Persian Red Lentil Soup

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!