Turkish-Style Red Lentil Soup

This is a simple soup to prepare. It is richly flavored, nutritious, enormously satisfying and delicious. It is a perfectly adequate representation of Turkish food.

I adore the spices, careful use of aromatic vegetables and all those red pepper pastes lending their unique flavor profile to Turkish food. I once counted 15 different types of pepper pastes with one vendor in the spice market in Istanbul. That’s not only cool, but it also shows a deep respect for building intricate flavors.

This recipe easily scales up, so making a large batch is beneficial – it will hold

Subscription Required For This Content

This is a simple soup to prepare. It is richly flavored, nutritious, enormously satisfying and delicious. It is a perfectly adequate representation of Turkish food.

I adore the spices, careful use of aromatic vegetables and all those red pepper pastes lending their unique flavor profile to Turkish food. I once counted 15 different types of pepper pastes with one vendor in the spice market in Istanbul. That’s not only cool, but it also shows a deep respect for building intricate flavors.

This recipe easily scales up, so making a large batch is beneficial – it will hold at least 5 days in the refrigerator or months in the freezer…which is another reason I like to make this simple and healthy recipe.

Difficulty: simple
Yield:  makes about 2 liters (2 quarts)