Heartwarming Soup: Turkish Lentil Soup

It is so cold today! I can't seem to warm up at all, and I am wrapped in a blanket behind my computer. The perfect day for a soup like this. I mentioned before that I discovered my love for the Turkish kitchen. So when I borrowed Annabel Langbein's Simple Pleasures from the library, and found a recipe for Turkish soup, this had to be made. The taste is very comforting and I love that it is budget friendly too.

Turkish Lentil Soup (serves 6)
- 6 tbsp butter (margarine for vegan version)
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 300 gr red lentils
- 100 gr bulgur
- 3 litre vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper

For serving:
- 250 ml Turkish yoghurt (use vegan yoghurt or just omit it)
- Turkish bread

Heat the butter in a large pan and saute the onion for a couple of minutes. Add tomato paste, cayenne and smoked paprika. Bake for about 1 more minute. Add lentils, bulgur and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low. Let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Remove the soup from heat and add the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place a lid on the pan and leave the soup alone for 10 minutes. You can make the soup ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for 3 days. Just heat it up again when you need it.
Serve with some yoghurt and Turkish bread.

Linking this to the Cook it up! Challenge hosted by Trish.

Pin It

Tweet