Kibbet Rahib – Monk’s Lentil Soup

Add the onion and basil leaves to a small food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the washed bulgur, cumin, paprika, Bharat, salt, and flour, then pulse again until everything is well combined. Add the water—one tablespoon at a time—as needed to bring the mixture together. You may need a little more or less depending on your flour and bulgur, but you’re aiming for a dough that’s slightly dry and just a little bit sticky. 

Pinch off tiny amounts and roll them into chickpea- sized balls. Lay them on a tray dusted with flour. 

This can also easily be done by hand—it’s simple and works just as well.

Place the washed lentils into a medium size pot and cover with the 2 ½ litres of water. Bring to a boil, Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 20 minutes,

While the lentils are simmering, crush the garlic and mix it with the lemon juice, olive oil, and dried mint. To help prevent the garlic from discolouring, stir in a ladle of hot lentil broth into the mixture first—then add the garlic mixture in with the lentils. Carefully drop in the dumplings, then stir gently to distribute. Partially cover and continue to simmer on medium to low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the dumplings are soft and the stock has slightly thickened.

Once done, if the soup has thickened too much and the lentils have absorbed most of the liquid, simply add some boiling water to loosen the consistency. Depending on how much water you add— you may also need to adjust the flavour by adding a little extra garlic, lemon juice, mint, or olive oil to bring it back into balance.

A Few Things You’ll Want to Know

What type of lentils should I use?

The lentils used in this recipe are whole red lentils. Please note, whole red lentils are not red in colour—they are brown. They are not your green-brown lentils either; those cook too quickly and become very soft and mushy. Whole red lentils hold their shape well during cooking, which is important for the texture of this soup.

Can I swap the basil for mint in the dumplings?

You can! My mum always used basil, which I think gives them a beautiful flavour—but fresh mint works too if that’s what you’ve got on hand.

 How big should the dumplings be?

They’re meant to stand out in the soup, but keep them small—somewhere between a chickpea and a marble. If your dough feels sticky, just wet your hands slightly before rolling.

Will the dumplings stick to the tray?

Mine don’t usually stick at all—I don’t even use baking paper. But if you’re unsure, lightly flour your tray or line it with baking paper just to be safe.

How much water should I use?

Start with the 2 ½ litres when boiling the lentils. You can always add more at the end if it thickens too much—just make sure it’s boiling water so you don’t drop the temperature. You probably won’t need more than one cup.

Why did my garlic turn green?

It happens sometimes—even though it doesn’t affect the flavour, it’s not visually appealing, and I know it can be off-putting. If the garlic mixture hits the hot soup too quickly, it can cause discolouration. Try this: take a ladle of hot lentil broth and stir it into your garlic, lemon, and olive oil mixture before adding it back into the pot.

Do I really need to finish with olive oil?

Yes, yes, yes. A drizzle of olive oil at the end brings it all together. It adds that richness and rounds out the lemony broth—don’t skip it.