Around here is a great Turkish restaurant called Pita House. There are 2 locations, one in Patchogue and one in East Setauket. The owner gave out the ingredients but not the recipe. I took them, added and subtracted a few things and came up with this recipe. It uses chicken stock, so it is not vegetarian, but a substitution of vegetable stock can make this recipe vegetarian friendly. I used organic ingredients to make this but conventional ingredients will still make a great soup.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 TBS flour
1/2 tsp dried cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TBS paprika
1 bay leaf
3 TBS mint, chopped, divided into 2 TBS and 1 TBS
14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 TBS tomato paste or 1 TBS tomato paste and 1 TBS red pepper paste
10 cups chicken stock
16 oz red lentils
Here's how:
Add the butter and oil to a large soup pot and melt the butter.
Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, until soft but not browned.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add the flour, stir it in and cook for 1 minute.
Add all of the remaining ingredients except 1 TBS mint and bring it to a boil, this should take about 10 minutes.
Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf.
Add the last TBS mint and stir.
Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt and a sprig of mint (optional).
Eat and enjoy.
This soup stores well in the refrigerator and will enhance in flavor as it sits.
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 TBS flour
1/2 tsp dried cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TBS paprika
1 bay leaf
3 TBS mint, chopped, divided into 2 TBS and 1 TBS
14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 TBS tomato paste or 1 TBS tomato paste and 1 TBS red pepper paste
10 cups chicken stock
16 oz red lentils
Here's how:
Add the butter and oil to a large soup pot and melt the butter.
Add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, until soft but not browned.
 |
| Onions sauteing in butter |
Add the flour, stir it in and cook for 1 minute.
 |
| Cooking the flour for 1 minute cooks out the raw flavor |
 |
| Red lentils |
 |
| Everything in the pot |
Remove the bay leaf.
Add the last TBS mint and stir.
 |
| Soup is thick and done. |
Eat and enjoy.
This soup stores well in the refrigerator and will enhance in flavor as it sits.
Looks yummy! We love the Turkish restaurant in Riverhead next to the aquarium, and they have very good lentil soup, too. I'm still waiting for the asparagus soup recipe!
ReplyDelete