Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Mint |
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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes |
Ready In: 60 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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This soup is divine and much like you will get at any authentic Turkish restaurant. It has dynamic flavors and a lovely mild heat. I make a big batch and eat it for lunch with crusty bread and salad the entire week. Optional: Serve with additional mint and lemon wedges. Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil |
1/2 onion, diced |
1 clove garlic, minced |
1/4 cup diced tomatoes, drained |
5 cups chicken stock |
1/2 cup red lentils |
1/4 cup fine bulgur |
1/4 cup rice |
2 tablespoons tomato paste |
1 teaspoon paprika |
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) |
1 tablespoon dried mint |
salt and ground black pepper to taste |
Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Cook and stir the onion in the hot oil until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir the garlic into the onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes to the onion mixture; continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes.
2. Pour in the chicken stock, red lentils, bulgur, rice, tomato paste, paprika, cayenne pepper, and mint to the tomato mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the the lentils and rice are cooked through, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a blender to no more than half full. Firmly hold the lid in place and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth; pour into your serving dish. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup in cooking pot.
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