Turkish ciorba! Perfect for cool days, it is easy to prepare and very cheap.
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Very cheap
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
200 g of peeled red lentils
1 large onion
1 large potato
350 g of coppery tomatoes or tomato pulp
1 pinch of chili pepper
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of hot paprika
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 pinches of salt
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
For the garnish:
½ teaspoon of dried chili peppers
½ teaspoon of mint
Preparation:
Prepare the vegetables: Peel and roughly chop the potato, and finely slice the onion.
Sauté: In a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add the potato and onion and sauté until the onion becomes transparent.
Add lentils and tomatoes: Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes (or tomato pulp), chilli and cumin. Mix well.
Cook: Cover with about 600 ml of hot water or vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook for about 25 minutes, adding hot water if necessary.
Blend: After cooking, blend the soup until it has a creamy consistency. Season with salt and sprinkle with mint and dried chilli.
Serve: Add a little lemon juice and stir before serving.
Tips:
For a richer soup, you can use chicken stock instead of water.
For a fresh touch, garnish with a spoonful of plain yogurt and fresh cilantro before serving.
Turkish ciorba keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days and is also perfect for freezing!
