Turkish Red Lentil Soup
A creamy Turkish mercimek soup made with red lentils that melt into a velvety, rich base. Finished with a spicy pul biber butter drizzle and served with lemon wedges. Simple, satisfying, and freezes beautifully in portions.
Nutrition per 100g
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Ingredients
- 400 g red lentils
- 150 g yellow onion
- 170 g carrot
- 220 g potato
- 10 g garlic
- 45 g red pepper paste
- 45 g olive oil
- 10 g cumin
- 5 g pul biber
- 5 g dried mint
- 5 g black pepper
- 10 g salt
- 2200 g vegetable broth
- 45 g butter
Mise en Place
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Rinse the red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear.
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Halve or roughly chop the onions.
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Peel and cut the carrots into 2-3 cm chunks.
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Peel and cut the potato into 2-3 cm chunks.
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Mince the garlic.
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You will need a large pot and an immersion blender.
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, carrot, and potato. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the red pepper paste and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the cumin and black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
Add the rinsed red lentils and pour in the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the lentils, carrots, and potato are completely soft.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth. Adjust consistency with hot water if too thick.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
In a small pan, melt the butter until it just starts to foam. Remove from heat and stir in the pul biber and dried mint. Let it sizzle for 10 seconds.
Serve the soup in bowls, drizzle the spicy butter on top, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Let the soup cool completely. Portion into airtight food containers. Do not add the spicy butter drizzle before freezing. Label with date and contents.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water if the soup has thickened too much. Make fresh spicy butter drizzle when serving. Serve with lemon wedges.