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.
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Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup
Ezogelin Çorbası
A warming red lentil soup with bulgur, rice, tomato, dried mint and pul biber.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 0
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup Lentils (red, split, dry), sorted and rinsed
- 2 tbsp Fine bulgur
- 2 tbsp Rice (white, short-grain, raw), rinsed
- 1 Onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp Olive oil (extra-virgin)
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Pepper paste (red, mild)
- 7 cups Water, plus more to loosen if needed
- 1 tsp Mint (dried)
- ½ tsp Turkish red pepper flakes
- Table salt, to taste
- Pepper (black, ground), to taste
- Lemon wedges, to serve, as needed
Method
Warm the oil in a heavy pot. Soften the onion over medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes.
Stir in both pastes and cook for 1 minute without scorching.
Add the lentils, bulgur, rice and measured water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The lentils have broken down and both grains are completely tender. Add a little hot water if the soup becomes too thick.
Whisk briefly by hand, keeping some grain texture. Add the dried mint, pul biber, salt and black pepper; simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with lemon wedges. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers, ideally within 1 hour, and refrigerate. Consume within 24 hours; if reheating, heat until steaming hot throughout and reheat only once.
Cooking guidance
This version uses olive oil and water. Stir or whisk gently to break down the lentils while keeping some of the bulgur and rice texture.
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