Red Lentil Soup with Spearmint, Lemon and Ginger-Turmeric Tomatoes

Red lentils collapse as they cook, so this soup thickens itself without any blending. The spearmint and lemon are borrowed from Cypriot kitchens, where mint goes into lentils as naturally as parsley does elsewhere. Our ginger and turmeric tomatoes give the base its colour and warmth.

Serves 4 - 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 250g APSOGO Organic Greek Red Split Lentils
• 60ml APSOGO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 jar (340g) APSOGO Chopped Tomatoes, Ginger & Turmeric
• 1 litre vegetable stock or water
• 1 tbsp APSOGO Organic Greek Spearmint
• Juice of 1 lemon
• APSOGO Greek Sea Salt Blossom and black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs clear.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion 5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cumin and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes, lentils and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer 15-18 minutes, stirring occasionally so the lentils don't catch on the bottom.
4. When the lentils have broken down and the soup is thick, stir in the spearmint and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with an extra pour of olive oil, a pinch of spearmint on top, and warm pita.

Tip

For a thinner soup add more stock; for a thicker, dal-like texture cook 5 minutes longer with the lid off.

All the APSOGO ingredients in this recipe are available at apsogo.com.