Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to soak red lentils before making soup? ›

You do not need to soak red lentils for any amount of time, because they're split they are fast-cooking and require just a few simple steps. Here is what you do: Rinse red lentils off in the water in a fine-mesh strainer or colander.

Ezogelin Soup (Ezogelin Çorbası)

It is one of the most common soups made in Turkish homes and is also (like its sister soup, mercimek çorbası) found on the menu of almost every restaurant. As its name suggests, Ezogelin çorbası takes its name from the story of Ezo gelin (Turkish gelin meaning bride).

To avoid a bland lentil soup, use a flavorful broth—whether that's homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. The other key is building flavor. To do so, use aromatics like onions and garlic, include fresh or dried herbs, and season well with salt and pepper.

Soaking them for a few hours or overnight can help reduce their cooking time and make them easier to digest. Soaking also helps to remove some of the compounds that can cause digestive discomfort.

Do red lentils need to be soaked before cooking? No, there is no need to soak red lentils before cooking but it is a good idea to give them a quick rinse.

It's best to be safe and rinse and sift through them before cooking, because no one wants to break a tooth by biting down on a rock. Follow this tip: Give the lentils a good rinse in a colander to remove any debris and sift through them to be sure there are no hidden stones tucked among the legumes.

Turkish red lentil soup - Turkey

Made with sturdy red lentils, potatoes, and carrots alongside earthy cumin, it's a hearty dish, perfect for fighting colds, feeding a fever, or squashing a case of the winter blues.

Heinrich Bullinger later cast that in terms of the Kappeler Milchsuppe ("milk soup of Kappel"), an anecdotal account of how a meal was shared by the two armies, Zürich's providing the bread and Zug's the milk. That became a lasting symbol of reconciliation and compromise between confederates.

Lentils are frequently cooked with strong spices, which can cause indigestion in some people. Lentils are a good source of potassium, however, too many lentils in the diet can cause hyperkalemia (symptoms may include vomiting, fatigue, irregular heartbeat and difficulty breathing) in people with poor kidney function.

Why do I feel bloated after Lentil Soup? ›

While fiber plays a large role in supporting and regulating your digestive system and bowel movements, it can also produce bacteria that leads to cramping and gas pains. Another reason that lentils are known for causing gas and bloating is because they are high in what's called raffinose.

A 1/2-cup serving of boiled lentils contains an impressive 7.8 g of fiber. Eating lentils may also help increase the production of butyric acid, a type of short-chain fatty acid found in your colon. This could increase the movement of your digestive tract to promote bowel movements.

Aim to soak your beans or lentils for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. Dump the soaking water (i.e. don't use it to cook the beans). Then be sure to give your beans/lentils a good rinse before cooking to wash away those gas-producing carbohydrates. Introduce them slowly.

Lentils have plenty of folate, iron and vitamin B1, which also support your heart health. Lentils may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease, by lowering bad cholesterol and blood pressure. One study found that eating lentils led to greater reductions in blood pressure than eating chickpeas, peas or beans.

Do you cook lentils before adding to soup? Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there's no need to soak them either!

Lentils to do not require soaking like other pulses. Rinse your lentils with fresh water before boiling to remove any dust or debris.

You're not using enough water

According to the BBC, lentils need a whole lot of water to cook all of the way through. So use at least three times more water than lentils and avoid the temptation to salt the water.

To soak, I generally rinse and then cover with triple the amount of fresh water, leave overnight on the countertop and rinse the next day. Forgot to soak overnight? Try a quick soak: pour over boiling water and leave to sit for 3 hours before rinsing and draining and proceeding with your recipe.