Turkish lentil soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 large potatoes
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 tomato(s), peeled
• 300 g lentils, yellow or red
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• Oil for frying
• salt and pepper
• Paprika powder, red, hot
• Cumin, ground
• Basil, dried
• n. B. Thyme
• some peppermint, dried (Nane)
• n. B. water

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Mercimek

Check the fresh lentils for stones (sometimes there are still smaller stones in the bag). Wash the lentils thoroughly to remove any starch. Pour oil into a pot, chop the potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomatoes, and add them to the pot. Add all the spices and fry briefly. Then add the teaspoon of tomato paste (please do not add too much, as otherwise the soup will turn dark). Mix everything well. After 1-2 minutes, add the lentils. Stir everything and top up with water. Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes. Once the soup has cooled slightly, strain it through a sieve or blend it with an immersion blender (I prefer a sieve because it prevents the soup from becoming as thick). Finally, add the hot paprika and the dried peppermint (1/2 teaspoon, otherwise it just tastes like peppermint) and bring back to a boil briefly.