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I saw this recipe for Iraqi Lentil Soup with Meatballs from my free subscription of NY Times food. I get an email with a handful of recipes to my desk every day and I have found a number of recipes that I really wanted to try to make. I saw this recipe and it really spoke to me. I liked the high protein content from the lentils and meatballs (I made my meatballs with turkey). I could see a good depth of flavor and a dish that would be very comforting. It was.
I also really liked the name. As my regulars know, I so enjoy foods from all over the world. So this was an experience I needed to try. I am not exactly sure why it is called Iraqi soup but it obviously hales from that Country. If any of my readers know the origin of this soup, please share it with me and my readers. The other ingredient that I really thought was cool in this soup was the addition of pasta. Of course, I used gluten free spaghetti.
The Iraqi Lentil Soup with Meatballs is really easy to put together. The flavor is quite simple and comes from a good amount of allspice and from the meatballs. The regular version uses lamb or beef for the meatballs which adds a lot of flavor. The turkey may not add as much but it gives the soup the needed texture. I also like the chew of the lentils and the bite from the gluten free spaghetti. Other soups that I have made with great texture include this VEGAN RED LENTIL KALE SOUP and VEGAN NAVY BEAN AND KALE SOUP.
The cast of characters.
The making of the meatballs.
The building of the soup.
The Iraqi Lentil Soup with Meatballs Plated.
Iraqi Lentil Soup with Meatballs
Ingredients
Turkey Meatballs
- 1 Lb Ground Turkey
- 1/2 Cup Parsley
- 1 Cup Gluten Free Panko Crumbs
- 1 Whole Medium Yellow Onion diced
- 1/2 Tsp Allspice
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
Iraqi Lentil Soup
- 8 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Lb Brown Lentils
- 1 Whole Medium Yellow Onion diced
- 1/2 Tsp Allspice
- 2 Whole Carrots Diced
- 1/2 Whole Lemon squeezed
- 1/2 Box Gluten Free Spaghetti
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Turkey Meatballs
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place half the onions and the ground meat, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and allspice in a medium mixing bowl. Blend ingredients, and form into balls the size of golf balls. Place onto the baking pan.
Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
Iraqi Lentil Soup
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In a Dutch oven, sauté onions and allspice to olive oil over medium heat and cook until golden. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. After 10 minutes, add in the carrots.
Pick any stones from over lentils, place in bowl, cover with cold water, and drain. Add them to soup, turn heat to low, and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes or until lentils are almost tender.
Break spaghetti pasta into thirds and drop into the soup and cook for 1 minute. Next, add the turkey meatballs. Simmer slowly for another 5-10 minutes or until lentils and noodles are cooked, adding more chicken broth or water as needed. Just before serving, squeeze lemon into soup.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Adapted from the NY Times - httpss://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10708-iraqi-lentil-soup-with-meatballs
Food Lover
Great Recipe!! Thank you for sharing with us!!
Peter Block
Thx for visiting. I hope you try the recipe.