Ezogelin is the more filling relative of lentil soup: the bulgur and rice in it give the soup body, while the paste carries the colour and the flavour. The trick comes at the end, in warming the mint in butter just until it smells, without letting it burn.
Ingredients
For the soup
For the top
Method
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Cook the onion
Melt the butter in a pan and cook the finely chopped onion over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until the colour turns. Do not let it brown; it only needs to soften.
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Add the pastes
Add the tomato and pepper paste and cook for 1 minute. The colour deepens once the raw smell of the paste has gone.
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Add the grains
Add the rinsed lentils, bulgur and rice to the pan and cook for another minute, stirring.
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Add the water
Pour in the hot water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and cook for 20 minutes with the lid ajar. The lentils should have broken down and the bulgur swelled.
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Salt and blend
Add the salt. For a smooth soup, blend for 10–15 seconds with a stick blender; if you like some texture, skip this step.
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Pour over the mint butter
Melt the butter in a small pan, take it off the heat, stir in the mint and chilli flakes, and pour it over the soup once it is in the bowls.
Tips
- Do not keep the butter on the heat for the mint butter; burnt mint carries a bitter taste into the soup. Take the pan off the heat and then add it.
- The soup thickens as it stands. When you reheat it, a ladle of hot water stirred in is enough.
- If you are using fresh mint instead of dried, triple the quantity and add it after taking the pan off the heat.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.