Ezogelin Çorbası (Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Bulgur and Rice)

• 1 large Yellow onion
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 200 g Red lentils
• 40 g Bulgur
• 40 g Long-grain white rice
• 1.2 liters Vegetable stock, hot
• 2 tsp Dried mint
• 1 ½ tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 1 large Lemon

1. Halve, peel, and finely chop the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then cook the onion for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and Aleppo pepper and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and smells sweet. Keep stirring so it does not catch on the base of the pot.
3. Rinse the red lentils under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Add the lentils, bulgur, and rice to the pot and stir to coat in the onion and tomato mixture.
4. Pour in the hot vegetable stock, add the fine sea salt and black pepper, and bring to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils have broken down and the rice and bulgur are tender.
5. Stir in the dried mint and simmer for 2 minutes. If the soup is thicker than you like, add a splash of water and bring it back to a gentle simmer.
6. Cut the lemon into wedges. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with lemon wedges for squeezing at the table.

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