Turkish Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup
Healthy, zesty, quick and vibrant! This Turkish red lentil and bulgur soup uses simple ingredients yet tastes rich and memorable with a mild kick. It’s filling and great for family lunches.
Updated : 15 January, 2026
Easy
About 20 min.
Ingredients
2.5 liter
Vegetable broth
150 grams
Bulgur
150 grams
Red lentils
1
Onion
3 tablespoon
Paprika
3 tablespoon
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoon
Tomato paste
1 teaspoon
Mint
4
Allspice
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How to cook Turkish red lentil soup with bulgur? It’s very simple. First, prepare the ingredients. If you don’t have dried paprika flakes, use ground paprika instead.
Step 2
Rinse the lentils and the bulgur separately in cold water until the water runs clear.
Step 3
Put the lentils into a pot. Pour in clean water or vegetable broth.
Step 4
Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam. When the soup boils, add the bulgur, dried paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer over moderate heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
Peel the onion and dice it finely.
Step 6
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent.
Step 7
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. If you don’t have tomato paste, replace it with ketchup or fresh tomatoes: peel them and grate finely into a purée.
Step 8
Transfer the sautéed mixture to the soup pot. Add dried mint and stir.
Step 9
Cook the soup, covered, over the lowest heat until the bulgur and lentils are soft. Salt to taste.
Step 10
Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with chopped herbs (for example, cilantro), and serve. Note: on the second day the bulgur swells a lot and absorbs almost all the broth, so it’s better not to cook this soup in advance. Or add about twice as much broth from the start. Enjoy!
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