Red Lentil Soup

This is my friend Zeycan, pronounced Zay-jon.  She is from Turkey.  We host international students for a local english school, and her husband lived with us this summer.  His name is Selman.  He was not yet married at the time, so he moved out, went back to Turkey to marry his Bride, and returned to Michigan.  Isn't she gorgeous?  I told Selman, he is SO blessed, not only is she beautiful, but she can cook!  He'll be well taken care of!  Anyway, they invited us over for authentic Turkish food.  We did not hesitate.  It was incredibly delicous, and they were both such wonderful hosts.  Not the best picuture of my boy, but oh well. 
This recipe, along with the following 2 posts is what she made for us.  She was kind enough to share her secrets with me.  :-)  She also made Baklava... no words, it was so good.  I did not include the recipe for baklava, however she sent me one from allrecipes.com.  Her advice is to omit the cinnamon because that is not how they make it.  Although I'm sure it's delicious with or without. 

RED LENTIL SOUP

1 cup red lentils ( wash in colander )
1 cup carrott (grated)
1 potatoes (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon pepper paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, pepper
5 cups water

Put all ingredients in a pot, except salt and pepper.  Wait until the lentils are tender about 40 minutes. After that add salt and pepper. Mix, in batches if necessary, in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Return to the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer. 

So delicious an healthy.