Easy Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion (diced)
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
• 1 medium potato (Yukon gold) (peeled and diced)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
• 6 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• plus lemon wedges, for serving
• 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper

Steps

1. 1

   Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Add the diced potato and cook for 2 minutes more.

2. 2

   Add the spices. Add the garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper, and stir for another 30 seconds.

3. 3

   Simmer the lentils. Add the lentils and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils and potatoes are very soft.

4. 4

   Blend. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (Note: Turkish home cooks usually blend it completely, though you can make it as smooth or textured as you'd like).

5. 5

   Make the pepper butter. In a small pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the Aleppo pepper and stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant.

6. 6

   Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the pepper butter, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.