Name: Turkish Lentil Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter; 1 medium white onion; 1 Carrot; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp Aleppo pepper; 6 cups vegetable stock; 1 cup red lentils; 1 small yukon gold potato; fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper; fresh lemon wedges; fresh mint

How To Make Turkish Lentil Soup

This simple lentil soup is a smooth, delicious, and slightly spicy appetizer that’s popular in Istanbul. Whip up a warm batch in just 30 minutes!

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 20 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

1tbspbutter,or olive oil
1medium white onion,peeled, diced
1carrot,diced
1tbsptomato paste,optional
1tspground cumin
½tspAleppo pepper
6cupsvegetable stock,or chicken
1cupred lentils,rinsed, picked over
1small yukon gold potato,diced into ½-inch cubes
fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper,to taste
fresh lemon wedges,for serving
fresh mint,chopped, for serving

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and carrot for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and Aleppo pepper. Sauté for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock, red lentils, potato, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
To purée the soup, use an immersion blender to purée until completely smooth. Or transfer the soup to a traditional blender and carefully purée* until smooth.
Taste the soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve warm, sprinkled with chopped fresh mint and fresh lemon wedges for squeezing. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If there is no Aleppo pepper, substitute with ½ teaspoon of sweet paprika plus a pinch of cayenne.
*When using a traditional blender, it’s important to not overfill the blender; hence, purée in batches as hot liquids expand when blended. Also, always keep the cap on the blender lid slightly tented open so that hot air can escape.
Any leftovers can be stored in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freeze for up to 3 months.