Lentils are a very healthy product. Both first and second courses are prepared from it. Any dish from this cereal comes out excellent: hearty and tasty. No wonder it is very popular in various cuisines of the world. This article will talk about how to cook lentil soup in Turkish.
Product Benefits
Lentils are the most rich in vitamins and proteins from the entire legume family. It contains vitamin A, useful for the health of hair, skin, nails and teeth. Croup is also rich in vitamin B1, which is responsible for the normal state of the nervous system; B2, which maintains good blood quality; E, preventing premature aging. In addition, lentils contain manganese, silicon, iron, folic acid and other useful substances.
Features of cooking
A very popular dish among different nations of the world is lentil soup. The Turkish recipe suggests that it must have a puree state. The dish is served with greens and lemon slices. Spices and salt are usually added at the beginning of cooking. For two glasses of water, it is customary to add one glass of cereal. Traditionally, red lentils are used to make soup. Compared to green, it has a less bright taste, but is better absorbed by the body. Turkish lentil soup puree is usually seasoned with a variety of spices. Are suitable oregano, basil, caraway seeds, curry, paprika.
Which lentils to choose
In Russian stores, it is quite difficult to find red lentils. It comes in two types: large groats of almost brown color and small orange hue. From the latter, a very tasty lentil soup is obtained. The recipe in Turkish prescribes the creation of a puree dish, so the use of "orange" lentils will come in handy. It is small, sold peeled from the shell and, accordingly, boils faster. You can use the "brown" variety of red lentils, but it will take more time to cook it. To speed up the process, it is better to soak it before cooking.
Turkish lentil soup. Ingredients
Turkish lentil soup is made from the following products:
- water - 3 glasses;
- onion - 1 piece;
- butter - 25 grams;
- tomato (ripe and large) - 1 piece;
- black pepper to taste;
- red lentils - 1 cup;
- red pepper (cereal) - to taste;
- lemon - 1 piece;
- parsley - to taste;
- salt to taste.
Cooking method
- First of all, you need to finely chop the onion.
- Then, grind the tomato so that the peel does not get into the tomato puree.
- After that, you need to melt the butter in a separate pan and lightly fry the onion in it until transparent.
- Now you need to add the tomato mass into the container, carefully mix all the ingredients and simmer with the lid closed for about five minutes.
- Then you need to wash the lentils and put it in a pan with the rest of the ingredients. Next, the cereal should be poured with water and cook over high heat until it boils. After this, the cooking temperature must be reduced. Lentils must be cooked until cooked, stirring occasionally with a spoon. Cooking time - 15-20 minutes. At the very end of cooking you need to add salt. If you do this earlier, the process will take longer, since the presence of salt will not allow the grains to digest quickly.
- Next, the pan must be removed. After that, the soup should be chopped in a blender. The dish should have a puree consistency. If it turns out to be too thick, you need to add more water to it. Then put on fire and bring to a boil again.
Turkish lentil soup ready! Each time it is warmed up, it should be mixed well so that it warms up evenly and does not burn. The dish retains its taste for several days and will surely appeal to all members of your family.
Lentil soup with mint. Ingredients
To prepare this option, you will need:
- water - 1 liter;
- onions - 1 piece;
- red lentils - 200 grams;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- dried mint - 1 tablespoon;
- butter - 100 grams;
- red pepper - 1 teaspoon;
- lemon juice - 4 tablespoons;
- salt to taste.
Cooking
The recipe for lentil soup in Turkish involves a step-by-step completion of the following actions:
- First, finely chop the carrots and onions.
- After that, in a pan, melt the butter.
- Next, you need to add vegetables to the container with oil and fry them until soft for five minutes.
- Then rinse the lentils several times. This must be done until the water becomes clear.
- After this, cereals must be combined with carrots and onions.
- Now all the ingredients should be poured with cold water.
- Next, you need to cook the soup on moderate heat with a lid tightly closed.
- When the lentils become soft, you need to salt the dish, add red pepper and dried mint to it. Then the soup should be mixed and boiled for another minute.
- Now you need to chop the lentil soup with a blender. To avoid unpleasant consequences, it is better to cool the dish a little before processing.
After that, you can pour lentil soup on plates. The Turkish recipe allows the addition of crackers and lemon juice to the dish.
How to serve
Turkish lentil soup is served very hot in deep broth cups or bowls. Before eating, you need to sprinkle it with flakes of red pepper and pour a small amount of lemon juice. On top of the soup you can decorate with a green salad and slices of peeled tomato. The dish must be sprinkled with fragrant fresh parsley. And, of course, you can not do without fresh white bread with a delicious crisp.
It should be noted that very sweet onions grow in Turkey. Therefore, the unusual taste of the dish may surprise an inexperienced person. If you are preparing soup on the shores of the Mediterranean, the quantity of this product should be monitored. Indeed, in Turkey there is a saying: "The more onions you put, the sweeter the food will be."
Unfortunately, lentil soup is exotic for the inhabitants of our country. A Turkish recipe will help you create a dish with the least expenditure of effort, time and money. And you will get a tasty, easy to prepare and very healthy dish. Enjoy your meal!