Mercimek Çorbası
A red lentil soup that's genuinely one of the most common dishes in Turkish home cooking, appearing as a starter, breakfast, and everyday dinner across households, everyday lokanta restaurants, and village cafés alike, with roots tied to southeastern Anatolia's long lentil-farming tradition. Its real creaminess comes from carrot and potato simmered and blended in with the lentils, not cream or flour, and it's always finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of paprika-infused melted butter poured over the top right before serving, a genuine authenticity marker rather than a decorative flourish.
VegetarianVegan-optional
⚠ Contains: Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 potato, chopped
- 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 tbsp butter (or oil for vegan)
- 1 tsp paprika
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Steps
- Simmer the lentils, onion, carrot, and potato in the broth until everything is very soft, about 25 minutes.
- Blend until smooth.
- Melt the butter in a small pan with the paprika until fragrant.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with the paprika butter.
- Serve with a lemon wedge.