A handful of red lentils, one onion, one carrot, and 30 minutes on the stove. This red lentil soup gets blended until completely smooth and finished with a drizzle of paprika butter that pools on the surface in bright red swirls.
The flour is what most recipes leave out. One tablespoon stirred in with the onion before the lentils go in gives the soup a thicker, creamier body without adding cream or coconut milk. It thickens as it cooks and you end up with a soup that coats the spoon instead of running off it.
A staple in @ferah_kitchen’s kitchen on Instagram. She calls it “tam kıvamında” which means “perfect consistency,” and that spiced butter on top is the finishing touch you will never skip once you try it.
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Red Lentil Soup with Spiced Butter
Course: SoupCuisine: TurkishDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes25
minutes280
kcal30 min
A silky smooth one-pot red lentil soup made with onion, carrot, and a touch of flour for extra body. Blended and topped with a paprika butter drizzle. Ready in 30 minutes. Recipe by @ferah_kitchen.
Ingredients
- For the Soup
180 g (1 cup) red lentils, washed and drained
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 carrot, finely diced
1 teaspoon tomato paste (optional, adds colour)
1.5 litres (6 cups) hot water or chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
- For the Spiced Butter Topping
1½ tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon paprika
Directions
- Cook the onion: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and stir until it turns golden, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the flour: Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir for about 1 minute. This thickens the soup later without needing any cream.
- Add lentils and carrot: Stir in the diced carrot, tomato paste if using, and the washed red lentils. Give everything a good stir so the lentils are coated in the oil.
- Add the liquid: Pour in the hot water or chicken stock. Using hot liquid keeps the pot at temperature so the lentils cook faster. Add the salt and pepper. Stir once, then let it come to a gentle boil.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes so the lentils do not stick to the bottom. The lentils are done when they have completely fallen apart and the carrot is soft.
- Blend: Use a stick blender to blend the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth. If you do not have a stick blender, let it cool slightly and blend in batches in a regular blender.
- Make the spiced butter: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the paprika, stir it once, and immediately take the pan off the heat. It only needs about 3 seconds. If the paprika turns dark brown or black, throw it away and start again because burnt paprika tastes bitter.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle the spiced butter over the top.
Notes
- If the soup is too thick after blending, stir in a splash of hot water until you get the consistency you like. If using a chicken stock cube instead of plain water, reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon because the cube already has salt. Original recipe by @ferah_kitchen on Instagram.
FAQs
Do I need to soak the red lentils before cooking?
No. Red lentils do not need soaking. Just rinse them under cold water in a sieve until the water runs clear. They cook quickly and fall apart on their own in about 25 minutes. This is one of the reasons red lentil soup is so fast to make.
Why add flour to the soup?
The flour gives the soup a thicker, creamier texture without adding cream, coconut milk, or potatoes. It is a traditional technique for lentil soup. You only need 1 tablespoon and you will not taste it at all, but you will feel the difference in how thick and smooth the soup is.
What does the spiced butter do?
The butter melts into the surface and carries the paprika flavour across the whole bowl. It adds a smoky, slightly spicy layer on top of the mild soup. You can skip it, but once you try it you will not want the soup without it.
Can I freeze this soup?
Yes. It freezes well for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then pour into rigid freezer containers or sturdy freezer bags laid flat. Make the spiced butter fresh when you reheat because it loses its colour and flavour after freezing. Reheat on the stove with a splash of water because it thickens as it sits.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes. Use water instead of chicken stock and swap the butter in the topping for olive oil. Heat the olive oil in a small pan, add the paprika, and drizzle it the same way. The soup itself has no dairy or animal products.
