Tlokhe (lentil and noodle soup)

This is an important dish for my family, and I cook it every now and then to take us back to our country.

Credit: Refugee Council of Australia

• serves

  5

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

When the revolution happened in Syria, many Syrians took a serious financial hit. This is a dish we cooked back home because it uses cheap ingredients but with a delicious end result.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 cup red lentils 
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 or 4 cups boiling water (according to preferred thickness)
• 100 g fine noodles (e.g. vermicelli)

Instructions

1. Dice the onion and carrot and rinse the lentils. 

2. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and carrots until the onions are translucent. Then add the lentils and stir using a wooden spoon (there is a tradition to use a wooden spoon in my culture - if you don’t, the story goes that the lentils in your soup won’t cook!). 

3. Stir in the spices and salt.

4. Add boiling water and noodles, stir and leave to simmer on a low heat for half an hour or until the lentils are cooked. Add more water if you prefer a looser soup. 

5. Squeeze the lemon into the soup before serving. 

To find out more and purchase a copy of Share a Meal, Share a Story: Celebrating Refugee Stories head to the Refugee Council of Australia website here.

World Refugee Week is June 14-20, 2020. Share a Meal, Share a Story is a community fundraising initiative of the Refugee Council of Australia. We are encouraging people to get together, share a delicious meal and share stories that help build empathy and understanding of refugee experiences. In light of COVID-19, you can host your event either in-person or online. You could host a Zoom where you share a story from our website and each eat a meal in your own homes! 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

When the revolution happened in Syria, many Syrians took a serious financial hit. This is a dish we cooked back home because it uses cheap ingredients but with a delicious end result.