Turkish Red Lentil Soup

A comforting and aromatic Turkish red lentil soup, rich with spices and finished with a vibrant swirl of mint and red pepper infused oil, served with warm pita bread.

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 18 min
• Total: 28 min
• Servings: 4.5
• Cuisine: Turkish
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $2.35/serving

Dietary

• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Pescatarian
• Vegetarian
• High-Fiber
• Halal

Tags

• one-pot
• quick
• healthy
• comfort food
• savory
• spicy

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, chopped)
• 1 carrot (chopped)
• 2 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
• 6 cup vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoon dried mint
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 1 package whole wheat pita bread (warmed)

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and carrot, sautéing for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add the rinsed red lentils, vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon dried mint, ground cumin, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
3. While the soup simmers, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 1 teaspoon dried mint and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, cooking gently for 1 minute until fragrant. Do not brown.
4. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Drizzle the infused butter mixture over each serving. Serve immediately with warm whole wheat pita bread.

Notes

This soup reheats well and the flavors deepen overnight. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating if it's too thick. The butter infusion can be prepared ahead and swirled in just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 305
• Protein: 19.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 44.8 g
• Fat: 7.5 g
• Fiber: 16.2 g
• Sodium: 780 mg
• Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
• Sugar: 5.1 g
• Cholesterol: 5 mg