Name: Persian-style Tomato and Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (8 ounces), diced
• 3/4 cup (5 ounces) green or brown lentils
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) uncooked basmati rice
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, divided
• 1/2 bunch (2 ounces) fresh parsley, preferably curly, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped and divided, plus more for serving
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons), plus more to taste

Instructions:

• In a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid, heat the ghee or oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
• Add the onion, and stir occasionally until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the lentils and rice, coating them in the fat.
• Add the tomato paste, cumin, dried mint, if using, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
• Add about 2 cups of the stock, and stir to dissolve the tomato paste and evenly disperse the spices.
• Add the remaining stock, stir well, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Decrease the heat to medium-low, stir, cover and simmer until the rice and lentils are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. (If soup thickens more than you'd like, add water, 1/4 cup at a time.)
• Taste, and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
• Stir in about three-quarters of the parsley and remove from the heat.
• Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice.
• Divide the soup among bowls, top with the remaining parsley and serve hot.

Comments: 10/16/2022 - I mostly followed the recipe. I used one cup of red lentils, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and cinnamon, vegetable broth, and the juice of only one lemon. While it was cooking, I added a cup of water, but it turned out very thick - more like a paste than a soup. The flavor of lemon was still strong. I served it with green salad and naan bread. Gail liked it.
For the second night, I added 1/2 cup of cooked rice and a cup of broth.
2/24/2024 - I used the amounts in the recipe, except a full cup of red lentils, 1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and dried mint leaves, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and juice of 1/2 lemon. Again, it was pretty thick, and the lentils were chewy. Served with naan bread and green salad, it was good.

Source: Washington Post, 9 Feb 2022

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