Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)

La storia di questo piatto

Mercimek çorbası is the soup of Turkish tables from morning to midnight, a humble pot of red lentils that has earned the quiet title of red gold. It is the first spoonful of welcome in homes, lokantas and at the start of countless meals.

Ingredienti

• 250 g Red lentils
• 1 large Onion
• 2 medium Carrot
• 1 medium Potato
• 1.5 teaspoons Ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon Sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons Olive oil
• 1.5 liters Vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Lemon juice
• 8 leaves Fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon Tomato paste (or salçası)

Preparazione

1. Place the red lentils in a colander and rinse them under cold running water, gently rubbing them with your fingers. The water will be cloudy and milky at first: keep rinsing until it runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
2. Pour the olive oil into a large pot and heat it over medium heat. Cut the onion, carrot and potato into cubes of about half a centimeter; they don't need to be perfect. Add the vegetables to the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 6-8 minutes, until soft, the onion is translucent and the edges are just golden. If the vegetables start to darken too much, lower the heat.
3. Add the tomato paste, cumin and paprika to the sautéed vegetables. Stir constantly for about 1 minute over medium-low heat, so the paste toasts slightly and the spices release their aroma. If the spices darken too much they become bitter: lower the heat immediately in that case.
4. Add the rinsed lentils and the hot vegetable broth, then stir well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered, stirring now and then to keep the lentils from sticking to the bottom. Once the liquid boils, skim off the foam that forms on the surface with a slotted spoon.
5. Lower the heat to medium-low: the liquid should simmer gently, with small, regular bubbles. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and vegetables are very tender.
6. Check the lentils: when you squeeze one between your thumb and forefinger it should turn into a soft pulp. Remove the pot from the heat. Immerse the hand blender at a slight angle and blend only about half of the soup, with slow, circular movements, so you get a velvety cream with some lentil pieces still visible. If the soup is too thick, thin it with hot water to the desired consistency.
7. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper, adding them little by little. Squeeze half of the lemon juice into the pot and stir; keep the rest to serve at the table, so everyone can adjust the acidity to taste.
8. Pour the hot soup into bowls. Scatter fresh mint leaves on top and finish with a thin drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately, accompanied by the remaining lemon juice or lemon wedges.