Ingredients
1tbspbutter,or olive oil
1medium white onion,peeled, diced
1carrot,diced
1tbsptomato paste,optional
1tspground cumin
½tspAleppo pepper
6cupsvegetable stock,or chicken
1cupred lentils,rinsed, picked over
1small yukon gold potato,diced into ½-inch cubes
fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper,to taste
fresh lemon wedges,for serving
fresh mint,chopped, for serving
Preparation
Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and Aleppo pepper. Sauté for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock, red lentils, potato, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
To purée the soup, use an immersion blender to purée until completely smooth. Or transfer the soup to a traditional blender and carefully purée* until smooth.
Taste the soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, sprinkled with chopped fresh mint and fresh lemon wedges for squeezing. Enjoy!
