Turkish Lentil Soup with Chili Oil
The smell and flavors of this soup takes me back to my trip to Istanbul.
Ingredients
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) Red lentils
- 1 big onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 2 medium potatoes
- 3 Tbsp olive oil (separated)
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste (substitute 1/2 cup tomato puree)
- 2 Tbsp Ajvar (substitute 1 tsp Turkish pepper paste)
- 1 Tbsp dried mint
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp crushed black pepper
- 1 litre water
- 1 Tbsp butter (skip or use vegan butter for vegan version)
- 1 tsp spicy paprika powder (substitute: red chili powder)
For garnish:
- some fresh chopped parsley
- lemon juice
Instructions
Preparation (5-7 minutes):
- Wash the lentils by rubbing gently between fingers and then draining the water. Repeat 3 times or until the water that comes out is not cloudy anymore. Then let the lentils soak for until needed.
- Peel and dice the onion. Keep the skin on for the carrots and potatoes if using organic. Slice the carrots thinly. Dice the potatoes. Keep aside.
Cooking (30 minutes):
- Put a medium sized pot on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
- Once the onion turns translucent, add the potatoes and carrots and saute for 2 minutes (until the vegetables turn glossy).
- Add the tomato paste, ajvar, dried mint, salt and pepper and saute for another 2 minutes on medium heat. If it starts to stick at the bottom, add little splashes of water. While it's saute'ing, put a litre of water to boil.
- Drain the lentils and add them to the pot. Also add the boiled water to the pot, then turn heat to low. Mix, then cover and let cook on low heat for 12-15 minutes or until your vegetables are tender.
- Once the vegetables are tender, turn off heat and add the butter. Use a stab mixer to make the soup smooth and creamy. If you don't have a stab mixer, you can use a blender after the pot cools down a bit (heat it up again after blending).
- Preparing the chili oil: Put a small pan (skillet) on medium heat and add the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Once it's a little hot add the paprika powder and give the pan a swirl to soak the paprika into the oil. Once the paprika sizzles, immediately take it off heat and transfer to a bowl.
Serving:
- Pour the soup into a deep bowl. Add a teaspoon or two of chili oil (skip for kids). Sprinkle some chopped parsley and add a generous squeeze of lemon. My kids love some simit (Turkish sesame ring bread) along with the soup.
