- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 3 tbsp
- 1 cup
- 1 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 4 cups
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp
Process
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Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the diced carrot and potato to the pot. Cook for another 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomato paste, ground cumin, and ground paprika. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the rinsed red lentils and pour in the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are very tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth.)
Return the soup to the pot (if using a blender) and place over low heat. Season with salt and black pepper. Adjust consistency with extra broth or water if too thick.
In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the dried mint and cook for 30 seconds until sizzling and fragrant. Remove from heat.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with the mint butter and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the soup.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is undercooking the lentils before blending, which leaves a gritty texture; simmer until the lentils and vegetables crush easily against the side of the pot, about 20 minutes, and add 5 more minutes if needed.
- Do not add the salt at the start; salt added before the lentils are fully tender can keep them firm, so season only after pureeing.
- When blending hot soup, fill the blender jar no more than halfway and vent the lid, or keep the immersion blender fully submerged and tilted slightly to avoid hot splashes.
- Make the mint butter in the last minute before serving; dried mint burns in seconds, so pull the pan off the heat as soon as it sizzles, around 30 seconds.
Substitutions
- red-lentils→yellow split lentils (same 1 cup, add 5 to 10 extra minutes of simmering)
- vegetable-broth→water plus 1 extra tbsp tomato paste and a pinch of salt
- butter→olive oil or a plant-based butter for the mint drizzle
- ground-cumin→ground coriander with a pinch of ground cinnamon
Storage & reheating
Cool the soup within 1 hour, then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days; it thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of broth or water. For freezing, portion into freezer-safe containers leaving 2 cm of headspace and freeze for up to 3 months, thawing overnight in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it reaches 75°C, or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts; keep the mint butter and lemon separate and add them fresh after reheating.
Gallery
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my red lentil soup turn out gritty or grainy?
The lentils were not simmered long enough before blending, or the soup was pureed while the vegetables were still firm. Simmer covered on low until the lentils and potato pieces crush easily, about 20 minutes, then blend until no flecks remain. If it is still grainy after blending, return it to the pot with 1/2 cup broth and simmer 5 more minutes.
Can I use canned or frozen lentils instead of dried red lentils?
Canned lentils are already cooked, so they break down poorly and give a thinner, less velvety soup. If you must use them, add 2 cups drained canned lentils only in the last 5 minutes of simmering and reduce the broth to 3 cups. Frozen lentils are not a good swap here for the same reason.
Can I make this Turkish red lentil soup ahead of time?
Yes, it tastes even better the next day. Make the soup through step 6, cool it within 1 hour, and refrigerate for up to 4 days; prepare the mint butter just before serving so it stays fragrant. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, adding broth or water to thin it back to a pourable consistency.
How do I know when the lentils and vegetables are fully cooked?
Press a lentil and a piece of potato against the side of the pot with a spoon; both should mash with no resistance, which takes about 20 minutes of covered simmering. If the lentils still feel chalky in the center, simmer 5 more minutes and check again. The soup should look thick and slightly porridge-like before you blend it.
Can I freeze this soup, and how do I reheat it?
Freeze the blended soup without the mint butter or lemon in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months, leaving 2 cm of headspace. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat to 75°C, stirring often, or microwave in 1-minute bursts. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating because freezing thickens the texture.
Why is my soup too thick or too thin?
Red lentils absorb a lot of liquid, so a soup that was perfect at first can turn thick after 10 minutes off the heat; stir in broth or water 2 tbsp at a time until it coats a spoon but still pours. If it is too thin, simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce, or blend in 1 extra boiled potato. Adjust only after pureeing, since the final texture sets once blended.
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