Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Cooking Time: 25-30    Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons Olive Scene Gremolata Olive Oil

  • 1 medium onion, finely diced

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced

  • 2½ tablespoons tomato paste

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground cumin

  • 1½ cups red lentils, rinsed and drained

  • 8 cups water or broth

  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

  • ¼ cup fine ground bulgur

  • ½ teaspoon dried mint

  • 2 teaspoons Kirmizi Aci Biber (Turkish red pepper flakes, available at The Olive Scene)

  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.

  2. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic.

  3. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

  4. Stir in tomato paste and cumin, and toast until aromatic, 2-3 minutes.

  5. Stir in lentils and water, increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

  6. Reduce heat to medium, season with salt and simmer until lentils are tender, 10-15 minutes.

  7. Add bulgur and simmer until grains increase in volume and tenderize, about 8 minutes more. (Soup should have the consistency of porridge.) Stir in the mint, red pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt.

  8. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a dollop of yogurt.

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