← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 1 tbsp Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası)
• 200 g Red lentils, rinsed
• 50 g coarse bulgur, rinsed
• 2 tbsp Long-grain rice (optional)
• 1.75 l vegetable stock or water
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tsp Dried mint
• 1 tsp Pul biber (Aleppo-style pepper flakes)
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 min until soft. Add the garlic and both pastes and stir for 1–2 min until they smell sweet.
2. Add the lentils, bulgur, rice, paprika and stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 30–35 min, stirring often, until the lentils have collapsed and the bulgur is tender. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
3. Season with the salt and plenty of black pepper. The soup should be thick but pourable and slightly chunky.
4. Just before serving, warm the oil in a small pan, add the dried mint and pul biber and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Swirl over the bowls and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips

• A knob of butter in the finishing oil is the classic touch; it makes the soup no longer vegan.
• It thickens a lot as it stands, so loosen leftovers with water when reheating.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Ozlem's Turkish Table Give Recipe Unicorns in the Kitchen