This Turkish lentil soup makes a great weeknight dinner for busy days. It’s smooth, creamy, comforting, and nutritious. And the recipe comes together in just 30 minutes!
Why This Recipe Works
This Turkish red lentil soup, also known as kırmızı mercimek çorbası, is such a delicious soup that is ready in no time! It’s one of my favorite soups.
It is a quick and healthy dinner that is naturally gluten-free and vegan. It’s packed with flavor and it’s best served with a squeeze of lemon and freshly chopped parsley and mint. And maybe a slice of crispy bread.
I love that you can make it any time because you probably have all of the ingredients at home. It’s an easy combination of red lentils, veggies, and a few spices. All you need is red lentils, an onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, and a bell pepper.
Unlike other lentils such as brown or green lentils, red lentils break down and soften easily. This gives the soup the perfect velvety, smooth, and creamy texture.
The soup is mildly spicy, so it’s also perfect for kids or people who aren’t into spicy food. You can sprinkle it with pul biber, crushed chili flakes that are commonly used in the Turkish cuisine. They add a bit of a fruity and smoky flavor and a bit of heat.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Red Lentils – dried.
- Potatoes – starchy potatoes.
- Carrots
- Red Bell Pepper
- Onion & Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Vegetable Broth – I recommend organic vegetable broth. Or use my homemade paste for vegetable broth.
- Spices – sweet paprika powder, hot paprika powder, cumin, bay leaf.
- Salt & Pepper
- Fresh Parsley & Mint
- Pul Biber – also called Aleppo pepper. It adds a bit of heat, but it’s not too spicy. It’s commonly used in Turkish and Cypriot cuisine and it adds a fruity and smoky flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Finely chop the onion and the garlic. Dice the bell pepper, carrots, and potatoes.
2. Step: Heat some vegan butter or olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
3. Step: Add the carrots, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Step: Then add the spices and the tomato paste.
5. Step: Stir well and cook for 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
6. Step: Add the red lentils and stir well.
7. Step: Add the vegetable broth and cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
8. Step: Discard the bay leaf and use an immersion blender and blend the soup directly in the pot. Serve hot and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, mint, and red pepper flakes.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t replace the red lentils with any other kind of lentils such as brown or green lentils. The recipe only works with red lentils as they break down and soften very easily.
- The soup is rather thick, so just add more vegetable broth to make a thinner version. Besides, it gets considerably thicker when being stored in the fridge. So in this case, you also might want to add some more vegetable broth.
- I like to add a potato to this Turkish lentil soup to make it more filling. However, you can also skip it and use three carrots instead of two.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does This Soup Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the soup will last 3-4 days. It will become thicker, so you might have to add additional vegetable broth when reheating it.
If you want to store this lentil soup for a longer time, it’s best to freeze it.
Can You Freeze It?
Yes, you can freeze this Turkish lentil soup! Lentil soup is a great dish to make ahead of time and freeze for later. Here are the steps you can follow to freeze it:
- Let the soup cool down to room temperature.
- Transfer the soup to airtight freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. Leave some space at the top of the container or bag to allow for expansion during freezing.
- Label the containers or bags with the name of the soup and the date of freezing.
- Place the containers or bags in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.
To reheat the frozen lentil soup:
- Remove the soup from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Transfer the soup to a pot and heat it on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s hot and bubbly throughout.
- You can also reheat the soup in the microwave on high heat, stirring every 30 seconds until it’s hot.
Note that the texture of the soup may be slightly different after freezing and reheating, but it should still be delicious! Just add more vegetable broth if the soup is too thick.
Do I Have To Soak The Red Lentils?
No, you don’t have to soak the red lentils before starting with this recipe.
Related Recipes
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Red Lentil Soup
- Vegan Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
I Love To Hear From You!
I hope you like this Turkish lentil soup as much as we do around here.
If you give this recipe a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Sina
Turkish Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 1 potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoons hot paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/4 cups red lentils
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- pul biber, to sprinkle crushed chili flakes, also called Aleppo pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion and the garlic. Dice the bell pepper, carrots, and potatoes.
- Heat some oil in a large pot and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the carrots, bell pepper, and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
- Then add the spices and the tomato paste.
- Stir well and cook for 2 minutes until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the red lentils and stir well.
- Add the vegetable broth and cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
- Discard the bay leaf and use an immersion blender and blend the soup directly in the pot. Serve hot and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, mint, and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Don't replace the red lentils with any other kind of lentils such as brown or green lentils. The recipe only works with red lentils as they break down and soften very easily.
- The soup is rather thick, so just add more vegetable broth to make a thinner version. Besides, it gets considerably thicker when being stored in the fridge. So in this case, you also might want to add some more vegetable broth.
- I like to add a potato to this Turkish lentil soup to make it more filling. However, you can also skip it and use three carrots instead of two.
Nutrition
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