Turkish Red Lentil Soup

As the weather gets colder, nothing warms you up quite like a bowl of steaming hot soup. One of the best parts about making soups from scratch is controlling the amount of salt added. More often than not, canned soups contain unhealthy levels of sodium and preservatives that just have a reverse affect on the body. While making any kind of soup, I highly recommended adding the salt in the end, once the soup is cooked. That way, you don’t end up with higher level of salt in the soup as it thickens.

This turkish lentil soup is hot, comforting and packed with flavor.  In order to reduce the cooking time, I soaked red lentils for few hours, but it’s not required as red lentils tend to cook faster. I also added some paprika for heat and garnished it with chopped onions, fresh cilantro and lemon. To make a complete meal, serve the soup with a side of salad, or crusty baguette. You can make a big batch of this soup and refrigerate for your weekday meals.  It is not just easy to make but is also rich in protein, fiber and folate.

Ingredients

4 Cups (low sodium) Organic Vegetable Stock
1 Small Onion, diced
¼ Cup Celery, chopped
2 Bayleaves
2-3 Cinnamon Sticks
½ Cup Red Lentils, washed and soaked
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
½ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
½ Teaspoon Paprika
¼ Teaspoon Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Tomato Paste
¼ Teaspoon Dried Mint or Few Leaves of Fresh Mint, chopped
Juice of One Lemon
Salt to Taste
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Fresh Herbs (Parsley, Mint, Cilantro), Chopped Onions and Lemon for Garnish
Process

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat and add bayleaves and cinnamon sticks. Stir in garlic, onion and celery, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
2. Now add the tomato paste, ground cumin, dried mint and paprika and mix well.
3. Drain the soaked lentils, and add to the pan, followed by vegetable stock. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir the mixture few times, to make sure that the soup is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
4. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and let the soup simmer for 20-25 minutes. Now add the brown sugar, salt, lemon juice and adjust the seasoning as needed.
5. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Using a mixer or hand blender, puree the soup until smooth. Garnish with herbs of your choice, chopped onions and lemon wedge. Serve hot.

Enjoy! 🙂