When I first saw the recipe for this Turkish red lentil soup, I wasn’t convinced it was going to be very tasty but I was WRONG! I’m ecstatically happy to admit that I was wrong because this is a wonderful soup that tastes deliciously of tomatoes and lemons and I am so happy to have found it.

This soup is extremely easy to make as well, it’s basically throw everything into a pot on the stove and let it cook for an hour, then blend it. It’s lovely and warming on cold nights, the lentils make it a bit thicker than tomato soup and I love that you can add more or less stock to make it the consistency that you want. You can also add more or less lemon juice to suit your tastes.

If you’re after a new and different soup this winter, then this is the soup for you to try. If you’re trying to save money, this soup is very economical at approx $3.50 for 8 serves.  It freezes well so you’ll be able to put the leftovers into the freezer for lunches or even another dinner.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 60 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 3 – 4 carrots, diced
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups red lentils, washed
• 2 litres of chicken stock
• 2 lemons, juiced and strained
  salt, to taste

Method

1. In a VERY large saucepan, heat the oil to a medium heat and fry the onions and carrots until the onions are soft.
2. Add the garlic, paprika, chilli powder, tomato paste, lentils and chicken stock to the saucepan and stir until well combined.
3. Increase the temperature and bring the soup to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are soft and the soup has become thicker.
4. Blend the soup and season with the salt and lemon juice.
5. If the soup is too thick, you can add some more water or stock to it.
6. Serve hot with bread or toast.