Ingredients
- 100 g of butter
- 2 onions, (1 finely diced, 1 thinly sliced)
- 1 carrot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp of turmeric
- 0.5 tsp of dried aleppo pepper flakes
- 30 g of oats
- 150 g of red lentils
- 1 large lemon, juice only
- 4 pitta bread, toasted and broken into pieces (to serve)
- 1 handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (to serve)
- 0.5 tsp of dried oregano
Method
Step 1
Melt 50g butter in a saucepan and, once sizzling and frothy, add the diced onion. Allow to sweat for around 5 mins, to soften. When the onions are a pale golden colour, add the diced carrot followed by the garlic, turmeric, oregano, Aleppo flakes, oats and lentils, and top with 1.2L warm water.Step 2
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 30-40 mins, stirring occasionally.Step 3
Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small pan then add the thinly sliced onion. Caramelise in the butter until the onion is a deep golden colour. Set aside.Step 4
The soup is ready when the lentils have cooked through and have mostly disintegrated, creating a thick, slightly coarse texture. (If you prefer a smoother texture, blend the soup now). Add the lemon juice and season with salt to taste.Step 5
To serve, spoon the caramelised onions over the soup and finish with chopped parsley and crispy pitta pieces.