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Türkiye · Soup
Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)
Local name: Mercimek Çorbası
A smooth, filling Turkish soup of red lentils, carrot and potato, served with lemon and a mint-chili butter.
- Servings4
- Prep10 min
- Cooking37 min
- Total time47 min
- DifficultyEasy
🌱 VegetarianContains dairy
About this dish
Mercimek çorbası is among the best-known soups in Türkiye, served everywhere from restaurants to home tables. Red lentils are cooked with onion, carrot and potato, then blended smooth and served hot with bread and lemon.
The Turkish version is finished with melted butter infused with chili flakes and dried mint, and a squeeze of lemon adds a light tang. It is cooked often in winter and is a common start to the iftar meal during Ramadan.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.
Soup
To serve
Method
Rinse the lentils in several changes of water until it runs clear, then drain.
Chop the onion, carrot and potato into small cubes.
Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pot and cook the onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft.
Add the carrot and potato and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste and cumin and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the lentils, hot water and salt. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam and boil for about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes until the lentils and vegetables are very soft.
Blend the soup with a stick blender until completely smooth.
If too thick, add hot water, check the salt and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small pan, add the chili flakes and mint and stir for 1 minute.
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the spiced butter and serve hot with lemon wedges.
💡 Tips
- Rinsing the lentils well reduces foam and gives a cleaner taste.
- If the blended soup is too thick, thin it with hot water rather than cold.
- Make the topping just before serving and keep the heat low so the mint does not burn.
- Squeeze lemon into each bowl at the table rather than cooking it in.
🛒 Can't find it abroad?
- Butter — For a vegan soup use the same amount of olive or sunflower oil.
- Chili flakes — If Turkish pul biber is unavailable, use half a teaspoon of sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne.
This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.
