Mercimek çorbası is part of Türkiye’s soup tradition, with recipes that vary within the country. Our version keeps the focus on lentils, onion and lemon, adding a little dried mint at the finish. Flour is unnecessary: the blended lentils provide the body.
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Food · International
Mercimek çorbası: Turkish lentil soup with lemon and mint
Blended red lentils, onion and a paprika-butter finish make a simple soup to serve with lemon.
2026-10-26 · Editorial staff · Estimated reading time: 2 min
Queen of Queens · Food
The recipe
Türkiye
- Servings
- 4
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 30 min
- Rest / waiting
- 0 min
- Total time
- 40 min
- Estimated calories per serving
- 270 kcal
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients and quantities
- 240 g split red lentils
- 120 g onion
- 25 g butter
- 1 litre hot water, plus extra if needed
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried mint
- 1 lemon in wedges; salt and pepper
Method
- Rinse the lentils thoroughly. Soften the chopped onion in 15 g butter for 5 minutes without browning.
- Add lentils and one litre hot water. Simmer for 20–25 minutes, until the lentils break down.
- Blend until smooth, adding water if needed. Season and return to a gentle simmer.
- Melt the remaining 10 g butter, remove from the heat and stir in paprika and mint. Spoon over four portions and serve with lemon wedges.
Tips and variations
Add lemon at the table to taste. Mint should be a gentle accent. For a vegan version use oil and recalculate the calories.
Allergens
Milk.
Sources and further reading
- GoTürkiye — The Delicious Starters
- https://goturkey.goturkiye.com/the-delicious-starters
Calories are estimates per serving and vary with ingredients, brands and actual quantities. Times are approximate; the total includes the stated resting time.
