Mercimek çorbası

Name: Mercimek çorbası
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 250 g red lentils; 1 potato, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 1 onion, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tbsp olive oil (or 1 of oil and 1 of butter); 1 tsp dried mint; 1 tsp paprika; 1.2 L water or stock labelled gluten free; Salt and pepper; Lemon, fresh mint and Aleppo pepper, to serve

Local name: Mercimek çorbası

Turkey's silky red lentil soup, thickened by the lentils themselves and scented with dried mint and paprika, served with lemon.

Published on 24 October 2025·Updated on 26 September 2026

Gluten-free#red lentils#soup#mint#paprika#budget

AI-generated image, not a photograph of the dish

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Fry the onion in the oil until golden, then add the garlic, potato, carrot, tomato purée, paprika and dried mint. Stir for 2 minutes.
Add the rinsed lentils, season, and pour in the water.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.
Blend until smooth. Loosen with a little water if too thick.
Serve hot with a lemon wedge to squeeze in, fresh mint and a pinch of chilli.

In Turkey this soup is eaten from breakfast to dinner. The final squeeze of lemon is essential, it wakes the whole soup up.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 349 kcal
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 8.6 g
Carbohydrate: 54 g
Fibre: 9.5 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Do red lentils need soaking?

No, split and hulled, they cook in about thirty minutes and break down on their own, which is exactly what gives the soup its velvety body. A rinse under cold water is enough, removing surface starch and cutting down the foam at the start.

Why is the dried mint added early rather than at the end?

Dried mint releases its aroma into hot fat, like the paprika, so it perfumes the whole pot. Fresh mint goes on at serving time. The two play different roles and are not interchangeable.

The soup is too thick the next day. How do I fix it?

Red lentils keep absorbing liquid as they cool, which is normal. Loosen it with water or hot stock while reheating gently, then check the salt, which will have concentrated. Add the lemon only afterwards, in the bowl.

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