Bulgur-lentil soup with minted olive oil butter
- SOUP:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, or more olive oil;
- 1 medium-size yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch dice (about 1½ cups);
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt;
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves);
- 1½ teaspoons paprika, or ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper (see sidebar);
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional);
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste;
- 1½ cups coarsely chopped fresh or diced canned tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted (one 14-ounce can);
- ½ cup coarse bulgur;
- ½ cup split red lentils, picked over, rinsed, and drained;
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth;
- 3 cups water;
- 1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice;
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sugar;
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- MINTED OLIVE OIL BUTTER:
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter;
- 2 teaspoons dried spearmint;
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, or ¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper.
Instructions:
- To prepare the soup, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the butter and wait until the foam almost subsides. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and turns light golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until it darkens, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes (there might be splatter!) and adjust the heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring once or twice and scraping the bottom to release any browned bits, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the bulgur, lentils, broth, water, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Decrease the temperature to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the soup thickens, with the bulgur retaining a slight bite, at least 25 minutes but ideally 40 minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of the sugar, and the pepper. Taste and adjust the teaspoon of the sugar, and the pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and let sit for a few minutes.
- While the soup sits, make the minted olive oil butter. Heat the olive oil and butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the mint and cayenne (it will sizzle!) and stir until fragrant, 15 seconds. Immediately remove the skillet from the heat and pour the minted olive oil butter into a small serving bowl.
- Divide the soup among 6 bowls, drizzling on a bit of the minted olive oil butter.
- TO GET A HEAD START: The soup can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Chill, covered, or freeze for up to 1 month. It will thicken in the fridge, so just add a bit more water or broth when reheating.