Turkish Lentil Soup

I've been abroad twice this year - two weeks in Istanbul this summer and two weeks in Brazil in October. Since Istanbul was the farthest away from Denmark I've ever been this has been quite a year travel wise.
Brazil was a study trip with 29 other students from my study so naturally I couldn't be very choosy about places to eat. Brazil, or at least Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, is in my experince not a very vegan friendly country. The diet contains incredible amounts of meat and dairy - but I somehow managed, though my diet wasn't very healthy.

I was in Istanbul with a friend of mine, and only being two persons made it a lot easier to find something to my taste plus the turkish diet is much more vegan friendly. Of course, at first the waiter will tell you that they can't give you anything without meat, fish, poultry, eggs or milk, but when you ask to the ingredients in a couple of dishes, you'll find out that there's no problem.
The picture on the left is the view from a tiny restaurant on top of a hill on Büyükada ("Big Island") just outside Istanbul. I did not have lentil soup but the food was great and the view over the Asian side of Istanbul was priceless.

Several traditional turkish dishes are vegan, and this lentil soup is very common and can be eaten at all times of the day. The soup seem so simple that you might think that its boring but the last zing from the lemon juice and the red pepper flakes makes it very delicious. On top of that it's super cheap, easy, quick and just as good on the second day. What more can you ask for?
The pictures are still horrible, sorry!

Turkish lentil soup
4 servings
2,5 dl (or 1 cup) red lentils
1 medium sized or 2 small potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 medium carrot, cubed
½ medium onion, finely chopped
1 liter (or 4 cups) vegetable broth
Oil for frying
Salt to taste (if needed - I didn't need it)
Fresh lemon juice and red pepper flakes

Carefully sauté the onions in a casserole (with room for 1,5-2 liters) - they should not brown. Add carrots and potatoes and let it fry for a few minutes. Add broth and lentils and let it simmer with the lit on for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are  done. Take the soup off the heat and blend it untill the soup is complely fluid. If needed, add some salt, otherwise just serve in a bowl with sprinkles of red pepper and fresh lemon juice with some good bread. Enjoy!