Simply Red Lentil Soup (Sadece Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası)

Red lentils might be the most preferred and loved ingredient for soups in Turkish cuisine. There are multiple variations of the staple red lentil soup such as the restaurant style red lentil soup that uses flour for thickening, ezo gelin soup, red lentil soup with carrots and potatoes, or red lentil soup with some sort of grain. Among all my favorite one is the simply red lentil soup that my mom makes all the time. It's made simply with red lentils and almost nothing else.

2 cups of red lentils
1 small onion halved
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
5 cups of water (You can use vegetable or chicken stock as well)

optional
1 tsp peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves


-Wash red lentils with plenty of water
-Heat olive oil in a pot. Add lentils, onion and if you're using bay leaves and peppercorns. Stir until red lentils turn slightly yellow.
-While stirring lentils, boil 5 cups of water.
-Once the lentils start to get yellowish, add water and simmer on medium to low.
-In 15-20 minutes, lentils will lose their shape and color to turn into this yellowish beautiful soup.
-Add salt and serve with a slice of lemon (and spicy pepper flakes)

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