Red Lentil Soup With A Swirl Of Mint & Peppery Oil

Lentil Soup is one of the most popular soups of Turkey. It is is filling, comforting, simple, nutritious and easy. Pairing lentils with vegetables like carrots and potatoes makes this a more flavorful, hearty soup. There's no better way to warm up on a cold day than with a lentil soup. Please try it!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup red lentils
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 large carrot (chopped)
• 1 large potato (chopped)
• 7-8 cups meat/chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter or oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt (to taste)
• 1 tsp cumin

Dressing :

• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 egg yolk
• juice of 1 lemon

Finising Touch:

• 2 tsp dried mint
• paprika flakes
• 2 tbsp butter 
• vinegar (optional)

How To:

Chop the onion, carrot and potato. Wash the red lentils and drain. Put the butter in a medium saucepan and heat it. Add the onions, stir until onions are tender. Add the washed lentils, cook for 2-3 minutes together. Then add the carrots, garlic and potatoes and stir.

Let the vegetables sweat and add the stock. Add salt and blackpeper. Bring up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer, covered, until the lentils begin to fall apart, about 20 minutes.  Using a blender blitz until smooth. Thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Add cumin.

In a small bowl put the yogurt, egg yolk and lemon juice and stir them until smooth. Slowly add a ladle of the soup to the dressing bowl and stir. Turn off the heat, stir in the yogurt dressing into the soup.

Put the extra butter in a small frying pan and heat it. Add the dried mint and red pepper, cook for a minute then turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top the bowls with a swirl of mint and peppery oil. Serve hot either with croutons or rye bread. A squezee of vinegar adds an extra zing.

Enjoy!

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