Andy Baraghani's chicken and red lentil soup earned its spot on the NYT Top 50 for a reason. It's silky without cream, filling without stodge, and it uses stuff you already own.
The commenter's tip: soaking the lentils for 20 minutes first makes them break down faster and gives you the silky texture without a stick blender.
Serves 4 · Prep 10 min (plus 20 min lentil soak) · Cook 40 min
Ingredients
- 300 g (1½ cups) red lentils, rinsed and soaked in warm water 20 min
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tsp cumin, ground
- 1 tsp coriander, ground
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1.5 L chicken stock
- 1 tin (400 g) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Big handful of parsley or coriander, chopped
- Chilli oil, yoghurt, and warm bread to serve
Method
- Drain the soaked lentils.
- In a heavy-based pot over medium heat, sweat the onions in olive oil for 8 minutes until soft and just starting to catch. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Push the onions aside and add the chicken thighs. Sear 2 minutes each side to colour.
- Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cinnamon. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the stock, crushed tomatoes, drained lentils, and salt. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover partially and cook 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have collapsed and the chicken is falling apart.
- Lift out the chicken thighs and shred with two forks. Return to the pot.
- Finish with lemon juice and a shower of parsley or coriander.
- Ladle into wooden bowls. Drizzle of chilli oil, dollop of yoghurt, torn bread.
Bowl matters here
Soup in a warm wooden bowl on a cold night is a different meal to soup in a stark ceramic one. The Wooden Salad Bowl in the 15 cm size holds a generous portion.