementary School, with its amazing art and music programs. That’s where I met my lifelong besties, Mary and Judy (who introduced me to Sharon when we were all 15 years old).

My uncle was right in his advice because at that time our schools were comparable to the best private schools. My brothers and I were so happy, excelling in our studies and making lots of new friends.

As immigrants, my parents worked hard, leaving the house early and coming home in time for dinner. My mother always made sure there was a home-cooked, healthy meal. Her most beloved pot was her heavy pressure cooker with its tight lid, which cooked her meats, stews and soups to perfection. I was used to the whistle of the little knob that would shake and rattle as the pressure cooker slowly released the steam from the pot.

One day, I was in my bedroom doing homework and my mother was chatting on the phone. Suddenly, we heard a very loud whistle and a huge bang. We both ran to the kitchen and screamed. The knob of the cooker had blown off and there was a steady stream of brown lentil soup shooting out. It covered the ceiling, the walls and the windows. It was horribly messy and took hours to clean up. Every time we ate lentils, we would recall that day and laugh out loud.

For Sephardic Jews, it is customary to eat lentils during the nine days before Tisha B’Av as lentils are a mourner’s food. Moroccans have the custom to eat lentil soup to which they add rice and hard-boiled eggs. If they don’t add the eggs to the soup, they will eat it with a side of scrambled eggs.

Even though I own an Instant Pot (the modern version of a pressure cooker), I always make this hearty, comforting lentil soup on the stove top, just like my mother did. And the memory of her will always make me feel a rush of love.

—Rachel

For Iraqi Jews, the week before Tisha B’Av is synonymous with kitchri, a rice and lentil dish, seasoned with cumin and garlic, topped with caramelized onions and served alongside yogurt and sunny-side-up eggs. (We wrote about it in “The Kingly Roots of Kitchri: Lentils With Love” for The Journal.) My grandmother and mother always made the best kitchri.

In Sydney, where I grew up, the three weeks and Tisha B’Av came in the middle of the cold, rainy, gray and short days of winter. Serving hearty lentil soup made perfect sense. I always loved the way my mother made it with lots of onion, celery and carrots.

In Sydney, where I grew up, the three weeks and Tisha B’Av came in the middle of the cold, rainy, gray and short days of winter. Serving hearty lentil soup made perfect sense. 

This past week, our dear friend Shira and her family were mourning the loss of her husband’s beloved stepfather. My first impulse was to make a big pot of lentil soup for them to eat after the funeral.

My favorite recipes are those that include lots of vegetables. So for this soup, in addition to the usual onion, celery, carrots and garlic, I added organic yellow heirloom carrots, parsnips and Yukon Gold potatoes. I chopped everything to a fine dice to balance the tiny green lentils in the soup. I sautéed the vegetables, then boiled the lentils with rich red tomato paste and added cumin and coriander.

Perhaps Shira was exaggerating when she texted me: “Hands down the most delicious lentil soup ever!” But I’ll take it.

Wishing you an easy fast and may we see the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.

—Sharon

Lentil Soup Recipe

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped to a fine dice
6 stalks celery, chopped to a fine dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped to a fine dice
2 medium yellow carrots, peeled and chopped to a fine dice
1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped to a fine dice
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 Tbsp parve consommé powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup tomato paste
3 dried bay leaves
8-10 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups green lentils, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add the carrots, parsnip, potato and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften. 

Add the consommé, salt and pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. 

Add the bay leaf and vegetable stock and bring to a boil, about 10 minutes. 

Add lentils and cover with a tilted lid. Reduce heat and gently simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. 

Notes:
Adjust salt according to taste.
Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.