Cook and Scale
Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)
4 servings · 40 min total
A silky, cumin-scented Turkish lentil soup finished with a bright squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of paprika butter, comforting and quick to make.
Ingredients
- 250 g red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 potato, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1¼ l vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, dried, for garnish
Contains: Milk, Celery
Allergen info is best-effort — please verify yourself.
Method
- 1.
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.
- 2.
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.
- 3.
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.
- 4.
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.
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.