Creamy Mercimek Çorbası with pepper butter, mint and lemon wedges
Turkish Recipe

Mercimek Çorbası

This Mercimek Çorbası is cooked with red lentils, pureed and seasoned with cumin, paprika, mint and lemon. It is suitable for everyday use, filling and easy to prepare.

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Total time 35 min
Calories 280 kcal
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Easy
By the Published Updated Editorially approved

Why this recipe works

Cook Mercimek Çorbası creamy

Red lentils break down when cooked, making the soup creamy without cream. A base of onion, carrot and tomato or pepper pulp adds depth. Just before serving, lemon brings freshness, while pepper butter or olive oil with mint intensifies the fragrance.

Mediterranean Cuisine Vegetarian Dinners Lunch One-Pot Recipes

Recipe

Mercimek Çorbası

Mercimek Çorbası is a creamy Turkish lentil soup made from red lentils, onion, carrot, tomato paste and spices. Lemon and paprika butter give it its typical finish.

Ingredients

4 servings

Method

  1. 1

    Wash lentils

    Rinse the red lentils thoroughly in a sieve until the water drains off clearly.

  2. 2

    Sweat vegetables

    Sauté the onion, carrot and optional potato in olive oil for 3 minutes. Fry the tomato paste and pepper puree briefly.

  3. 3

    Cooking soup

    Add the lentils, stock, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils disintegrate.

  4. 4

    Puree and season to taste

    Puree the soup finely and add water or stock to the desired consistency. Season with lemon.

  5. 5

    Add paprika butter

    Let butter with paprika and mint foam briefly and pour over the soup. Alternatively use olive oil.

Kitchen know-how

Tips for Mercimek Çorbası

Controlling consistency

After pureeing, the soup can be diluted with stock. Red lentils thicken when standing.

Lemon only at the end

Lemon makes the lentil soup fresher. Taste right before serving, not too early.

Don't burn pepper butter

Let butter and paprika froth only briefly. If paprika gets too hot, it tastes bitter.

Variations

How to adapt this recipe

More pul biber or chilli flakes in the pepper butter give the soup a pleasant pungency.

Replace the pepper butter with olive oil, and the soup will remain creamy because red lentils bind by themselves.

Nutrition per serving

280kcal
39.0 gCarbohydrates
15.0 gProtein
7.0 gFat

Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ about Mercimek Çorbası

Red lentils are ideal because they quickly soften and when pureed they make a creamy soup.

Red lentils swell heavily and thicken when standing. Simply add some water or stock when warming up.

Yes, the soup is easy to freeze. After defrosting, heat slowly and season to taste with lemon.

Lemon makes the soup fresher and raises the earthy lentil note. It should be best served directly with it.

Keep cooking

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