Red Lentil Soup

A lighter and slightly spicier version of lentil soup, based on Turkish lentil soup (mercimek çorbasi).

Makes

Four (4) servings

Hardware

• 6 quart soup pot
• Blender or immersion blender

Ingredients

Ingredient weights coming Real Soon Now

			olive oil
#	U		yellow onion, chopped
#	U		carrot, diced very small
#	U		garlic, minced
#	U		tomato paste
#	U		ground cumin
#	U		kosher salt
#	U		black pepper
#	U		cayenne or half-sharp paprika (optional)
225	g		red lentils
1.4	liters		vegetable stock
#	U		fresh lemon juice (optional)
#	U		fresh cilantro (optional)

Procedure

1. Heat the oil then saute the onions until soft and starting to turn golden.


2. Add the carrots and saute until they just start to soften.


3. Add the garlic and saute until the onions are golden.


4. Add the tomato paste, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper; continue to saute until the spices are fragrant.


5. Add the lentils and stir until all the oil is absorbed.


6. Add the stock, turn up the heat until the soup is almost boiling, then partially cover and reduce the heat to a simmer; cook until the lentils are soft.


7. Remove ¼ to ⅓ of the lentils and puree them, using the soup liquid as needed; return the puree to the pot.


8. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.


9. To serve, garnish with any/all of lemon juice, fresh cilantro, more olive oil, or cayenne/paprika.

Notes

The original recipe called for 950 ml of chicken stock and 450 ml of water. I changed it to all vegetable stock, for what I think is more flavor while also making the soup vegetarian.

The original recipe called for ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper, which isn't anywhere near enough for the quantity of lentils and stock; well, maybe it would be enough if commercial (that is, heavily salted) chicken stock were used. Since I make my own (unsalted) vegetable stock, you probably need to start with about 1 tablespoon of salt and 1½ of black pepper.

Rating

Difficulty:		Easy.
Time:		90 minutes.
Precision:		2

Source

Adapted from Red Lentil Soup (New York Times Cooking, Melissa Clark, December 2025)