Your email address is required to begin the subscription process. We will use it for customer service and other communications from Milk Street. You can unsubscribe from receiving our emails at any time.


Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Aleppo Pepper Oil
This recipe is free until January 19, 2023. Start your 14-day free trial to access every Milk Street recipe. Learn More.
This simple, yet robust Turkish soup is rich with lemon and tomato. It gets a pleasantly thick body from red lentils, which soften and break down during cooking. The Aleppo pepper is a wonderful addition, lending a gentle heat. If you can't find it, order online or substitute with an additional teaspoon of paprika and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. The soup can be made vegan by substituting olive oil for the butter.
Ingredients
-
3
tablespoons salted butter
-
1
medium yellow onion cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 cup)
-
1
medium garlic clove, finely grated
-
1
tablespoon tomato paste
-
1
tablespoon sweet paprika
-
½
teaspoon ground cumin
-
1
cup red lentils
-
2
tablespoons long-grain white rice
-
5
cups water
-
Kosher salt
-
3
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-
2
teaspoons Aleppo pepper
-
Chopped fresh mint leaves, to serve (optional)
-
Lemon wedges, to serve

Milk Street Tips
5 Spices That Will Change the Way You Cook

Milk Street Recipes
Full-Bodied Flavor From a Simple Soup

Directions
-
01In a large saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Once it has stopped foaming, add the onion then sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, paprika and cumin, then sauté for 1 minute.See Demo
-
02Add the lentils, rice, water and 2 teaspoons salt, then bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and rice are tender and broken down, about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.See Demo
-
03Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium, heat the olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add the Aleppo pepper and cook until a few bubbles appear and the oil is bright red. Remove from heat and set aside. Serve the soup with Aleppo pepper oil drizzled over each serving. Serve with mint and lemon wedges.See Demo