Red Lentil Soup-turkish Style

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 teaspoons butter
• 1 3/4 cups finely chopped onions
• 1 finely chopped carrot
• 1 cup red lentil, washed,picked over and drained
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 6 cups chicken stock or 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup milk (optional) or lemon juice (optional)
• salt
• pepper
• cayenne pepper
• crouton
• 3 teaspoons fresh mint, snipped

Recipe

• 1 in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat.
• 2 add onions, lentils and carrots.
• 3 cook, stirring often for 5 minutes.
• 4 add paprika and tomato paste and stir well to mix.
• 5 reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes.
• 6 gradually add stock or water, stirring constantly.
• 7 simmer uncovered until lentils are v-e-r-y soft, around 30 minutes.
• 8 transfer to a food processor or blender and puree to smooth.
• 9 return to pan and add milk or lemon juice to taste.
• 10 taste and add salt, pepper and cayenne.
• 11 give it 5 minutes and taste again, adjust seasonings.
• 12 ladle into bowls and offer croutons and mint at the table.