This Turkish Lentil Soup, also known as mercimek çorbası, is an incredibly delicious red lentil soup with a beautifully creamy texture without using any cream or other heavy ingredients or added fats! With a mild Mediterranean flavor, this is a classic, heart-warming soup you will love!
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Not only is this Turkish Lentil Soup easy to make, but it’s also packed with flavors and nutrition, thanks to the many veggies used in the recipe and the mild, delicious spices that make it unique and different. Plus, it’s creamy without using heavy cream!
You may think this recipe is similar to Indian dal, but it’s a Turkish lentil soup recipe with Mediterranean flavors that you will love. The seasonings absorb perfectly into the lentils, giving you a flavorful soup perfect for chilly nights and even holidays! Try it once, and you’ll want to make it every day!
🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED
You need simple, pantry-staple ingredients to make this delicious Turkish Red Lentil soup recipe at home. Let’s look at some of the ingredients.
You can scroll down to the recipe card for full details and instructions.
Red lentils: You’ll need red lentils to make this recipe, which is truly the dish's star. It’s easy to get at your local grocery store or the ethnic section and is worth getting your hands on. If you want to use some other lentils, read my notes below.
Vegetables: This recipe is incredible because it’s nutritious, thanks to the added veggies. This recipe will use potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
Spices: You’ll also need some delicious, mild spices to make this lentil soup what it is. This recipe will use ground coriander, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, pepper, and paprika.
Butter: The beauty of this soup is that it’s served with spiced butter on top! This is optional but adds an incredible touch to the dish that I highly recommend you try.
🔪 HOW TO MAKE
This Turkish Lentil Soup looks elegant and delicious, yet it’s straightforward.
The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let's look at the main steps to making this treat.
Step 1:
Start by taking a hot pan and adding the butter and olive oil. When the butter melts, add the onion and sauté until translucent. Then add the garlic and cook it as well.
Step 2:
Now add the potatoes and carrots and cook for three minutes, then add sliced tomatoes and cook for another two minutes. After that, add all the spices and seasonings, except salt, and stir it well.
Step 3:
Add drained lentils to the pan and keep mixing for a minute. Then pour water and add chicken bouillon to it. Stir the mixture and then let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4:
Blend the mixture well with a hand or immersion blender until it turns smooth—time to season your soup. I’ve added one and a half teaspoons of salt, but you can add salt according to your taste.
Step 5:
Now, in the end, let’s make the spiced butter. In a pan, melt the butter and then add the paprika powder. Mix well, and then pour around two teaspoons of this butter mixture over the lentil soup when serving.
Your delicious Turkish Lentil Soup is ready to be served.
💭 COOKING TIPS
- You can use other types of lentils, but the flavor will be a little different, and depending on what type of lentils you use, it might take longer to cook.
- Instead of chicken bouillon, you can go for veg.
- In some parts of Turkey, they pour Plain melted butter on the soup before serving it.
- You are the judge of spices; our house is not fond of cumin. Hence I have used a small amount, but you can increase it if you wish.
📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS
This Turkish Lentil soup recipe is, by far, the most delicious one I have tried. But if you’re looking to change things up, here are some ideas:
Spicier: This recipe has Turkish flavors and is therefore supposed to be milder. But you can add more spices, such as red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, to make it spicier.
Other lentils: You can also experiment and try using this recipe with other lentils. The flavor will change, though, so you have to keep that in mind, and the cooking times will also vary.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I recommend washing and soaking the lentils for 20 minutes before using them in this recipe for the creamiest and most delicious results.
This soup is perfect for serving on its own or with delicious breadsticks like my Olive Garden breadsticks.
🍲 MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
🌡️ STORING AND REHEATING
Fridge: You can store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: This soup also freezes surprisingly well! Allow it to cool down, and pour it into a freezer-safe container. Then pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat it on the stove in a pot. Add a little broth or water to get it to the right consistency since it would have thickened up.
📖 Recipe
Turkish Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils washed and soaked for 20 minutes
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion sliced or chopped
- 3 cloves garlic cut in half
- 1 medium potato cut in cubes
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 1 deseeded tomato sliced
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
THE SPICED BUTTER (OPTIONAL)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SOUP
- In a hot pan, add the butter and olive oil. When the butter melts add the onion and sauté until translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for a minute on medium heat. Now, add the potato and carrot and cook for three minutes on medium low heat.
- Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for two minutes then add the spices except the salt and stir well.
- To the previous ingredients, add the drained lentils and keep mixing for a minute.
- Pour the water and add the chicken bouillon. Stir the mixture and then let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- With a hand blender, blend the mixture well until smooth. It is time to season your soup, although I have used one and half teaspoon salt, you can add depending on your taste.
TO MAKE THE SPICED BUTTER
- In a pan melt the butter and then add the paprika powder. Mix well and then pour a round two teaspoon over the lentil soup when serving.
Video
Notes
- You can use other types of lentils, but the flavor will be a little different and
depending on the lentils you use, it might take longer to cook. - Instead of chicken bouillon, you can go for veg.
- In some parts of Turkey, they pour Plain melted butter on the soup before serving it.
- You are the judge when it comes to spices. In our house, we are not fond of cumin. Hence I have used a small amount, but you can increase it if you wish.
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