Turkish Mercimek Corbasi (Red Lentil Soup)

About This Recipe

Mercimek corbasi is the everyday soup that anchors Turkish home cooking: economical, nourishing, and far more layered than its short ingredient list suggests. The best versions do not taste flat or muddy. Onion, carrot, and potato are sweated slowly until sweet, red lentils are rinsed until the water runs clear, and the soup is simmered just long enough for the lentils to collapse into a naturally creamy puree. A final pass with a blender gives the texture its familiar smoothness, but the real signature is the finish: lemon squeezed at the table and a foaming butter drizzle scented with dried mint and pul biber. That contrast of earthy lentils, bright acid, and fragrant pepper makes the bowl feel complete.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 220 gred lentils, rinsed until clear
• 1 largeyellow onion, finely diced
• 1 mediumcarrot, diced
• 1 smallpotato, diced
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1.2 litersvegetable or chicken stock
• 25 gbutter
• 1 tspdried mint
• 1 tsppul biber or Aleppo pepper
• 1 wholelemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. 1

   Sweat the vegetables

   Warm olive oil in a heavy pot. Add onion, carrot, and potato with a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables smell sweet rather than raw.

2. 2

   Toast the paste

   Stir in tomato paste and cumin. Cook for 90 seconds, scraping the base of the pot, until the paste darkens slightly and the cumin blooms.

3. 3

   Simmer the lentils

   Add rinsed lentils and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook 22 to 25 minutes until the lentils have completely softened and started to fall apart.

   Rinsing the lentils well keeps the soup bright and prevents a dusty flavor.

4. 4

   Blend smooth

   Blend directly in the pot until velvety. Adjust thickness with hot water if needed, then season with salt and black pepper.

5. 5

   Make mint butter

   Melt butter in a small pan until foaming. Stir in dried mint and pul biber for 15 seconds, then remove from heat before the spices burn.

6. 6

   Serve with lemon

   Ladle into bowls, spoon mint butter over the top, and serve with lemon wedges so each person can brighten the bowl to taste.

Variations

• •

  Add a spoon of red pepper paste with the tomato paste for a deeper Anatolian flavor.

• •

  Use chicken stock for a richer non-vegetarian version.

• •

  Top with crisp chickpeas instead of mint butter for a lighter vegan bowl.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 4 days. The soup thickens as it sits; loosen with hot water or stock while reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions