LENTIL SOUP WITH BULGUR AND RICE (Ezogelin Çorbası)

I love this soup. So good in winter days, comforting, nutritious and easy to digest. Turkish name means "Ezo the bride". I must admit though, first time I tried this recipe, it didn't end well. I know my mistake; I did other things while cooking. For this soup, please do not leave the soup unattended while it is on the stow. Grains tend to stick to each other and to the saucepan so you should give it a swirl every 2 minutes. Also keep it on medium-low heat, overheating makes it lose the water and become like a paste. This is the second trial and it tastes perfect. Hmmm, snow outside, warm Ezogelin soup on my plate, how cosy!

Ingredients:

• 100 g red lentil
• 100 g rice (long grain, not pudding rice)
• 50 g bulgur
• 40 mL olive oil
• Mint, 3 tablespoons
• Salcha (or tomato paste), 3 table spoons
• Paprika, 2 tablespoons
• Blackpepper, 1 teaspoon
• Salt

Preparation:

• Wash lentil, bulgur and rice in cold water and add into a saucepan.
• Add 1,5L cold water and bring to boil. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
• With a whisker (or if you like your soup smooth, you may use a blender), mix the soup to homogenize, rather briskly.
• In a separate pan, heat up olive oil with spices and salcha. Just as it begins sizzling, give it a swirl and add to the soup.
• Let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Turn the heat off, close the lid and leave it to rest for 10 minutes.
• Enjoy your soup!