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Turkish Lentil Soup

Name: Turkish Lentil Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 200 grams Red Lentil Soup; 1 Onion (- Sliced.); 1 Carrot (- Sliced.); 4 Garlic Cloves (- Sliced.); 2 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Red chili flakes; 1 Chicken Stock Cube; 2 tbsp Tomato Paste; ¼ tsp Salt; 1 tsp Smoked Paprika; 3 tbsp Butter; ½ tsp Dried Mint (- Optional. )

ByAva
Published OnFeb 21, 2026

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Today, we are making Turkiye’s favourite comfort food, ‘Mercimek Corbasi‘, also known as Turkish Lentil Soup. If you have ever visited Turkiye, you will know that this soup is not just a starter to a main course; it is a primary meal in itself.

All over Istanbul, you will find this soup at breakfast stalls where locals stop by for a quick breakfast with bread. The most interesting part is that this soup isn’t limited to a particular time of the day; you can serve and eat it for lunch and supper too. Turks consider Mercimek Corbasi a way of life in their country, and for good reason: this soup is incredibly nutritious and deeply satisfying.

You are going to love this recipe, it is easy to make and takes less than 30 minutes to cook—it has a creamy texture without the addition of cooking cream. And, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry.

Ingredients

Red Lentils, Onion, Garlic Cloves, Carrot, Paprika powder, Cumin, Red Chili flakes, Tomato paste, Chicken broth and Butter.

Red lentils form the base of the soup; it is important to use red lentils for an authentic Turkish lentil soup. Onions and carrots add a subtle sweetness and depth of flavour. Traditionally, Turks use Aleppo pepper, which has a mild, fruity heat. However, you can also use chili flakes with less heat, such as Gochugaru, which has a similar flavour profile to Aleppo pepper. Cumin adds a fragrant and woody flavour. Paprika powder, though not traditionally used in the soup, enhances the lentils’ flavour.

Instructions

Slice the onions, peel the carrots, and cut them into cubes; add cooking oil to a pot over medium-low heat and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, until softened. Add the cumin and tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes to release the flavour.

Rinse the red lentils under running water until the water runs clear. Add the rinsed lentils to the soup with a chicken stock cube. Add water and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

In Turkey, it is common to add a drizzle of butter on the top of the Turkish lentil soup, this step enhances the flavour of the lentils. The butter is flavoured with aleppo chili flakes or spicy red chili flakes. You can also use a little bit of smoked paprika powder in place of the chili flakes. The smoked paprika powder will add an aromatic flair to the lentil soup and increase its savouriness.

Along with the butter, the Mercimek Corbasi transforms into an extraordinary dish. Some places in Turkiye, they add a small amount of dried mint leaves to the buttery sauce. This sauce is very simple to make and requires two steps. In a small pan, add the butter and melt. Stir in the chili flakes or smoked paprika powder for 30 seconds, then immediately drizzle over the soup.

Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the Turkish lentil soup; it will cut through the lentils’ richness.

The Lentil soup is ready to enjoy. Serve immediately and garnish with a few leaves of parsley.

Expert Tips

If you want to achieve restaurant quality Mercimek Corbasi, you can use a immersion blender to emulsify the soup which will create a smooth and creamy texture for the soup. Typically, when you cook red lentils, most of the legumes will break down, however there are some that will retain their circular shape.

Leaving the soup as is will create a rustic sort of soup and it is perfectly fine as it is, however if you want to take that extra step and prefer a smooth texture, then using a immersion blender or a stand blender is the way to go. As an extra measure, you can also pass the Turkish lentil soup through a fine sieve to remove any fine fibres from the vegetables such as the onions and carrots.

How to Serve the Turkish Lentil Soup

You can enjoy this soup on its own or serve it with bread; popular options include sourdough or a baguette. You can also have this soup with Arabic bread or Garlic Naan.

How to Store Turkish Lentil Soup

After the soup has cooled, store it in the fridge for 2 to 6 days. Heat on the stove or in the microwave. This soup also freezes well and will last for three months in the freezer.