Red Lentil Soup
Turkish lentil soup: no soaking, one pot, blended smooth. Cheap, filling, and full of protein.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Makes
- 6 bowls
- Difficulty
- easy
Red lentils cook straight from the bag and fall apart on their own, so this goes from pantry to a thick, golden soup in about forty minutes. A squeeze of lemon at the end makes it taste bright instead of heavy.
Ingredients
Gear
- hand blender
- large pot
Method
Tap a step to mark where you are. Tap a time to start a timer.
-
Soften
Heat the oil in the pot over medium. Cook the onion and carrots until the onion is soft.
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Spices
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and paprika for a minute, until the paste darkens a little.
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Simmer
Add the lentils, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered, stirring now and then so nothing sticks, until the lentils have collapsed and the carrots are soft.
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Blend
Take the pot off the heat and blend with the hand blender until smooth. Too thick? Stir in water a splash at a time.
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Serve
Squeeze in a lemon wedge per bowl and sprinkle with pepper flakes.
Notes
- warningKeep the blender head fully under the surface while it runs; hot soup splatters.
- tipIt thickens a lot in the fridge. Add water when you reheat it.
- tipFreezes well for up to three months.
- variationMelt a tablespoon of butter with a pinch of paprika and drizzle it over the top, the Turkish way.