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Test Kitchen Approved

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Recipe By Laurel Aly-Forest, Savory Spice Shop—Sellwood/Portland, OR

Yields

6 to 8 servings

Recipe By Laurel Aly-Forest, Savory Spice Shop—Sellwood/Portland, OR

This simple yet elegant soup has lovely layers of flavor and highlights the uniquely Mediterranean combination of spearmint and sumac.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped






1 cup red lentils, washed and picked over

6 cups vegetable broth

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh spearmint


1 lemon

Savory Spice ingredients in this recipe

  • California Paprika

    Our California paprika powder typically comes from a hybrid red pepper that's indigenous to California, though paprika is usually made from a numbe...

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  • Cumin Seeds

    Cumin Seeds (or comino) are one of the most consumed spices in the world. Cumin is a key ingredient in many curry blends and chili powders. Add who...

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  • Tomato Powder

    Tomato Powder is made from ground, dehydrated tomatoes. Add dry tomato powder to your homemade meatloaf recipe. Using tomato powder in sauces and s...

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  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

    Crushed Red Pepper flakes are a must have for your kitchen pantry, and are usually found on every pizzeria table in the country to add some spice t...

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  • Fine Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

    Our Fine Pink Himalayan Sea Salt is believed to be of the most ancient of all pink sea salts. It's a highly flavorful pink cooking salt, and pairs ...

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  • Ground Sumac Berries

    Ground Sumac Berries are used to enhance the flavor of your recipes, similar to how salt does. Because of that, sumac spice is great in homemade ma...

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Directions

Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute onion and carrots over low heat until light golden, about 5 min. Stir in paprika, cumin seeds, tomato powder (or paste), red pepper flakes and salt. Cover and cook for another 5 to 7 min. Add lentils and stir everything together so tomato, spices and lentils are thoroughly combined. Add broth (or water), cover and cook until everything is very tender, about 30 to 40 min. (Or use a pressure cooker and cook until very tender.) Use an immersion blender or stand blender to puree the soup into a smooth consistency. (Skip this step if you prefer a chunky soup.) Crumble the mint leaves into the soup. Stir and simmer for 2 to 3 more min. Remove from heat and stir in half of the sumac, saving the rest for garnish. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with lemon wedges and/or a squeeze of lemon juice, fresh mint, plus a generous sprinkle of sumac.