Turkish Red Lentil Soup for Vegans

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 Turkish bay leaves
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups red lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups water
• 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Ingredient Image

Step 1

Warm some olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onions along with a teaspoon of salt and cook them gently, stirring now and then, until they’re nice and soft—this usually takes about 8 minutes. Next, add the thyme sprigs, garlic, cumin, and bay leaves, and give everything a quick stir for about a minute to let those flavors wake up.

Step 2

Pour in the vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, red lentils, tomato paste, oregano, the rest of the salt, and a good pinch of pepper. Partially cover the pot and let it simmer, stirring every so often, until the lentils are really tender and starting to break down—this should take between 30 and 45 minutes.

Step 3

Once the lentils are soft, fish out the thyme and bay leaves and set them aside. Let the soup cool for about 10 minutes so it’s safe to handle. Then, scoop about 4 cups into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and stir in some water to loosen it up to your liking.

Step 4

Finally, ladle the soup into bowls and finish each serving with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a bright, fresh touch. Enjoy!