Creamy Turkish lentil soup, Mercimek çorbası is a popular soup in Turkish cuisine. This soup can easily be made at home with few ingredients and in less than 30 minutes. Vegan, gluten free and full of authentic flavors
Next time, try this Instant pot potato soup.
This easy homemade soup takes less than 30 minutes of cook time and makes for a delicious meatless dinner any night of the week.
Jump to:
Turkish Soup
We've had this soup during our first trip to Turkey during Ramadan. It was creamy, hearty, and one of the most delicious soups we've had in Turkey. It was very close to the Egyptian lentil soup, filled with vegetables and meatless. You'll feel you're doing something good for your body.
Pro Tip
Thoroughly rinse the lentils in a fine-mesh strainer, then stir them into the pot.
Turkish Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Medium sized pot with cover
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups red lentils
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large carrots diced
- 1 medium potato peeled and diced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt or to your liking
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups boiling water 2 liters
For the garnishing oil:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, add oil and sauté onion until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and mix with the onions for about 30 seconds.
- Add carrots, potatoes, and lentils, stirring everything together for another minute.
- Pour in boiling water and all the spices, mix everything well.
- Cover the pot and cook on medium for about 20-30 minutes or until everything is well cooked.
- Using an immersion blender or normal blender, blend the soup to the consistency you like.
For the garnishing oil
- In a skillet, heat olive oil, then turn off the heat and add the paprika, stir a couple of times.
- Ladle soup in bowls topped with paprika oil.
Notes
- You can add a couple of tablespoons of flour to the onion-tomato mixture to thicken the soup instead of using the potato.
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more boiling water.
- You can use vegetable or chicken broth instead of water too.
- If you can't find Aleppo pepper or don't like the spiciness, then you can use paprika.
- You can use a regular blender if you do not have an immersion blender.
- Leftover Turkish lentil soup can be stored in an air tight container for up to 5 days in your refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. When reheating on your stove top, if the consistency is thicker than when you first made it, try adding a tiny bit of water and stirring until desired thinness is reached.
- Chopped tomatoes can be added for additional flavor at the same time you are sautéing the onions and garlic.
- Fresh mint goes well with this soup.
Nutrition
Sign up and learn more about Mediterranean flavors
How to make Turkish Lentil Soup
Gather the ingredients, cleaning and cutting the vegetables to an equal size. Chopped tomatoes can be added for additional flavor while you are sautéing the onions and garlic. Fresh mint goes well with this soup, and red pepper flakes too. Mix in some red pepper paste.
In a pot over medium heat, add oil and sauté onion until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and mix the onions for about 30 seconds. Add carrots, potatoes, and lentils, stirring everything together for another minute.
Pour in boiling water and all the spices and mix everything well.
Cover the pot and cook on medium for about 20-30 minutes or until everything is well cooked. Using an immersion blender or a normal blender, blend the soup to the consistency you like.
Make the paprika oil by heating oil in a skillet then add paprika, stir and turn heat off.
Tips
- You can add a couple of tablespoons of flour to the onion-tomato mixture to thicken the soup instead of using the potato.
- If the soup is too thick for your liking, add more boiling water.
- You can use vegetable or chicken stock instead of water too.
- If you can't find Aleppo pepper or don't like the spiciness, then you can use paprika.
FAQs
Traditional Turkish lentil soup uses red lentils as they cook quickly when added to broth or water without getting mushy.
Nope! The only prep that red lentils need before adding to soup is a quick rinse with water. Red lentils get tender when they cook in the soup so they do not need to be cooked beforehand.
Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in your refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. When reheating on your stove top, if the consistency is thicker than when you first made it, try adding a tiny bit of water and stirring until desired thinness is reached.
Serve With
- This lentil soup recipe is hearty enough to serve alone with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. But also goes well with a salad, air fryer garlic bread, Overnight Focaccia, or Flatbread Crackers.
- Try serving it in a new way with these homemade Doritos.
More Turkish recipes you'll love
Would you like to save this post?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Debi Brand
I had a Turkish student who lived with me while she attended a local university. She made this for me when I was sick with a bad cold. It was SO soothing. It had the right amount of spice to open up my nose. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is so good!!!!