Turkish Lamb and Bulgur Meatball Soup

Ingredients

• ½ cup fine bulgur
• ½ cup boiling water
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon dried mint, divided
• 6 ounce can tomato paste (⅔ cup)
• ½ cup drained roasted red peppers, patted dry
• 1 Fresno chili, stemmed and seeded
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1½ teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1¼ teaspoons sweet paprika combined with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin, divided
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground lamb, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped, ¼ cup set aside for the meatballs
• 1 quart low-sodium beef broth
• 15½ ounce can chickpeas with their liquid
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1. Hydrate the bulgur in boiling water. Blend olive oil with fresh and dried mint for the mint oil.
2. 2. Blend tomato paste, roasted peppers, Fresno chili, sugar, Aleppo pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. 3. Brown part of the lamb with most of the onion, then cook in the tomato-pepper puree.
4. 4. Add broth and water and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. 5. Knead the remaining lamb, reserved onion, hydrated bulgur, remaining spices, salt, and pepper; form 16 to 18 meatballs.
6. 6. Simmer the meatballs with the chickpeas and their liquid until cooked through. Stir in lemon juice and serve with mint oil.