Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the red lentils under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Chop the onion and carrot into small pieces so they soften quickly and blend smoothly later.

   180 g red lentils120 g onion, chopped80 g carrot, chopped
2. 2

   In a medium pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and carrot and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened but not browned; keeping the vegetables pale gives the soup its classic bright color.

   15 ml olive oil120 g onion, chopped80 g carrot, chopped
3. 3

   Stir in the tomato paste and ground cumin and cook for 30 seconds to remove the raw taste and bloom the spice without letting it scorch.

   15 g tomato paste4 g ground cumin
4. 4

   Add the rinsed red lentils, water, fine salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-18 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the lentils are completely soft and starting to fall apart.

   180 g red lentils900 ml water6 g fine salt1 g black pepper
5. 5

   While the soup simmers, make the drizzle: heat the olive oil in a small pan over low heat, add the sweet paprika and dried mint, and stir for 15-20 seconds just until fragrant. Remove from the heat immediately so the paprika does not burn and turn bitter.

   15 ml olive oil3 g sweet paprika2 g dried mint
6. 6

   Blend the soup until completely smooth using an immersion blender, or carefully blend in batches. If it seems too thick, add a splash of hot water; the finished texture should be silky and pourable, not pasty. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

7. 7

   Ladle into bowls, spoon the paprika-mint drizzle over the top, and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing at the table.

   2 wedges lemon wedges

Origin & History

Kirmizi Mercimek Corbasi is one of the best-known soups in Turkish home cooking and lokanta-style eateries. Red lentils cook quickly and economically, which helped make the dish a staple across the country. It is often served with lemon and a spiced oil or butter drizzle that adds aroma and richness.