Red Lentil Soup

Melt half the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until softened and the onion is translucent and lightly golden at the edges. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add paprika and cumin and stir for 30 seconds — the spices should sizzle briefly in the butter and release a fragrant bloom. Do not let them scorch.

Add rinsed lentils and stock to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Red lentils dissolve on their own — no blending required for a smooth texture — but a brief blend produces a silkier, restaurant-quality result. Skim any foam that rises in the first few minutes.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot for 1-2 minutes until completely smooth. Alternatively, blend in batches in a stand blender, filling only halfway and holding the lid with a folded towel. Return to the pot, adjust consistency with a splash of hot water if too thick, and bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust salt. The texture should flow like heavy cream — fluid but substantial.

In a small saucepan or ladle held over the flame, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. When it foams, add a pinch more of paprika and swirl until the butter turns vivid orange-red and smells intensely of sweet pepper. This takes 30-45 seconds. Remove from heat the moment it begins to deepen past orange toward brown.

Ladle the hot soup into warm bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of paprika butter in a circle over each bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice directly into each serving — about half a teaspoon per bowl — and serve immediately with crusty bread or flatbread alongside. The lemon must be added at serving, not to the pot, to preserve its brightness.