Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper
- Pinch of chili powder or ground cayenne, plus more to taste
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- 1In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
- 2Stir in tomato paste, cumin, ¼ teaspoons each salt and black pepper and the chili powder, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
- 3Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- 4Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup, then add it back to pot. The soup should be somewhat chunky.
- 5Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder, if desired.
Estimated Time
Preparation: 0 minutes
Cooking: 45 minutes