Persian Red Lentil Soup

Steps to make

1. 1

   Saute onions, celery, and garlic

   5 min
   

   In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 sliced celery stalk, and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves. Sauté until tender, about 4-5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add spices

   1 min
   

   Stir in 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon hot paprika, and 1 pinch ground cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. 3

   Add tomatoes

   2 min
   

   Add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.

5. 4

   Add stock and lentils

   25 min
   

   Add 6 ⅓ cups stock and 1 ½ cups red lentils and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, half-covered with a lid, until the lentils are very tender, about 20-25 minutes.

6. 5

   Make garlic tahini

   2 min
   

   In the meantime, make the garlic tahini. In a bowl, stir together ⅓ cup tahini, ⅓ cup thick yogurt, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, juice of 1 lemon, and ¼ cup hot water until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Set aside.

7. 6

   Fry mint leaves

   5 min
   

   In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the remaining olive oil. Fry mint leaves until crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the mint leaves with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard the oil.

8. 7

   Puree

   2 min
   

   Using an immersion blender, partially purée the lentil mixture. Then stir in the zest and juice of a lemon and season with salt and black pepper to taste.

9. 8

   Serve

   

   Ladle the soup into bowls, add a swirl of garlic tahini, and top with thinly sliced beets and fried mint. Serve with a poached egg if you wish. Enjoy!