Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe (2025)

4.9 from 14 votes

4.93 from 14 votes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Recipe by: Helene Dsouza

The Soup

• ▢ 1 Cup Red Split Lentils also called Masoor Dal
• ▢ 2 Pieces Garlic Cloves
• ▢ 1 Onion
• ▢ 1 Tomato
• ▢ 1 Carrot
• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds Ground
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Tomato Sauce optional
• ▢ 3 Cups Water mixed with concentrated Stock or veg broth
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice freshly squeezed
• ▢ ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground
• ▢ To Taste Salt

The Topping

• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ Red Chili Pepper Flakes as per your needs
• ▢ a few Mint Leaves

US - Metric

For the Soup

• Rinse lentils well and keep soaking for at least 5–10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables. The longer you soak the lentils (20-30 mins), the better, as it cuts cooking time and helps in the digestion.

  1 Cup Red Split Lentils

• Prepare veggies. Chop garlic, slice onion, dice tomato and slice carrot.

  2 Pieces Garlic Cloves, 1 Onion, 1 Tomato, 1 Carrot

• Chop Mint and keep aside. This will be a garnish.

  a few Mint Leaves

• Heat up a pot with the olive oil and sauté onion over a medium heat setting until soft.

  1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, 1 Onion

• Then stir in the garlic, tomato, and carrot and cook for 2–3 minutes while stirring occasionally.

  2 Pieces Garlic Cloves, 1 Tomato, 1 Carrot

• Reduce the heat or take the pot from the heat. Season with paprika and cumin powder, and add a tablespoon of tomato paste.

  1 Teaspoon Paprika, ½ Teaspoon Cumin Seeds Ground, 1 Tablespoon Tomato Sauce

• Take back to the heat or increase to a medium heat setting. Stir-cook the whole content for 1–2 minutes.

• Strain lentils. Pour the lentils into the pot with the broth.

  1 Cup Red Split Lentils, 3 Cups Water mixed with concentrated Stock

• Mix the whole content well and cook for 10–15 minutes over a medium-high heat setting. The lentils will fill out the pot, and they are done cooking when they are soft.

• Blend with a hand blender into a smooth soup without pieces and bits.

• The soup should be still hot, but not over a heating source. Stir the lemon juice into the soup. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

  1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Ground, To Taste Salt

For the Topping

• Pour the hot soup into serving bowls and garnish with olive oil, chili pepper flakes, and freshly chopped peppermint.

  1-2 Tablespoon Olive Oil, Red Chili Pepper Flakes, a few Mint Leaves

• Lentils should always be rinsed a few times with clear water to get rid of impurities. This also helps your digestion later.
• You get whole red masoor lentils or split red masoor lentils. Try to get the split ones because they cook faster, but the whole ones are fine too.

Nutrition Facts

Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe

Amount Per Serving (438 g)

Calories 493Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 1507mg63%

Potassium 1375mg39%

Carbohydrates 78g26%

Fiber 33g132%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 7010IU140%

Vitamin C 24.3mg29%

Calcium 90mg9%

Iron 8.6mg48%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.