Vegan Red Lentil Soup( Turkish Mercimek Corbasi) by Serhat Erdem

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (diced)
1 large carrot (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red lentil
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin (optional)
4 cups vegetable broth (if you don’t want to make a vegan version you can use chicken broth)
3 cups warm water

To Serve:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried mint
Lemon

Instructions:
In a strainer wash the lentils with cold water.
Heat a large pot over medium heat add oil and onions and cook by stirring occasionally until the onions have softened. 

Add the carrot and garlic, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. 

Add tomato paste and lentils and cook for 30 sec.
Add vegetable stock, warm water, salt, pepper and paprika.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a simmer. 

Once it is boiled, reduce the heat to low and allow it to cook for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables and lentils are tender.
Using a blender, blend the soup according to your preference (or you can serve it without blending)

Return the soup to the heat and bring the soup to a simmer for just a minute.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat olive oil and add red pepper flakes. Immediately remove from the heat.
Ladle the soup into a bowl. 

Pour some chilli oil over the top. 

Add crispy bread cubes, lemon juice, and dried mint.

Bon Appétit

PS

Confit Pots

Confit is the French word that means “to preserve”– the mustard and green pots were used for storing cooked meats and then buried in the ground or stored in stone-lined larders. This storage process preserved the cooked meat without refrigeration and could then be enjoyed throughout the winter months. The bottom halves were left unglazed for burying in the ground since the glaze would normally fall off sealed in the ground.  Meats, most often duck, goose, or pork, preserved in this method are often considered a delicacy. Confit d’oie is preserved goose and confit de canard is preserved duck. The meat in these dishes is moist and delicate.

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