Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi) is a light, nutritious and comforting soup made with red lentils, vegetables, spices and stock. This extremely delicious & creamy soup is super easy to make, and ready in just 30 minutes, perfect dish for a busy weeknight dinner!
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Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi) is a nation's favorite and it is almost on every restaurant's menu. It is quite similar to Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup) which is another type of Turkish legume soup, and it can be quite confusing when you want to order in a restaurant.
Red Lentils in Turkish Cuisine
Red lentils are widely used in Turkish cuisine thanks to their soft texture and versatility. Dishes such as Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup) and Mercimek Kofte (Vegan Lentil Balls) are popular Turkish dishes made with red lentils.
Red lentils are very nutritious and packed with vitamin B and potassium. Also, they are a great source of proteins, which makes the soup suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Soup has a very special place during the fasting period of Ramadan and the evening meal traditionally starts with a piece of olive or date followed by a bowl of warm&cosy soup. And Red Lentil Soup - Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi is possibly the most preferred soup as it is healthy, full of nutrition and very easy to put together.
Why This Recipe Works?
- You can make this Turkish Red Lentil Soup with simple pantry ingredients like red lentils, onions, garlic, and spices without any trip to the supermarket.
- It is super simple and quick to prepare, and it has a short cooking time which makes it perfect for an easy weekday meal.
- You can replace butter with olive oil and use vegetable stock to make this delicious Mercimek Corbasi vegan friendly.
- It is full of nutrition, extremely delicious and super creamy without any cream added.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Red Lentils - These edible legumes are a kitchen staple in Turkey and are used for making soups such as Ezo Gelin Corba, or vegetarian meatballs - Mercimek Kofte (Lentil Balls) or even filling for boreks. You can easily find them in large supermarkets or Middle Eastern shops.
- Garlic - It is a great flavouring and widely used for many Turkish dishes. Use fresh garlic if possible. Roughly chop it before adding to the soup.
- Spices - This soup recipe calls for simple spices such as freshly ground black pepper and paprika. Adjust the amount to your taste and add some chilli if you want a bit of heat!
- Butter - Gently melt the butter and infuse with dried mint and paprika for extra depth of flavour and garnish your soup with a few drops of this butter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
It is extremely easy to make Lentil Soup. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Prepare the Soup Base
To make this delicious soup, place a pan on medium heat then add the olive oil. Add the onions along with the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the paprika, salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until fragrant while stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the potatoes and carrots, cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, to enhance their flavour then add the red lentils along with the stock.
Cook the Soup
Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils, carrots and potatoes are soft.
Blitz
Remove the pan from the heat, using a hand blender or food processor, and purée the soup until smooth, almost creamy.
Taste and season with more salt and black pepper. Garnish with a few drops of mint&paprika infused butter and serve with lemon wedges while still hot.
What to Serve With Turkish Lentil Soup?
The most popular way to serve this delicious and healthy soup is with lemon wedges while still hot. You can also melt some butter with chilli and dried mint to drizzle on top.
Bread is the best accompaniment to this soup so why not try it with my super easy and delicious Homemade Sandwich Bread, Pakistani Roghni Naan, or Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).
Add some salad to your soup to make it a substantial meal such as Russian Salad (Olivier Salad), Orzo Pasta Salad or Baba Ganoush Without Tahini.
Lentil Soup is also a great appetiser and can be served with Creamy Shrimp Risotto With Peas, Cokertme Kebabi, Salmon and Spinach Quiche and Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté).
Top Tips From the Chef
- Adjust the texture of Lentil Soup to your taste. This recipe will give you a medium bodied velvety soup. If you like your soup thicker, use less stock, and if you like it thinner, add more stock to your soup.
- Mercimek Corbasi is a great way to use up leftover Roast Potatoes and Swede and Carrot Mash from your roast dinner! Simply sauté some onions, add the lentils and stock along with your leftover vegetables and potatoes. Cook until the lentils are soft and blitz into a smooth &velvety soup.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, the lentil has lots of health benefits and also they are very affordable. They are high in protein, low in fat, full of fiber, and a good source of iron. They are also good for your bones and a very good source of folic acid. And lastly, One portion of this scrumptious soup has only 266 kcal!
No, red lentils cook easily and quickly, between 15 minutes and half an hour.
Mercimek Corbasi is best served hot and fresh. If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To serve, place the soup in a sauce pan with a splash of water and simmer it on low heat until it is heated throughly.
Yes, this delicious soup freezes beautifully. To freeze, bring it to a room temperature, place it in an airtight container and freeze upto 5 months.
Related Recipes
For more delicious&cosy soup recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delightful Red Lentil Soup as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi)
Equipment
- 1 peeler
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- ⅓ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small potato (approx 100-120 grams) (diced roughly 2 cm size)
- 1 small carrot (approx 100-120 grams) (diced roughly 2 cm size)
- 200 g red lentils (1 cup)
- 1 l vegetable or chicken stock (5 cups)
- 30 g butter (for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon paprika (for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place a pan on medium heat then add the olive oil.
- Add the onions along with the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent.
- Add the paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until fragrant while stirring constantly for about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the potatoes and carrots, cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor then add the red lentils along with the stock.
- Raise the heat medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the lentils, carrots, and potatoes are soft.
- Remove the pan from the heat, using a hand blender or food processor, and puree the soup until smooth, and almost creamy.
- Melt the butter on low heat and add the paprika along with the dried mint to the butter, gently simmer for a few minutes.
- Taste the soup and season with more salt and black pepper.
- Garnish with a few drops of mint&paprika infused butter and serve with lemon wedges while still hot.
Notes
- Adjust the texture of Lentil Soup to your taste by adding or reducing the amount of the stock.
- Mercimek Corbasi is a great way to use up leftover roast potatoes and carrot&swede mash from your roast dinner!
- You can replace butter with olive oil and use vegetable stock to make this delicious Mercimek Corbasi vegan friendly.
- Red Lentil Soup - Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi is possibly the most preferred soup during Ramadan as it is healthy, full of nutrition, and very easy to put together.
- This recipe is super easy to make, and ready in just 30 minutes, perfect dish for a busy weeknight dinner!
Nutrition
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Ayla
Yum! My easy go-to recipe ..great with naan bread
Kathleen
This soup is delicious! I’ve made it so many times I’ve lost track. Thank you!
Fatima
Amazing recipe! So easy and really delicious. The addition of lemon juice takes it to the next level.
Melissa S
I made this for dinner last evening. Followed the recipe precisely but added a tablespoon of Turkish spicy pepper paste to the sautéed onions and garlic. Brilliant. Cozy indeed.
Ayla Clulee
I am so pleased you liked the recipe and thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience.
Best wishes
Ayla x