We all need those back-pocket recipes that we can throw together when we don’t have the time or inclination to invest much in dinner. Milk Street’s Turkish Red Lentil Soup tops that list for me. I’ve made it dozens of times because it’s predictably delicious, hearty enough to feel like a complete meal and an absolute breeze to prepare. Sauté aromatics, add a handful of pantry seasonings, simmer the lentils until tender and serve. It takes all of about 10 minutes of hands-on effort, one pot and one knife to prepare.

To be totally honest, I rarely follow the exact recipe. Instead, I adapt depending on what I may or may not have in the pantry or fridge, what I’m craving at the moment or what’s wilted and needs cooking to avoid the compost bin. The soup is the perfect platform for a bit of freestyling—or fridge cleaning.

I’ll often use leeks instead of onion for a deeper, fuller flavor and silkier texture—leeks have the magical ability to make everything better. If I have carrots, I’ll add one for sweetness, or I’ll blend in diced red pepper, or a spicy Fresno or jalapeño for kick. Ditto chard or beet stems, which boost the earthy flavor of the lentils. Blanched hearty greens, like chard or kale, are easy additions, especially if cooked ahead of time and frozen for just such occasions.

Sometimes I swap out a bit of coarse bulgur for the rice used to thicken the soup, which adds a nuttier flavor and more textural contrast than the recipe’s spoonful of rice. (This isn’t too off the mark—bulgur is common in traditional Turkish variations. I’ve even made it with a handful of orzo thrown in towards the end.)

During the summer months, when I have leftover grilled vegetables, I’ll chop them up and add them to the pot at the last minute. Grilled peppers, tomatoes, eggplant or zucchini work particularly well (jarred roasted peppers are good too).

Sometimes, I’ll make it with rich chicken broth for a particularly unctuous rendition, or garnish with a spoonful of spiced meat. A bit of ground lamb or beef, sautéed with garlic and chili, paprika or Baharat spice, satisfies the meat eaters in my house.

Lentil soups benefit from a crunchy accent note, so I almost always finish it with croutons—any old bread scraps or pita diced into cubes and sautéed with olive oil or butter and a little za’atar. For a gluten-free crunch, toasted walnuts are delicious, especially with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses or dash of sumac.

A swirl of thick Greek yogurt is always welcome and I’ve even added crumbles of pungent Bulgarian feta. When my kids get a bowl, they pile on crispy Thai deep-fried shallots (store-bought) and splash it with obscene amounts of hot sauce.

I guess when it comes to Turkish red lentil soup, the rule is to each their own!

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Matthew Card

Matthew Card is Milk Street’s Creative Director for Recipes and Products, resident coffee geek, knife collector and equipment junkie. He has 25-plus years of professional cooking, recipe development, food writing and teaching under his belt. When he’s not in the Milk Street kitchen or on the road hunting for new recipes and ideas, Matthew lives with his family in Canberra, Australia, where he does his best to dodge kangaroos on his mountain bike and is learning to love Vegemite.