Spicy Red
Lentil Soup
From Classis Turkish Cooking by
Ghillie Basan
Lentil soup is one of the things I loved most about Turkey. They eat it for breakfast with nice fresh bread. This recipe is a close facsimile to what we ate there. And Jane loves it so much. It's one of the foods she'll eat with no fuss and ask for more.
INGREDIENTS
| Onions, roughly chopped | 2 | ||
| Carrot, diced | 1 | ||
| Butter | 1 Tbsp | ||
| Garlic, crushed | 3-4 cloves | ||
| Beef or lamb | 1/2 pound | ||
| Cumin | 1 tsp | ||
| Coriander | 1 tsp | ||
| Tomato puree | 2 tsp | ||
| Sugar | 1 tsp | ||
| Lentils | 450 grams | ||
| Beef stock | 2 pints | ||
| Dried chillies | 2 | ||
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
METHOD
Brown the onions and carrot in the butter.
Stir in the spices, garlic, and meat and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the tomato puree, sugar and lentils and pour in the stock,
Stir well and bring the liquid to a boil.
Pop in the chillies, cover the pan and simmer gently for about 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the lentils have pulped up and thickened the soup.
Remove the chillies, and season to taste.
NOTES
I usually use dried red peppers instead of chillies.
I put in a whole small can of tomato paste because I like the flavor and color it gives the soup.
I usually need to add more water as the lentils thicken the soup. Just keep adding water as the soup thickens until it's the consistency you want.