A bowl of bulgur soup with lentils and spices is what you need on a cold winter day. It is full of flavors and super comforting.
Bulgar wheat is used in several ways in Turkish recipes and here is a super easy soup recipe with it. If you love the nutty flavor of bulgur, you should give this soup a try!
Any kind of soup is always welcomed in our kitchen and this lentil and bulgur soup just came out on a freezing day when we were craving something to warm us up! Can you think of anything better than a soup when you don’t want to leave even your bed because you have warmed it up all night? This soup will definitely help you adapt the cold weather easier as soon as you feel its tempting smell filling your home.
Want more recipes with bulgur wheat? Go check out our best bulgur recipes too!
We have hundreds of soups in Turkish cuisine and we love to use lentils, rice or bulgur in them. This is not a very common one, but a favorite one in my family. I remember granny would make this even for breakfast and the whole family would enjoy it in snowy mornings. A perfect start for a cold day! Have you ever tried having breakfast with a soup? It is another Turkish style breakfast. You must give it a try!
Our all-time favorite soup is orzo soup with tomato sauce, and we make it almost everyday in winter. We try different soups when we want a change though. And we sometimes add lentils to make our soup even more nutritious.
I just remembered granny’s soup a few days ago when I saw the jars of bulgur and lentils next to each other in the cupboard. I was TEMPTED by the memories, I could even feel the smell of granny’s lentil and bulgur soup. Oh my! How come I never made it before?
Lentils and bulgur match perfectly in this soup and they maket he soup heartwarming and filling, so you can have it as your main course too. I love to use dried mint in such red soups and this one is not an exception. I can die for the smell coming out when I saute pepper paste and tomato paste with dried mint in olive oil!
I used the tomato paste we made in summer just like we do when making tomato soup, so this soup has a summery flavor inside. I used a little chili and a generous amount of dried mint in lentil and bulgur soup, but you can add more spices to it like cumin, basil and black pepper.
If you love soups that are nutritious like this, you should see our roasted carrot and tomato soup and Kalyn’s lentil soup recipe with ground beef and brown rice.
More Bulgur Recipes
More Soup Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Lentil and Bulgur Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon pepper paste
- 2 tablespoon water to dissolve pepper and tomato paste
- 1 and ½ teaspoon dried mint
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 7 cups water
- ½ cup bulgur
- ½ cup lentils I used red but green works fine too.
- Salt to taste
- A few sprigs fresh mint for garnish
- 1 lemon when serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Saute onion in olive oil.
- Mix tomato paste and pepper paste with 2 tablespoon water and pour it into the pot.
- Add dried mint and chili. Stir.
- Wash lentils and bulgur well and add them into the pot. Stir for a few minutes.
- Pour 7 cups water and let it boil.
- Bring it to the lowest heat and boil for 30 minutes so that all flavors combine well.
- Serve hot with fresh mint on the top.
- Squeeze lemon in your bowl when having this soup.
NUTRITION
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kathy says
Can I make this in a crockpot?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Kathy,
We have never tried cooking it in a crockpot, so don't want to mislead you. But we assume it should work for this recipe.
Claudia Rodriguez says
Hello,
Do you think if I doubled the bulgur and eliminated the lentils the recipe would work?
Thank you.
Yusuf says
Hi Claudia,
If you want to make the soup with bulgur only, you can use 1/2 cup+2 tablespoons bulgur because it rises a lot as it cooks.
Claudia Rodriguez says
Thank you for the quick reply, Yusuf. I’m so glad that I asked. 😊
Yusuf says
Our pleasure Claudia! Enjoy your soup 🙂
Claudia Rodriguez says
Sorry for the delayed reply, the soup was a huge hit with me and my family. I am making it again today. Delicious:-)
Yusuf says
Hi Claudia! So happy to hear that! Easy yet tasty and comforting. Right?
Thank you for the feedback!
Krystal says
Do you use white or brown bulgar?
Zerrin says
I use white, but I think brown works fine too.
Krystal says
i am going to make your recipe soon and I was wondering, do you use a small, medium, or large onion?
Zerrin says
Hi Krystal, a medium onion would be fine for this soup. Hope you love it as much as we do. Don't forget to squeeze lemon into your bowl when serving. Cheers!
Lynne Teaford says
I have searched for pepper paste in my town and cannot find it. Is it a hot pepper paste or a milder one. I would love to make the soup. It really sounds wonderful.
Zerrin says
It is up to you to use hot or mild. If you can't find pepper paste, which is a traditional Turkish ingredient, then you can use tomato paste plus chili powder.
Marilyn Rosin says
I cannot find pepper paste, either. How much tomato paste and chili powder would you use for a substitute? I can't wait to try this soup! Thanks!
Zerrin says
Hi Marilyn, the recipe already calls for 1 tablespoon tomato paste, so I'd suggest adding 1 and 1/2 tablespoon more tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. Would love to here the result when you try it. Make sure you squeeze lemon in your bowl.
Marilyn says
Hi Zerrin, I just made your soup! It's delicious! Thank you so much for the substitution suggestion. This is the perfect soup for a chilly fall evening!
Zerrin says
Happy to hear that you loved it! Even our 2-year-old son loves it during fall and winter.
Aubri says
Sorry, was planning on making this for dinner but I wasn't sure if it was chili powder or chili flakes that you use. Looks yummy and i can't wait to try it.
Zerrin says
Hi Aubri, I used chili powder. Forgot to write it in the ingredients, I'm adding it right away. Thanks for asking!
Camille says
Did you use dry or cooked (in can, for example) lentils in this?
Zerrin says
I use dry lentils, we don't have canned lentils here.
Faye says
This looks great! I think I'll make it in a few days. Do you cover the soup while it simmers? Also, do you use a shallow pan like in the picture or a regular soup pot/saucepan?
Zerrin says
Don't cover it during the boiling process. I use a soup pot for this soup, I just used the pan in the picture for service. Hope you love it!
nina yousefian says
WOW!!!! i just made a very similar version of this for armenian christmas and it is always well received. i add equal parts bulgur and basmati rice, that's really the only difference. i use red pepper flakes in substitution for the red pepper paste. i also saute the onion until golden brown and then i add the dried mint. i add this at the very end. the recipe i use calls for lemon juice as well.
Zerrin says
Your version sounds so tasty! How did I forget lemon juice? We always have this soup squeezing lemon into our bowls! I must add it to the recipe. Thanks for reminding Nina!
Brooke says
I just discovered your website and I am so excited to try some of your fabulous recipes! I am American, but lived in Turkey for 2 years. Best two years of my life! I will be coming back to visit in a couple months, and I CAN'T WAIT to eat the delicious Turkish food!! I've missed it so much.
Zerrin says
Great to hear that you loved my blog! Thanks for stopping by and leaving comment. Turkish foods are so addictive, aren't they? Make sure you eat enough of them when you come 🙂
Skye says
That looks delicious do you use fine or course bulgur?
Zerrin says
I use course bulgur for this soup.