Mercimek Çorbası and Ev yapımı pide – lentil soup, flatbread

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 200 g lentils, red
• 1 m.-sized potato(s)
• 1 carrot(s)
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 500 ml water
• 500 ml chicken broth
• Salt
• pepper
• Cumin powder
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp mint, dried
• 1 lemon(s)
• 20 g fresh yeast
• 150 ml milk, lukewarm
• 350 ml water, lukewarm
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 600 g wheat flour, up to 700 g
• Oil for the hands
• some flour for the work surface
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• 1 egg yolk
• sesame
• Black cumin

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 50 minutes

from the show “The Perfect Dinner” on VOX from 25.02.2025

For the red lentil soup, rinse the lentils thoroughly in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear. This removes any impurities and excess starch. Peel, wash, and roughly dice the potatoes, carrots, and onions. Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan and roast the vegetables for 2-3 minutes. Add the lentils and roast briefly. Add the water and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables are tender, let the soup cool slightly and puree with a hand blender. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin powder. If the soup is too thick, add a little hot water and mix well. Finally, bring back to a boil briefly. For the butter and mint sauce, melt the butter in a small pan. Add the tomato paste and dried mint and roast briefly. Ladle the finished soup into bowls and garnish each with 1 teaspoon of the sauce. Serve the soup with lemon wedges and flatbread. To make the homemade flatbread, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk, lukewarm water, and sugar in a large bowl. Gradually add the salt and flour and knead until a slightly sticky dough forms. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. Dust the work surface with flour. Divide the dough into 6-8 equal-sized balls. If it’s too sticky, lightly grease your hands with oil. Place the dough balls on a floured work surface, cover, and let rest for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 250°C (top/bottom heat). Whisk together the yogurt and egg yolk. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, spread with the mixture, and shape them into round flatbreads using your fingertips. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and black cumin seeds, if desired. Bake the pide in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Then remove and cover with a kitchen towel. Cut the flatbreads into strips and serve lukewarm. Seda prepared this recipe as an appetizer on the show “The Perfect Dinner” – Day 2 in the Bergisches Land region on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.