Red Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)

Mercimek çorbası opens countless Turkish meals, from humble home tables to wedding banquets, and it never gets old. Red lentils simmer with onion, carrot, and potato until everything collapses, then the soup is blended silky-smooth. Red lentils cook quickly and turn a brilliant orange-gold as they soften, which is why this is the soup of weeknights all over the country. A last-minute sizzle of butter and dried mint poured over the top turns a simple bowl into something you crave on cold evenings.

A bowl of pure comfort

The texture is velvet — smooth, thick, and soothing — with the earthy sweetness of lentils brightened by cumin and lemon. The minted butter drizzled on top adds fragrance and a little richness in every spoonful. Serve it with lemon wedges and crusty bread, and do not skip the final squeeze of citrus; it is what makes the soup sing. It is equally at home as a starter before a big kebab dinner or as the whole meal with a salad.

Craving more? Explore all Turkish Kitchen recipes.

This dish is built from Middle Eastern pantry staples — explore all 20 in our guide to 20 essential Middle Eastern pantry ingredients.

Turkish recipes →