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A bowl of creamy, orange Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası) garnished with a bright red paprika-mint butter drizzle and fresh green herbs.

Turkish Lentil Soup

A warm, silky, and comforting classic Turkish red lentil soup finished with a fragrant paprika–mint butter drizzle. Simple, nourishing, and deeply flavorful.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Turkish
Calories: 235
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large carrot diced
  • 1 large potato diced
  • 1 cup red lentils rinsed
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp turmeric
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 0.5 lemon juice of
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Paprika Oil Drizzle
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 0.5 tsp dried mint

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Small pan
  • Immersion Blender (optional)

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened.
  2. Add garlic, carrot, and potato; cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, cumin, and turmeric. Cook 1 minute.
  4. Add red lentils and vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20–25 minutes until vegetables and lentils are soft.
  6. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (optional but traditional).
  7. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning.
  8. In a small pan, melt butter, add paprika and dried mint, and heat 30 seconds.
  9. Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with paprika–mint butter, and garnish with parsley.

Notes

For extra creaminess, simmer a few more minutes after blending.