Red Lentil Soup with Lemon Mint Yogurt

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large yellow onion , diced
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste , or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt , or more to taste
• 4 cloves garlic , crushed
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 0.13 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 rib celery , diced
• 1 large carrot , diced

Instructions

1. 1

   Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, tomato paste, and salt to melted butter. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens and tomato paste turns a deep brick red or brown color, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. 2

   Add garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils, celery, and carrot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils and vegetables are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, make lemon-mint yogurt: Grind mint and salt in a mortar and pestle to a paste. Add yogurt, lemon juice, and zest; stir together until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. 4

   Taste soup for seasoning. Use an immersion blender to purée about 1/2 of the soup to achieve a creamier texture. Serve hot with spoonfuls of lemon-mint yogurt.