Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Paprika and Mint Sizzle

Among the well-traveled, well-heeled, fast-moving Istanbul set, Restaurant Develi is known as a “carnivore’s mecca” for the incredible quality of its lamb kebabs. The kebabs, made from hand-chopped lamb laced with plenty of sheep’s tail fat, taste great and literally melt in your mouth.

Good as the kebabs are, it’s the red lentil soup that keeps bringing me back. Creamy as crème fraîche, it seems to coat the tongue with satin. It’s sharply seasoned, too, garnished with paprika, a mi