Classic Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Mediterranean soup with a personal twist

A delicious recipe, even if you are not crazy about 'forgotten vegetables': Mercimek corbasi, Turkish lentil soup. It's very healthy because lentils are rich in iron, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and proteins! This lentil soup is very popular in Turkey, where it is eaten for breakfast, for lunch and as a starter. Prepare the basic soup and add herbs and extra ingredients to taste for a personal twist.

#Kırmızı mercimek çorbasi

30 min.

4 p.

mild

Vegetarian

Time to get started

Rinse the lentils with cold water and drain them in a colander.
Put the lentils in a pan with cold water, but not too much; the lentils should just be covered.
Cook them for 10-15 minutes on high heat. Keep scooping off any foam. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little boiling water.
Add salt to taste.
As soon as they have started to disintegrate, leave the lentils to cook for 25-30 minutes on low heat. When the soup has a nice and smooth consistency, it is ready to serve!
Suggestion for a classic Turkish lentil soup: fry a chopped onion and small cubes of carrot in some olive oil. Season to taste with ground cumin and mint herbs. When softened, stir this mixture into the soup and also add a tablespoon of Miras tomato puree and a pinch of sambal. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes while stirring (or puree the soup with a hand blender until creamy) and your classic lentil soup is ready to serve. Afiyet Olsun!