Tomato Mint Lentil Soup

By Didem Varol

Recipe makes approximately eight 1-cup servings.

Also known as, “Ezo Gelin” soup this is a very popular soup in Turkey. The translated name means “bride soup”. Legend has it, this is the soup that a potential bride put together in haste, with whatever ingredients she had on hand, in order to impress her future mother-in-law. Justifiably so, this soup will indeed impress anyone!

Traditionally, bulgur is used as a thickener, but since we’re already using bulgur in a salad, and to accommodate those who may be avoiding gluten, the recipe has been modified by replacing bulgur with brown rice.

Dried mint gives this soup it’s distinctive taste; feel free to add more or less to your preference. It’s very easy to make your own dried mint. Simply tear the mint leaves from their stems, give them a good wash, arrange the leaves on a clean dishcloth to dry completely, then use the palms of your hands to pulverize them (store dried mint in an air-tight glass container).

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup brown rice, soaked in water overnight OR soaked in boiling water immediately before starting to cook
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (optional: can also water sauté)
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup red lentils, washed & drained
  • 6 cups water (and more for water sauteing, if required)
  • 2 tbsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Lemon wedges for serving - optional

Instructions

  1. If you haven’t pre-soaked the brown rice, place the brown rice in a small bowl and cover with some boiling water. Set aside.
  2. Place oil and onions in a large, stainless-steel pot and turn the heat to medium. If you’re not using oil, add the onions to the dry pot and begin heating them. Use the water sauté method:
    • Once the onions seem like they’re sticking too much (lightly golden/brown), splash some water, stir, and continue cooking.
    • As needed, splash more water in small increments at a time until the onions are fully cooked through and translucent ( ~ 10 minutes).
    • Even if you’re using oil, the amount used in this recipe is not that much so the onions will begin to stick before they are fully cooked, in which case, splash some water as is done with water sautéing method and continue until the onions are well cooked.
  3. Add the tomato paste to the pot and stir it around 1-2 minutes (tomato paste is a staple ingredient in Turkish cuisine, and it must also be “cooked” when used in a dish).
  4. Wash the red lentils under the sink using a strainer. Add the washed lentils to the pot. Drain the brown rice and also add this to the pot.
  5. Add the seasonings and water, give everything a nice stir. Turn up the heat to high. Once the soup has started to boil reduce the heat to medium or medium-low.
  6. Stir occasionally and allow the soup to cook for ~ 25-30 minutes.
  7. Using an immersion blender, you can slightly blend the soup to get achieve a better consistency – do not blend it so that it is completely pureed, just pulse it a few times.
  8. This soup is often served with lemon wedges. As with many soups, it tastes even better on the second day (after it has “rested”)! Can keep for 4-5 days refrigerated.

Afiyet olsun (Bon appétit)!

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