Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Mint Yogurt
Description
A lemon-mint yogurt brings refreshing flavor to Chef John's red lentil soup that's so satisfying, it doesn't need meat.
Ingredients
•
2 tablespoons butter
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1 large yellow onion, diced
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3 tablespoons tomato paste, or more to taste
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1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
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4 cloves garlic, crushed
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2 teaspoons ground cumin
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1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 quart chicken broth
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1 cup red lentils
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1 rib celery, diced
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1 large carrot, diced
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6 leaves fresh mint, thinly sliced
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1 pinch salt
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3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt, or more to taste
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1/2 lemon, juiced
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1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Directions
1
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato paste, and salt to melted butter. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens and tomato paste turns a deep brick red or brown color, 5 to 7 minutes.
2
Add garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, celery, and carrot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils and vegetables are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
3
Meanwhile, make lemon-mint yogurt: Grind mint and salt in a mortar and pestle to a paste. Add yogurt, lemon juice, and zest; stir together until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4
Taste soup for seasoning. Use an immersion blender to purée about 1/2 of the soup to achieve a creamier texture. Serve hot with spoonfuls of lemon-mint yogurt.