This Turkish red lentil soup recipe is divine. The soup has dynamic flavors and a lovely, mild heat, much like one you'd find at a Turkish restaurant. I make a big batch and eat it for lunch with crusty bread and salad for an entire week. Serve with additional mint and lemon wedges if desired.
Ingredients
- olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- onion: 0.5 piece (diced)
- clove garlic: 1 piece (minced)
- tomatoes: 0.25 cup (drained, diced)
- chicken stock: 5 cups
- red lentils: 0.5 cup
- fine bulgur: 0.25 cup
- rice: 0.25 cup
- tomato paste: 2 Tbsp
- mint: 1 Tbsp (dried)
- paprika: 1 tsp
- cayenne pepper: 0.5 tsp (optional)
- salt and ground black pepper: (to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add onion and sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
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Stir in chicken stock, lentils, bulgur, rice, tomato paste, mint, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils and rice are tender, about 30 minutes.
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Purée soup with an immersion blender until smooth.
