This creamy vegan lentil soup is my favorite to enjoy at Turkish restaurants. It is loaded with vegetables and so flavorful from all the spices and dried mint. It is delicious served with some crusty bread and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Prepare your vegetables by finely dicing the onion. Dice the washed and peeled carrot and potato into ½ inch cubes. Crush the garlic.
Heat up the olive oil in a medium-sized pot. Sauté the onion until golden. Add the carrot and potato and sauté for a few minutes before adding the crushed garlic. Sauté for one more minute.
Add the tomato paste and red pepper paste and cook for one minute.
Wash the lentils very thoroughly until the water runs almost clear. Add the washed lentils to the pot and top with six cups of water (or chicken broth). Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until lentils are cooked through.
Season the soup with salt, cumin, and white pepper.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to your preference. I like to blend it about halfway to keep some texture.
Add the dried mint and simmer for a few minutes. Serve with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and crusty bread.
Notes
Serve with some freshly squeezed lemon juice and crusty bread.