Source: www.cloverandthyme.com
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, diced
juice of half a lemon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
sour cream for garnish
Directions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the cooking pot, or use a conventional blender, pureeing the soup in small batches and returning to the pot. If desired, do not puree all of the soup. This will leave it a little chunky. I prefer it pretty smooth.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with additional olive oil and a dollop of sour cream to serve.