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.
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!
It looks like the weather in Eskisehir is going to be colder than it was last year, so I feel it will be wise to get armed with comforting soups not to get a cold. 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, 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 want a soup even more nutritious than this, you should see Kalyn’s Lentil Soup Recipe with Ground Beef and Brown Rice.
Lentil and Bulgur Soup
Lentil and bulgur soup with dried mint and chili. So comforting!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp pepper paste
- 2 tbsp water, to dissolve pepper and tomato paste
- 1 and ½ tsp dried mint
- ¼ tsp 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 tbsp 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.
Do you use white or brown bulgar?
I use white, but I think brown works fine too.
i am going to make your recipe soon and I was wondering, do you use a small, medium, or large onion?
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!