Ingredients :

• Brown lentils — Go for the brown ones, not the red. Red lentils will turn into a puree in less than 20 minutes — that’s definitely not what we want here. Brown lentils keep their shape, hold up to cooking, and have that slight earthy taste that anchors the soup. Rinse them in cold water before adding just to remove any storage dust.
• Smoked turkey — Diced smoked turkey breast, the kind found vacuum-packed in the deli section. This is what brings that subtle smoky undertone that will make you wonder if you added something extra. If you have roasted turkey leftovers, even better — add them at the very end of cooking so they don’t dry out.
• The mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) — Dice them into similar sizes. You don’t need to take out a ruler, but avoid having 1 cm cubes next to 4 cm chunks — they cook at different speeds and you’ll end up with crunchy carrots when the onions are already melted.
• Paprika — Sweet paprika, not smoked. It’s not a dominant ingredient — it works in the background with the thyme to provide depth and a reddish tint to the broth. A level teaspoon is more than enough.