Shorbat adas — red lentil soup with cumin and lemon

Method

1. Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water until it runs clear, then drain. Bring 700 g water to the boil in the kettle. Peel and halve the onion, then slice all of it very thinly. Peel the carrot and cut into rough rounds (it will be blended); peel and crush the garlic.
2. In a 20 cm saucepan, heat 30 g oil over a medium-high heat and fry all the onion for about 10 minutes, stirring often and lowering to medium as soon as it starts to colour: the slices should be golden brown with crisp edges. Lift out half with a slotted spoon, spread on kitchen paper and season with a pinch of salt: it finishes crisping as it cools.
3. Add the carrot to the onion left in the pan and stir over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the garlic, 2 g cumin, turmeric and pepper: stir for 30 seconds until the spices smell fragrant without sticking.
4. Add the lentils, 600 g boiling water and 4 g salt; keep the remaining 100 g water hot in the kettle. At the first boil, skim off the grey foam with a spoon, then lower the heat, half-cover and cook for 18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon: the lentils and carrot should crush under the spoon. While it cooks, toast the whole pita for 2–3 minutes in the toaster or under the oven grill, brush both sides with 5 g oil and cut into 8 triangles; chop the coriander.
5. Take the soup off the heat and blend with a stick blender, keeping its head submerged, until smooth and velvety. It should coat a spoon; if too thick, gradually loosen with the hot water from the kettle. Stir in the juice of half a lemon, taste and adjust with the remaining salt: the soup should be distinctly lemony and well salted.
6. Divide the soup between two warm bowls. Drizzle each with raw olive oil (3 g), sprinkle with a pinch of cumin and paprika (1 g of each in total), then top with the crisp fried onions. Scatter over coriander and serve with the pita and lemon wedges so everyone can adjust to taste.