Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)

Method

1. 1
   • onion 1
   • carrot 1
   • olive oil 3 tbsp

   Cook the onion and carrot — Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the onion turns soft and translucent.

   ⏱5 min
2. 2
   • tomato paste 1 tbsp
   • ground cumin 1 tsp

   Bloom the tomato paste — Stir in the tomato paste and cumin and cook for a further 2 minutes, letting the paste darken slightly and release its aroma.

   ⏱2 min
3. 3
   • red lentils 250 g
   • potato 1
   • vegetable stock 1¼ l
   • salt 1 tsp
   • black pepper ½ tsp

   Simmer the soup — Add the potato, red lentils, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are completely soft.

   ⏱20 min
4. 4
   • salt 1 tsp
   • lemon 1

   Blend the soup — Remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and adjust the salt to taste. Thin with a little extra hot water if the soup is thicker than you like.

5. 5
   • butter 2 tbsp
   • paprika 1 tsp
   • dried mint 2 tbsp

   Finish with paprika butter — In a small pan, melt the butter with the paprika over low heat for about 1 minute until fragrant and slightly foaming. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the paprika butter, and sprinkle with dried mint before serving.

   ⏱1 min