Red Lentil Soup

This lentil soup goes against what one might anticipate it to be. This recipe, which takes less than an hour to prepare, is light, spicy, and a vibrant red colour (not murky brown like in Turkish lentil soup mercimek corbasi). It is a painless cooking process. To enhance the flavour, add tomato paste, cumin, and chilli powder after sautéing the onion and garlic in oil. Cook for a few more minutes. Simmer for 30 minutes after adding the broth, water, red lentils (which cook more quickly than their green or black counterparts), and sliced carrot. For a soup that is just the right amount of lumpy and smooth, purée half the ingredients and then put it back in the saucepan. A hit of lemon juice adds an up note that offsets the deep cumin and chile flavours.

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1large onion, chopped
2garlic cloves, minced
1tablespoon tomato paste
1teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste
1quart chicken or vegetable broth
1cup red lentils
1large carrot, peeled and diced
Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste
3tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

PREPARATION

Step 1
In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in tomato paste, cumin, ¼ teaspoons each salt and black pepper and the chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
Step 3
Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
Step 4
Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.
Step 5
Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired. --Henry

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