Recipe Tomato Lentil Soup with Goat Cheese

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil

  • 6 ounces (1 can) tomato paste

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 1½ teaspoons ground coriander

  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, za’atar or dried oregano

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

  • 1 cup red lentils

  • Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

  • 1 lemon

  • 4 ounces regular or herb goat cheese, cut into 8 slices

30 Minutes door to door

PREPARATION:

  • Step 1

    In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium. Add the tomato paste, garlic, coriander, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning and the red-pepper flakes. Stir until the tomato paste is a shade darker and sticking to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 4 minutes. (Try not to rush this step; it’s where the flavor of the soup develops.)

  • Step 2

    Add 4 ½ cups of water, the lentils and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to medium-high, scrape any browned bits stuck to the pot and stir to break up the big chunks of tomato paste. Partially cover the pot and bring to a simmer, then completely cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until the lentils start to break down and lose their shape, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and scrape any stuck lentils from the bottom of the pot.

  • Step 3

    Meanwhile, zest the lemon into a small bowl. Cut the lemon into wedges for serving. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning to the lemon zest and season with salt and more red-pepper flakes. Rub with your fingers until you smell lemon; set aside.

  • Step 4

    Turn off the heat under the lentils. Season to taste with salt. Place the goat cheese on top of the lentils, then sprinkle the goat cheese with the lemon-herb mixture. Cover the pot and let sit until the goat cheese is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the soup with a lemon wedge for squeezing over.