Red lentil and bulgur soup with dried mint and Aleppo pepper
This soup was the first course in the five course meal my sister and I helped cook at Cooking Alaturka in Istanbul. It sounds plain, but it is hearty, wholesome and delicious. The people at Cooking Alaturka say:
This heartwarming soup, named after the bride Ezo, is so delicious and simple to make that you will want to make it all the time! You can use a chicken stock, but we prefer it with plain water, so that the other flavors come through more clearly. Don’t forget to squeeze a little lemon juice into it at the table.
They also advise that there are pros and cons to serving it straight away versus leaving it overnight. If you serve it on the day it has a nice granular texture from the bulgar. However, the flavour is better the next day.
You may need to add a little more water if serving it the next day, since the bulgur wheat will expand overnight and make the soup thicker. Yellow lentils can be substituted for red ones, but not green or brown.
Serves 6.
Ingredients
250g red lentils
Water
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp flour
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tsp Aleppo pepper (pul biber), or to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red bell pepper paste
50g coarse bulgur wheat
Salt, to taste
Method
Wash the lentils (no need to soak them) and add twice as much water as lentils to the pot. Cook the lentils 15-20 minutes without salt, until they fall apart. Their color will change from orange to yellow. If needed, foam can be skimmed off the surface whilst cooking. Set aside.
Melt the butter with the oil in a different large saucepan. Add the flour and whisk together to make a light roux.
Add the dried mint and chilli and keep whisking. Next add the tomato and bell pepper pastes, still whisking. You need to whisk quite vigorously, going over all the sides of the pot so the mixture doesn’t burn, breaking it up and twirling it so that the paste cooks evenly.
Once it starts sticking no matter what (3-4 minutes), add approx 300ml water (room temperature). Whisk out any potential lumps, then add the lentils. Using a wooden spoon, stir slowly, scraping the bottom so it doesn’t stick. When the soup begins to boil, add the bulgur and leave to boil for a few minutes.
Add salt to taste. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10-15 minutes so that the bulgar can reconstitute. The soup will thicken in the process; you may need to add a little more water to achieve the consistency you desire.
Serve with lemon wedges and extra Aleppo pepper on the side.
