About 2 years ago, I published the recipe of my favourite soup in the world, together with its several stories in my life. That one is a well-known soup in Turkey. However, there is another one that even more people know and eat all the time: red lentil soup.

 

 

Red lentil soup has a few different versions. Some people use only red lentil and onion (and of course spices). Some people add a few vegetables (like me, I add carrots, but there are some who also add potatoes). Some people leave it chunky, some people make it smooth through a blender and some even filter smoothened soup through sieve to make it more fluid.

 

 

 

In my version, I keep it rather simple with just the addition of carrots as an extra ingredient. I use a little bit tomato paste too, but my favourite little ingredient is cumin. I absolutely love this spice and it is a great addition to this soup. I do recommend you NOT to skip that one!

 

Red lentil soup goes great with croutons and / or a bit of parsley on top. You can also heat a little olive oil, add ground red pepper and pour that over the soup while serving. Whether with a topping or plain, it tastes absolutely great and it is very filling. Enjoy!

 

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Ingredients:

 

Difficulty: ★☆☆ (Easy)
(serves 3-4)

 

Printable PDF-recipe (no photos)

 

2 tbsp olive oil
1 big onion, diced
1 tbsp all-purpose flour (you can use rice flour or corn flour to make it gluten free)
1 tbsp tomato paste
4-5 small or 2-3 big carrots (around 120-130 gr.), chopped in small pieces
250 gr. red lentil
min. 1 lt. vegetable broth (or water), put more if you want it more liquid
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

 

To serve (all optional):
croutons
parsley
heated olive oil with ground red pepper

 

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1. In a medium pot, put olive oil on medium high heat and warm for half a minute. Add onions and sauté for about 2 minutes.

 

 

 

 

2. Add flour and tomato paste and quickly stir for half a minute so that flour does not suddenly get too thick.

 

 

 

 

3. Add carrots and lentils, give it a quick stir.

 

 

 

 

4. Add 1 lt. vegetable broth or water, stir and let it cook. When the soup starts boiling, lower the heat and get the soup on a gentle simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until carrots and lentils cook.

 

 

 

5. When the soup is almost cooked, add cumin, salt and pepper, stir and cook for 2 more minutes. After that, turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

 

 

 

 

6. If you want it smooth, then puree the soup using a (hand) blender. After that, if you think the soup is too thick, add a little bit more broth or lukewarm water and cook on low heat for a couple of minutes (I added 2 dl. more water in the end). Serve with the options given above or plain. Enjoy!