Red Lentil soup over bulgur wheat pilaf-sooo good!

Last night I made a red lentil soup that I love! It's perfect for my low cholesterol quest(you know all about it now, sigh...) and it's delicious. I first got the recipe from the New York Times, the photo they had was so colorful it intrigued me. Since I'd never had red lentils before, I thought: Why Not!



Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, more to drizzle if you like
1 large onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
pinch of cayenne, or a scant tablespoon of harissa or any hot sauce you have in hand
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

For pilaf:
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 cups broth or water
1 cup(or more) fat free Greek yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 4 minutes.
Add tomato paste, cumin, salt and pepper, and  cayenne or harissa. Saute for another 2 minutes.

Add broth, 2 cups water,, lentils and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook low in a partially covered pot for about 30 minutes. In a smaller pot, combine the bulgur wheat with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. Fluff with fork.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup leaving it a bit chunky. Reheat if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro.

In a deep dish spoon one quarter of the bulgur pilaf and top with one quarter of the lentil soup. Drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil and top with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt. Serve it with a slice of hearty bread!

Enjoy,

Maria