Red Lentil Soup with Cilantro Pesto and Lemon

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Pinch of ground cayenne powder

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 cup red lentils

Juice of ½ lemon, or to taste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons oil over high heat until hot. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden. Stir in cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add broth, water and lentils; bring to a simmer. Partially cover pot, turn heat to medium-low and cook until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the lemon juice. Taste and add salt if necessary.

Transfer half the soup to a large bowl and purée with an immersion blender. Alternately, purée soup in a blender or food processor. Add puréed soup back to the pot.

Purée the cilantro with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. Stir pesto into the soup. Adjust the seasonings.

Serves four.

Adapted from “Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express” (Simon & Schuster, 2009)