Lentil Soup with Lemon

Ingredients

• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 1 large carrots diced
• 32 ounce carton chicken broth 
• 0.1 teaspoon chili powder to taste
• 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 0.3 teaspoon kosher salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons juice of lemon to taste
• 4 teaspoons olive oil extra-virgin for drizzling
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 cup lentils red
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 

Equipment

• pot
• blender
• kitchen towels

Directions

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.
2. Stir in the chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Pour half of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not puree all of the soup, leave it a little chunky.
4. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of chili powder to serve.