Turkish Red Lentil Soup

There is something truly peaceful about a pot of soup puttering away on the stove, slowly filling the house with tempting smells and the promise of a warming meal.

Nothing more dramatic in the preparation than roughly chopping a few vegetables and throwing them in a pot – and yet the result is rich and inviting. What is the wonder concoction you ask? Turkish Red Lentil Soup.

About this recipe

Now I know that when most people think of Turkish food, it’s often all about kebabs and köfte, but as befits a vast and varied country, the Turkish kitchen has the most astounding number of recipes.

In particular, there is a soup for just about every corner of the land, but my favourite, and possibly the most popular is Turkish Red Lentil Soup or Mercimek Çorbası.

Turkish Comfort food

Gently spiced, sometimes flavoured with tomatoes, or peppers, it is a wonderfully nurturing, comforting soup that only takes about half an hour to make, and you may even have all the ingredients at home.

Ingredients

This is a simple soup made from mostly store cupboard or basic ingredients. You’ll need:

• Red lentils: Red lentils are such a useful store cupboard ingredient as, unlike their green or brown cousins, they never need soaking and will bulk out and add their earthy flavour during the cooking process.
• Red onions carrots and garlic: The base flavourings of the soup. Carrots give it a light sweetness.
• Cumin, oregano and paprika: Three of the most popular herbs and spices in Turkey.
• Canned Tomatoes: if you have very ripe tomatoes you can substitute these for fresh.
• Chilli oil: I like to top this soup with a quickly made chilli oil and some tangy yoghurt, but it’s just as good without.
• Fresh mint: Dried mint or Taze Nane is really popular in Turkish cooking – I’m not a huge fan so I like to top my soup with a little fresh mint for the flavour and a pop of colour.
• Yoghurt: The tanginess of yoghurt contrasts with the deep, earthiness of the soup.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Looking for more Turkish/Cypriot recipes? Why not try:

Turkish Red Lentil Soup Recipe

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Jay Wadams

Turkish Red Lentil Soup or Mercimek Çorbası is one of Turkey's most popular soups. Warming, hearty, healthy and quick and easy to make. Perfect for a cool autumn or spring evening.

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4.85 from 13 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

MetricU.S. Customary

for the soup:

• ▢ 250 g dried red lentils
• ▢ 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 medium red onions, halved and sliced
• ▢ 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ 2 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 1 tsp ground paprika
• ▢ ½ tsp chilli flakes or pul biber
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ▢ 400 g can chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• ▢ sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

for the chilli oil:

• ▢ 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 tsp ground paprika
• ▢ ½ tsp chilli flakes or pul biber

to serve:

• ▢ 3 Tbsp unsweetened yoghurt, mixed with 1 Tbsp water
• ▢ lemon slices
• ▢ 1 bunch parsley or mint
• ▢ crusty bread

Instructions

 

• SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and gently cook the onions with a pinch of salt over low heat for 5 minutes until softened, but not browned. Add the carrot to the pan and continue to cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
• ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: Add the tomato paste, cumin, oregano, paprika, chilli flakes and garlic and stir well to combine. Pour in the tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, lentils and 250ml (1 cup) of water, then bring to the boil, stirring to make sure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the carrot is softened and the lentils cooked through.
• MAKE CHILLI OIL: Meanwhile, make the chilli oil by stirring together the olive oil, paprika and chilli flakes or pul biber in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until the paprika has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• PURÉE SOUP: When the soup is cooked, use a hand/immersion blender to roughly puree the soup – I like to leave it a little rustic, but it’s really up to you. Taste and add salt, pepper or a squeeze of lemon juice if necessary.
• SERVE: Divide between four bowls, drizzle over the chilli oil and yoghurt and a few leaves of fresh parsley or mint if using. Serve with lemon slices and crusty bread. Afiyet Olsun!

Recommended Equipment

Aleppo Pepper Flakes / Pul Biber

Lodge 4.5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid

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Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 1345mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3599IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 8mg

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Course | Soup

Cuisine | Turkish

Ⓒ | Jay Wadams

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