Turkish soup recipe

Turkish soup

A classic Turkish dish, this creamy lentil soup, thickened with bulgur and finished off with a silky swirl of spiced-butter, makes a delicious dinner. The flavours develop overnight, so any leftovers will make a terrific lunch – just heat-up and enjoy this easy soup recipe al-desko.

See method
  • Serves 4
  • 5 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook
  • 323 calories / serving

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red onions, finely chopped
  • 750ml vegetable stock
  • 180g red lentils
  • 55g bulgur wheat
  • 1 tsp flour
  • 2½ tsp dry mint, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 3 tbsp sundried tomato paste
  • 20g butter
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges to serve

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Each serving contains

Energy
1360kJ 323.0kcal
16%
Fat
13g
medium18%
Saturates
4g
medium20%
Salt
2.3g
high38%
Sugars
4g
low4%

of the Reference intake

Carbohydrate 41.2gProtein 13.7gFibre 3.0g

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 mins until soft. Add the stock, lentils and bulgur wheat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 mins.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the flour, 2 tsp mint, 1 tsp paprika and the sundried tomato purée in a bowl. Stir into the cooked soup. Cover and cook for another 20 mins, or until the lentils and bulgur wheat are soft. Season well to taste.
  3. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium heat. Take the pan off the heat and add the remaining paprika and dry mint. Mix together.
  4. Serve the soup with a drizzle of butter and a pinch of dry mint on top, and lemon wedges on the side.
    • Freezing and defrosting guidelines

      Make the soup (without adding the drizzle of butter), then leave to cool at room temperature. Freeze (without garnishes or toppings) in a rigid container for up to 1-3 months. Make sure to leaving a bit of space in the container for expansion. Re-heat either from frozen or defrost in the fridge overnight. Once piping hot, add toppings or garnishes if desired and serve.

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