Last updated on 22-Nov-2022
Who is ready for a special twist on a traditional dish?
Mujadara (or Mujaddara) is a delicious and comforting pilaf made with lentils, rice (or bulgur) and caramelized or fried onions, but here I made it into a soup – an easy-to-make, creamy one-pot wonder that is a perfect way to warm up during the colder months or whenever we crave a cozy treat.
Something special happens when we combine some fragrant spices with these humble pantry staples. Low-cost and oh-so-satisfying, classic Mujadara is popular all over the Middle East, especially in Lebanon and Israel. It is a dish I ate often when I was young as there is a strong middle-eastern presence (mainly of Syrian and Lebanese origin) in my home state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, with plenty of restaurants and home cooks alike serving food from (or influenced by) that region’s cuisine. Plus I have a number of friends and relatives who share this heritage. In my own family, Mujadara was always part of our New Year’s Eve feast. Besides being a tasty side dish (or vegetarian main dish option), lentils are believed to bring good luck and prosperity. Superstition aside, the flavours are reason enough to try it!
Having the pilaf version safely stored amongst my favourites, I was reminded of my love of various soups/stews that use beans (or other pulses such as chickpeas, lentils, peas, etc.) and also my soft spot for Congee (Asian rice porridge). So I thought, why not have the Mujadara ingredients as a soup? I’m always looking for options to make meal prep more practical, so this was a way to do just that. After some basic steps, the lentils and rice cook together with the spices in the Instant Pot (or on the stovetop) for a gratifying meal in no time.
Give it a try and let me know what you think! 🙂
Lentils and Rice (Mujadara) Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentils picked through and rinsed
- 2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 onion large, diced
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- ⅓ cup rice basmati, rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock + boiling water as needed
- salt and pepper to taste
Dry Spices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ tsp cumin ground
- ½ tsp turmeric ground
- ½ tsp coriander seeds ground
- ¼ tsp cinnamon ground
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes or chili powder (optional)
- 1 tsp garam masala (optional)
Garnishes
- ¼ cup parsley or cilantro fresh, chopped (optional)
- fried onions crispy or caramelized, for serving
Instructions
- Pick and rinse lentils, add to a bowl, cover with boiling water and reserve while preparing the other ingredients. Prep the onion and garlic, and measure the dry spices into a small bowl.
Instant Pot (IP)
- Heat the oil in the IP using the 'saute' mode. Add the diced onions and garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes until they start to brown.
- Add the dry spices and stir until moistened and fragrant.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the IP along with the rice and vegetable stock. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste (if the stock already has salt, add more salt only if necessary).
- Press 'cancel' and close the lid with vent in the 'sealing' position. Change to 'pressure cook' mode and set the cooking time for 10 minutes at high pressure.
- After that time, let the soup rest in the cooker to release the pressure naturally for 10 mins, then turn off the IP and release the remaining pressure manually (by turning the vent to the 'venting' position).
- Remove the lid, stir and serve sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs (if using), a drizzle of EVOO and fried or caramelized onions (store-bought or homemade). If soup is too thick, return to sauté mode, add more stock or boiling water until desired consistency is achieved and boil for 1-2 mins.
Stovetop
- In a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat, add the oil then add the diced onions and garlic. Saute for about 3-4 minutes until they start to brown.
- Add the dry spices and stir until moistened and fragrant.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the pot along with the rice and vegetable stock. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste (if the stock already has salt, do go light on the added salt, if any).
- Lower the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the lentils and rice are very soft and soup has a porridge consistency (about 35-45 mins). Stir from time to time and add more stock or boiling water if needed in case it gets too dry or starts sticking to the bottom.
- Serve sprinkled with fresh chopped herbs (if using), a drizzle of EVOO and fried or caramelized onions (store-bought or homemade).
Notes
- The fried or caramelized onions are essential to the true Mujadara flavour profile. If making the onions at home, thinly slice a large onion and sauté slowly until caramelized or shallow fry until golden and a bit crispy. As a shortcut for the crispy texture, I often use store-bought fried onions.
- If using the stovetop method, you can soak the brown lentils for a longer time (about 2h) to shorten the cooking time.