Instant Pot Turkish Red Lentil Soup With Aleppo Pepper Oil Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Heat olive oil in the pot. Add onion, potato, carrot, tomato, celery, and garlic; cook and stir until starting to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt, cumin, cinnamon, and allspice over the vegetables and stir until fragrant.
• Pour in stock, water, and lentils. Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 10 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Meanwhile, spread pita squares on a lined baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and season with salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until toasted, about 8 minutes.
• Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Puree soup using an immersion blender. Stir in juice of 1 lemon.
• Divide soup among bowls and scatter a handful of pita chips over each. Cut the second lemon into wedges and serve alongside.

Steps:

• Place the red lentils in a colandar and rinse.
• Sift through to remove and debris or damaged beans.
• Place the washed and cleaned lentils into a medium pot with the stock, potatoes, onions and paprika.
• Bring the pot to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• Loosely place a lid on the pot leaving slightly ajar as to allow some evaporation.
• Cook for 40-40 minutes until the lentils are tender.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Place all but 1 cup of the soup into a blender or food processor and blend briefly.
• Return blended soup to the pot with the reserved cup of soup.
• Heat through.
• Serve.

Steps:

• Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot®) and select Saute function. Melt butter until foamy. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Push onion and garlic to one side of the pot and add olive oil. Toast paprika and cumin for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste. Add lentils, rice, and salt. Pour in water and turn off Saute function.
• Close and lock the lid. Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 3 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.
• Release pressure using the natural-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Release remaining pressure using the quick-release method, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Meanwhile, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat the entire skillet. Add Aleppo pepper and cook until a few bubbles appear and the oil is bright red. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with Aleppo pepper oil, sprinkle with fresh mint, and serve with lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Combine everything into a pot, and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat, loosely cover the pot, and let simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils have completely softened.
• Let the soup cool for about 5-10 minutes (you can also cheat and just pop the pot in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes while catching up on work and texting, like I did!).
• Pour the soup in a blender to puree it nicely.
• After pureeing, I sometimes like to pop in a can of big white beans like great northern beans, navy beans, cannellini, or butterbeans with a little fresh cilantro if I happen to have any on hand. These are found in piyaz, another delicious meze.
• Garnish with lemon and/or fresh mint, and serve with some delicious pitas, toasty Turkish bread, or sigara bourek!