Home
Dishes
Soup Recipes
Lentil Soup Recipes
Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup

Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup

Name: Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: World
Ingredients: Olive oil 3 tbsp; Yellow onions 1; Celery 1 stalk; Carrots 1; Garlic 4 cloves; Ground cumin 1 tsp; Dried oregano 1 tsp; Tatli biber salçasi 2 tbsp; Red lentils 1 ½ cups; Vegetable stock 8 ½ cups; Lemon juice 2-4 tbsp; Salt 1 tsp; Black pepper ½ tsp; Butter ⅓ cup; Olive oil 2 tsp; Pul biber 2 tsp; Greek yogurt 6 tbsp; Parsley ¼ bunch

with big, bold flavors

Share
Like 3
40m
Serves 6
Easy
(1)

Ingredients

Adjust Servings:

	3 tbsp Olive oil
	1 Yellow onions large, finely diced, about 1 ¼ cups
	1 stalk Celery finely diced
	1 Carrots finely diced
	4 cloves Garlic minced
	1 tsp Ground cumin
	1 tsp Dried oregano
	2 tbsp Tatli biber salçasi Turkish sweet pepper paste
	1 ½ cups Red lentils 8.8 oz
	8 ½ cups Vegetable stock 2 liters
	2-4 tbsp Lemon juice to taste
	1 tsp Salt or to taste
	½ tsp Black pepper freshly ground, or to taste
	For garnish:
	⅓ cup Butter
	2 tsp Olive oil
	2 tsp Pul biber plus extra to sprinkle on top
	6 tbsp Greek yogurt
	¼ bunch Parsley finely chopped

Nutritional information

343

Calories

Fat

40g

Carbohydrate

Protein

28mg

Cholesterol

1530mg

Sodium

Cuisine:

Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup

Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup is a delightful dish that brings warmth and comfort. This soup features an inviting blend of red lentils, onions, garlic, carrots, and fragrant spices. Warming and filling, this flavorful soup is one of my favorite vegetarian recipes, especially on those chilly winter nights. Serve the mercimek soup with a dollop of thick yogurt, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, a swirl of spiced melted butter, and a hunk of crusty flatbread.

Most ingredients are easily accessible at your local supermarket. You’ll need dried red lentils, fresh vegetables, and vegetable stock. For an authentic twist, the recipe uses two traditional Turkish staples: tatli biber salçasi (sweet pepper paste) and pul biber (mild Aleppo pepper). If you have a hard time finding either one, you can substitute them with sweet paprika or ancho chili and tomato paste.

To make Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup

Steps to make Mercimek Çorbası – A Traditional Turkish Lentil Soup

1

Cook onions

4min

In a large pot over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and add 1 finely diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
2

Add celery, carrot, and garlic

5min

Add 1 finely diced celery stalk, 1 finely diced carrot, and 4 minced garlic cloves and sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes.
3

Add spices and sweet pepper paste

1min

Stir in 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and 2 tablespoons tatli biber salçasi (sweet pepper paste) and cook for 1 minute.
4

Add lentils

1min

Add 1 ½ cups dried red lentils to the pot and stir to combine.
5

Add vegetable stock

25min

Add 8 ½ cups vegetable stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover with the lid, and let the soup simmer until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
6

Puree the soup

2min

Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the lentil mixture. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
7

Prepare spiced melted butter

2min

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt ⅓ cup butter. Cook the butter until it starts to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons olive oil and 2 teaspoons pul biber.
8

Serve

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon of Greek yogurt, drizzle the spiced melted butter over the top, and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and extra pul biber. Enjoy!

Mercimek Çorbası, or Turkish Lentil Soup, is a warming dish made with red lentils, onions, garlic, carrots, and Turkish spices. Nutrient-dense, flavorful, and filling, it is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Made it? Tag @cookmerecipes using the hashtag #cookmerecipes and share on Instagram!

About the author

Nina Cole

Nina dreams of gender equality and for women all over the world to feel empowered and enjoy the same freedom she has. She’s a careful consumer, believing that by being more conscious about the way we live we can make the world a better place! Already a vegetarian, she uses animal products sparingly and tries to produce as little waste as possible. Most of her recipes are vegan as a result!