Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Crusty Bread

Ingredients

• 0.75 cupred lentils
• 1 pieceyellow onion
• 2 piecegarlic cloves
• 1 piececarrot
• 0.5 cupcanned crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 3.5 cupvegetable stock
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1.5 tbspunsalted butter
• 1.5 tspsweet paprika
• 0.5 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspdried mint
• 0.5 tspred pepper flakes (pul biber or Aleppo pepper)
• 1 piecelemon
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.25 tspblack pepper
• 2 thick slicecrusty bread (sourdough or Turkish ekmek)

Method

1. 1

   Rinse the red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear, then set aside. Finely dice the onion and carrot, and mince the garlic.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrot and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.

3. 3

   Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, 1 tsp sweet paprika, cumin, and black pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the rinsed lentils, crushed tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the lentils are completely soft.

5. 5

   Use a hand blender to blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth. If it's too thick, add a splash of hot water to loosen. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, then taste and adjust.

6. 6

   In a small pan or ladle held over the flame, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the remaining 0.5 tsp sweet paprika, smoked paprika, dried mint, and red pepper flakes. Swirl for 30 seconds until the butter turns deep red and fragrant — don't let it burn.

7. 7

   Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle the paprika butter generously over the top, and serve immediately alongside thick slices of crusty bread.