recipes/lentil-soup.md

# Red Lentil Soup With Lemon
Originally from [cooking.nytimes.com](https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016062-red-lentil-soup-with-lemon).

Makes four servings.

## Ingredients

- 3 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (or one small tomato, diced)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne, more to taste
- 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 300g dry red lentils (rinsed and soaked for thirty minutes)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

## Method

- In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot and shimmering.
- Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, and sauté for 2 minutes longer.
- Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Using an immersion blender, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
- Reheat 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.