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    Home » Soups » Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil Soup with Tangy Greek Yogurt

    Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil Soup with Tangy Greek Yogurt

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Earthy lentils are flavored with berbere - a warm, spicy Ethiopian seasoning blend - and topped with tangy greek yogurt in this Ethiopian-spiced lentil soup.

    Overhead view of Ethiopian-spiced lentil soup in a white bowl

    Kind of random question: What are your thoughts on celebrity autobiographies?

    I tend to really like them...most of the time it ends up giving me more of an appreciation for the person after I get a deeper understanding of their journey to get where they are now.

    I recently read Marcus Samuelsson's autobiography, Yes, Chef, and I was totally enthralled with how he described the Ethiopian spice blend berbere (pronounced BEAR-beret, like a bear in a beret!). I love Ethiopian food so I've definitely had the spice blend before, but I hadn't yet cooked with it myself. And I had a jar sitting in my spice drawer!

    I found this berbere seasoning a few months ago at one of the grocery stores I shop at often. I bought it even though I didn't really have a plan or recipe in mind because it was the first time I had seen it in a store and I was excited about it!

    Image of Frontier Co-op's berbere seasoning blend

    Despite having it in my spice drawer for a while I had yet to actually use it. Marcus Samuelsson's vivid descriptions of the spices and how integral it is in Ethiopian cooking was just the push I needed to get it out and cook with it.

    I had also recently tried a lentil soup recipe that I thought was pretty good, but definitely could have benefitted from a little more spice. Enter: berbere. Boom.

    Closeup image of berbere seasoning blend

    Adding the spice blend (plus a few more tweaks) really took it to the next level of delicious.

    Berbere & lentils are a natural pairing in this Ethiopian-spiced lentil soup. Many Ethiopian dishes are a thick stew and lentils are a very common ingredient. The berbere seasoning blend is so fragrant & warm and adds such an awesome punch of spice and flavor.

    Ethiopian-spiced lentil soup with spoon inserted

    The dollop of greek yogurt is a real game changer too. It adds a little bit of creamy, tangy richness and is a great cooling counterpart to the spiciness of the soup. And the little hit of fresh lemon juice adds just the right brightness & acidity.

    Dipping a piece of bread into Ethiopian-spiced lentil soup

    This soup comes together pretty quickly, and is a great healthy meal full of protein and fiber. Serve it with some naan or perfect pillowy pita bread for dipping, or just scoop it up with a spoon.

    Yummy noises await you!

    5 from 6 votes
    Ethiopian spiced lentil soup in a bowl
    Print
    Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil Soup
    Prep Time
    20 mins
    Cook Time
    30 mins
    Total Time
    50 mins
     

    Earthy lentils are flavored with berbere - a warm, spicy Ethiopian seasoning blend - and topped with tangy greek yogurt in this spicy, satisfying soup. 

    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: Ethiopian
    Servings: 4 to 6
    Ingredients
    • 2 tsp olive oil
    • 1 large onion, finely diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp berbere*
    • 4 cups (32 oz) vegetable broth
    • 2 1/2 cups water
    • 2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
    • 1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
    • 1 fresh jalapeño, finely diced (remove ribs & seeds for less heat)
    • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
    • 1 tsp Kosher salt, more or less to taste
    • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • about 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
    • fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish
    • naan or pita bread, for serving (if desired, skip to keep it gluten free)
    Instructions
    1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium high. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. 

    2. Add garlic and berbere and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, water, lentils, tomatoes, jalapeño, ginger and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 25-30 min. 

    3. Puree part of the soup to your desired consistency: Use an immersion blender (about 5 pulses) OR carefully ladle some of the soup (about 1-2 cups) into a blender, take out the plastic insert in the cap and cover it with a towel, blend, and return it to the soup pot. I like the base to be creamy but still keep a good amount of whole lentils. Add lemon juice and more salt to taste (I added 1/2 tsp more but the amount needed could vary depending on the saltiness level of your broth/berbere).

    4. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with a dollop of greek yogurt & a sprinkle of parsley/cilantro. Enjoy! 

    Recipe Notes

    *Berbere is a traditional Ethiopian spice blend made primarily of chiles, garlic, coriander, fenugreek as well as a few warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. I use Frontier Co-op Organic Berbere Seasoning, which I found at my grocery store and is also available on Amazon. FYI - Berbere can vary in spice level, so keep that in mind if you're sensitive to spicy foods.  

     

    Use regular brown lentils for this recipe. Sometimes they actually look a little more green than brown, but they are generally very readily available and just labeled "lentils."

     

    Adapted from Food Network's Spicy Lentil Soup

    Shareable social media image of Ethiopian-spiced lentil soup with tangy greek yogurt
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suzie Martin

      April 12, 2019 at 7:10 am

      Very very interesting. I love lentils but have never heard of this spice! Looking forward to making it. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Rachel

        April 12, 2019 at 5:35 pm

        I really like the spice blend, I’m looking forward to trying it on more things!

        Reply
    2. Judy

      April 12, 2019 at 8:51 am

      This I will make for sure!! It sounds so delicious!

      Reply
      • Rachel

        April 12, 2019 at 5:35 pm

        Yay, hope you love it!

        Reply
    3. Gwen

      April 12, 2019 at 9:51 am

      Looks and sounds delicious!
      Beautiful pics, as always, Rachel!
      Can’t wait to try it.
      Hug that little fur ball for me!

      Reply
      • Rachel

        April 12, 2019 at 5:35 pm

        Thank you! I will! 😊

        Reply
    4. Erica Lange

      May 05, 2019 at 1:44 pm

      Rachael, this soup was fun to make and delicious, and added bonus- our house smells amazing!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!

      Reply
      • Rachel

        May 06, 2019 at 2:26 pm

        Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 😊

        Reply
    5. gwen ray

      October 01, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      Just a follow up, I have made this soup now, at least 4 times!!!! It is so very delicious!!!! With cooler weather on the way, a perfect dinner to warm your tummy! So yummy!

      Reply
    6. Caitlin Havener

      February 26, 2021 at 7:31 am

      I've been wanting to make an Ethiopian dish. This looks great and the photography does too!

      Reply

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    Hi! I’m Rachel. Welcome to Yummy Noises, and thank you for visiting! I’m obsessed with food, and I think the absolute best way to gauge how good a recipe really is, is by the yummy noises. To me – that is how you know that your food is really awesome, and those are some of my favorite sounds in the world! More→

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