Turkish Red Lentil Soup is Well Worth the Trip – Chobani’s SoHo Cafe. Who Knew?

ChoabaniPrince Street in NYC’s SoHo is packed full of endless treasures that are tucked away behind the grandiose marquees. Greek Yogurt Guru Chobani dominates this busy corner at 152 Prince Street, establishing a bustling brick and mortar storefront. Chobani SoHo Cafe  is alive with conversation, tasty dishes and staff that is both educated and delightful. Their tag line “YOGURT WAS MEANT TO BE SIMPLE” is incorporated into the all-natural, savory goods that are for created at this busy cafe.

Most items contain a Chobani product.  The environment is as appealing as the food that is delivered. With iPads, Wifi and glass bowls with wooden spoons and boards, it is reminiscent of a small cafe I visited in Croatia where the vibe is young, fresh and innovative. Sitting at the communal table you feel as if you are part of the production. The menu is simple, yet eclectic.

I sampled the Turkish Red Lentil Soup. It carried a mild taste of Aleppo pepper and the subtle taste of butter. It was a zesty and creamy, a treat that was both smooth and savory on the tongue. It was a perfect soup to sample on this frigid day. The Smoked Salmon and Herbed Labne sandwich was also a true marriage of flavors. Looking around I couldn’t help but notice that everyone was happy and seemingly calm and mellow. The food embraced them.

Next time you are in this bustling neighborhood consider bypassing the big name department stores for the smaller boutiques that cater to a friendlier, calmer crowed. Put Chobani SoHo Cafe on your short list.

Chobani’s Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Serves 10
Season Fall, Spring, Winter

Ingredients

  • 6 Cups Lentils 
  • 2 Cup chopped carrots
  •  2 Cup chopped onions
  • 3 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
  • 1 1/2 gal water
  • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Cups Chobani
  • pepper to taste

Directions

1 Place lentils in a strainer and rinse under cold water.
2 Reserve 1/4 cup of butter and 1/2 tsp of Aleppo pepper for garnish.
3 Place all other ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
4 Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
5 Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
6 Cool down soup in an ice bath, then refrigerate.
7 Reheat before serving.
8 Blend with stick blender after reheating to eliminate lumps and smooth out soup.
9 For the garnish:
10 Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a small sauce pan until it foams.
11 Add 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper and remove from heat.
12 Drizzle 1/2 tsp of warm Aleppo pepper butter on top of soup before serving.

 

 

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