Turkish Red Lentil Soup – Mercimek Çorbası

About This Recipe

Mercimek çorbası is the soup that every Turkish household makes weekly. Red lentils break down completely into a smooth, velvety purée without any blending required, creating a naturally thick, satisfying soup that is both deeply nourishing and incredibly simple to make. The final flourish — a sizzle of butter with sweet paprika and dried mint poured over the top — transforms a humble bowl into something special. The flavour foundation is built with onion, garlic, and cumin, which give the lentils a warm, earthy depth. Carrots add sweetness and help with the smooth texture. Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası) is the secret ingredient that gives the soup its signature colour and gentle heat — though tomato paste makes a good substitute. Serve with a squeeze of lemon (essential — it brightens everything), crusty bread or simit, and a side of pickled vegetables. This soup reheats beautifully and often tastes better the next day, making it ideal for batch cooking. It is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 250 gred lentils(rinsed)
• 1large onion(diced)
• 2carrots(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspTurkish red pepper paste or tomato paste
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1/2 tspturmeric
• 1.5 Lvegetable or chicken stock
• 3 tbspbutter
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 1 tspdried mint
• 1lemon(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté aromatics

   Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and carrot until softened, 8 minutes. Add garlic, pepper paste, cumin and turmeric. Cook 2 minutes until fragrant.

2. 2

   Add lentils and stock

   Add rinsed lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook 25 minutes until lentils are completely soft and breaking down.

   Red lentils dissolve into the soup — no blending needed unless you want extra silkiness.

3. 3

   Blend if desired

   For a very smooth soup, use an immersion blender. For a rustic texture, simply stir vigorously. Adjust consistency with water.

4. 4

   Make the paprika butter

   Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add paprika and dried mint. Swirl for 30 seconds until fragrant — don't let it burn.

5. 5

   Serve

   Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle paprika butter over each bowl. Serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread.

Variations

• •

  Add a pinch of chilli flakes to the paprika butter for a spicy version.

• •

  Stir in a handful of baby spinach at the end for extra nutrition.

Storage

Keeps 5 days in the fridge. Freezes well for 3 months. Reheat with a splash of water.

Frequently Asked Questions