Red Lentil Soup
A smooth red lentil soup with onion, carrot and potato, finished with cumin and lemon. This version uses olive oil and water.
The Turkish pantry
Carrot
Choose crisp carrots, understand baby-cut labels and cut them evenly for soups and sides.
Last updated:
This guide focuses on orange carrots. Baby-cut describes a prepared form; it does not necessarily mean a young harvested carrot.
Types & forms
Whole orange carrot
Useful grated, diced or sliced; match the cut to the dish.
Baby-cut carrot
Often a larger carrot peeled and cut down, rather than a tiny whole carrot.
Frozen or canned carrot
Convenient for cooked dishes; canned products may contain added salt.
What to look for when buying
- Choose firm carrots with even color; avoid limp or slimy produce.
- Check packaged carrots for their cut and added ingredients. For canned carrots, compare sodium on the label.
Prepare & cook
- Wash, trim and peel if the recipe calls for it. Cut pieces evenly so they soften together.
- Dice small for the linked soup; larger pieces need longer to become tender.
Store it well
- Remove leafy tops. Refrigerate carrots in a bag with small ventilation holes; use within three to four weeks.
- Keep prepared carrot sticks refrigerated and use within a week.
Substitutions depend on the dish
For fresh carrots in a blended soup
Plain frozen carrot pieces can be useful; check the size and cook until tender.
For a crisp raw carrot salad
Cooked canned carrots will not provide the same crunch. Choose a recipe intended for cooked carrots instead.
Nutrition
Raw carrot [1]
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 41 kcal |
| Protein | 0.93 g |
| Total fat | 0.24 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.03 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9.58 g |
| Dietary fiber | 2.8 g |
| Total sugars | 4.74 g |
| Sodium | 69 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Calcium | 33 mg |
| Iron | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 320 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg |
A generic raw-food reference, not a separate analysis of every variety, prepared form or cooked dish. Values are rounded for readability; “not reported” does not mean zero. A “<” value is below the source’s measurement limit.
Nutrition values come from the reference source named above. They are published reference values, not our own measurements. Actual products and cooking methods may change the values.
At the Turkish table
Carrot adds color and gentle sweetness to our red lentil soup. This describes our recipe’s use, not a requirement for every household version of mercimek çorbası.
Cook with Carrot
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