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.

https://www.instagram.com/turkuazkitchen/reel/CnXNEMPoPbo/

Perfect lentil soup

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4


2 tbsp oil, or dripping
2 litres ham stock, or 1 ham bone or 150g chopped streaky bacon and 2 litres chicken stock (or water)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 large carrots, trimmed and cut into small dice
½ medium neep/swede, peeled and cut into small dice
250g lentils (I like red), washed
½ tsp ground mace
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf

Put the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then fry the bacon, if using, until it browns lightly and the fat begins to render.

Add the onions, carrots and neep, and fry, stirring regularly, until the onion is golden and the other vegetables are starting to soften.

Stir in the lentils until they’re well coated in fat, then add the mace, a pinch of salt, a good grind of pepper and the bay leaf.

Now add the ham stock, or the ham bone and two litres of chicken stock or water, depending on what you’re using.

Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, partially cover the pan and leave to cook for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the lentils have mostly broken down.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and ham bone, if necessary. Scoop out about a third of the soup, whizz it to a puree, then stir back into the pot. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and enjoy. Lentil soup: which is your favourite variety from around the world, and how is it served? Or are you of the Tudor opinion that lentils are best left to horses?

Perfect lentil soup

How to make the perfect lentil soup – recipe | Soup | The Guardian

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4

2 tbsp oil, or dripping
2 litres ham stock, or 1 ham bone or 150g chopped streaky bacon and 2 litres chicken stock (or water)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 large carrots, trimmed and cut into small dice
½ medium neep/swede, peeled and cut into small dice
250g lentils (I like red), washed
½ tsp ground mace
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf

Put the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then fry the bacon, if using, until it browns lightly and the fat begins to render.

Add the onions, carrots and neep, and fry, stirring regularly, until the onion is golden and the other vegetables are starting to soften.

Stir in the lentils until they’re well coated in fat, then add the mace, a pinch of salt, a good grind of pepper and the bay leaf.

Now add the ham stock, or the ham bone and two litres of chicken stock or water, depending on what you’re using.

Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, partially cover the pan and leave to cook for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the lentils have mostly broken down.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and ham bone, if necessary. Scoop out about a third of the soup, whizz it to a puree, then stir back into the pot. Adjust the seasoning to taste, and enjoy.

• Lentil soup: which is your favourite variety from around the world, and how is it served? Or are you of the Tudor opinion that lentils are best left to horses?

Perfect lentil soup

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr
Serves 4

2 tbsp oil, or dripping
2 litres ham stock, or 1 ham bone or 150g chopped streaky bacon and 2 litres chicken stock (or water)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 large carrots, trimmed and cut into small dice
½ medium neep/swede, peeled and cut into small dice
250g lentils (I like red), washed
½ tsp ground mace
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf

Put the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then fry the bacon, if using, until it browns lightly and the fat begins to render.

Add the onions, carrots and neep, and fry, stirring regularly, until the onion is golden and the other vegetables are starting to soften.

Stir in the lentils until they’re well coated in fat, then add the mace, a pinch of salt, a good grind of pepper and the bay leaf.

Now add the ham stock, or the ham bone and two litres of chicken stock or water, depending on what you’re using.

Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, partially cover the pan and leave to cook for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the lentils have mostly broken down.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and ham bone, if necessary. Scoop out about a third of the soup, whizz it to a puree, then stir back into the pot.Adjust the seasoning to taste, and enjoy.

Perfect lentil soup

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr
Serves 4

2 tbsp oil, or dripping
2 litres ham stock, or 1 ham bone or 150g chopped streaky bacon and 2 litres chicken stock (or water)
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 large carrots, trimmed and cut into small dice
½ medium neep/swede, peeled and cut into small dice
250g lentils (I like red), washed
½ tsp ground mace
Salt and black pepper
1 bay leaf

Put the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat, then fry the bacon, if using, until it browns lightly and the fat begins to render.

Add the onions, carrots and neep, and fry, stirring regularly, until the onion is golden and the other vegetables are starting to soften.

Stir in the lentils until they’re well coated in fat, then add the mace, a pinch of salt, a good grind of pepper and the bay leaf.

Now add the ham stock, or the ham bone and two litres of chicken stock or water, depending on what you’re using.

Bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat, partially cover the pan and leave to cook for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the lentils have mostly broken down.

Remove and discard the bay leaf and ham bone, if necessary. Scoop out about a third of the soup, whizz it to a puree, then stir back into the pot.Adjust the seasoning to taste, and enjoy.