Turkish Carrot and Lentil Soup

The bulghur and lentils add some body and protein to this smokey, comforting soup. Add a cautious pinch or two of cayenne at the end; it can be potent stuff. This recipe is from a [Riverford](https://www.riverford.co.uk/) soup bag.

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 red peppers
• 400g carrots
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp cumin
• 40g red lentils
• 20g bulghur wheat
• 20g flaked almonds
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• fresh mint

Method

1. Peel and slice the onion. Deseed and slice the peppers. Peel and roughly chop the carrots. Warm 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan and gently fry them together for 10 minutes, until starting to soften.
2. Meanwhile, peel and chop the garlic.
3. Add the garlic, bay, cumin, lentils, and bulghur to the pan and cook for a further 2 minutes before adding 800ml of water. Bring to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Cook gently for 25 minutes, until everything is cooked and softened.
4. While the soup cooks, lightly toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, until golden.
5. When ready, remove the bay leaf and blend until completely smooth. Thin with a little more water if it seems thick. Taste and tweak the seasoning with salt, pepper, a squeeze or two of lemon, and a cautious pinch of cayenne, to your liking.
6. Serve and garnish with the toasted almonds and some freshly chopped mint leaves.