Recipe for a perfect Turkish lentil soup

Ingredients for 5 servings:

• 500 g lentils, red
• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp harissa
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 pinch(s) of pepper
• 4 liters of water
• 1 lemon(s)
• dashes chili sauce, (Sriracha)

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 50 minutes

Simple and vegan, delicious and healthy

Wash the lentils thoroughly in a sieve until the water is no longer cloudy. Drain the lentils. Peel the onions and dice them into small cubes. Peel the garlic and finely chop them. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Add about 10 cm of tomato paste from the tube and 10 cm of harissa from the tube to the onions and mix everything well. Then add the drained lentils and sauté for about 2 minutes. Deglaze with plenty of water – about 2 liters. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat with the lid closed. Once the water is bubbling, reduce the heat to low. Let the lentils simmer until the lentils are completely swollen. Add more water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don’t overdo the salt. If you like it spicy, add more sriracha to taste. After about 35 minutes, purée the soup finely with an immersion blender. The soup tastes best when left in the pot overnight and reheated the next day. Stir the soup thoroughly while reheating, otherwise the lentil puree will settle to the bottom of the pot. Serve with lemon wedges and squeeze the lemon juice into the soup before eating.