Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)

Name: Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 300g g lentils; 1 each onion; 1 each carrot; 4 clove garlic; 2 tbsp tomato puree; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 tbsp paprika; 1 tbsp dried mint; 1.2l l vegetable stock; 80g g butter; 2 each lemon

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Turkey's national soup — silky red lentils with onion, garlic, mint and a squeeze of lemon. Vegan, ten ingredients, ready in 30 minutes. Deeply restorative.

Prep 5 mins

Cook 30 mins

Servings 4

Difficulty Easy

Per serving £1.06

Approx £4.24 total based on typical supermarket prices in GB. See yours →

S by Steven Tobin · Published 4 May 2026

The recipe

Instructions

1

Soften chopped onion and grated carrot in butter for 6 minutes.
2

Add garlic, tomato puree, cumin and paprika for 1 minute.
3

Pour in rinsed lentils and stock. Simmer 25 minutes until lentils breaking down.
4

Blend completely smooth. Adjust thickness with hot water if needed.
5

For finishing: melt butter, sizzle dried mint and chilli flakes briefly. Drizzle over each bowl with lemon wedges.

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About Steven Tobin

Steven is the founder, recipe developer, and chief washer-upper at Budget Dinner Recipes. A passionate home cook from a big foodie family, he's spent years collecting and perfecting recipes from across the world — from Malaysian laksas and Kenyan curries to weeknight British classics. Family meals are at the heart of e…

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Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Çorbası)

The recipe

Instructions

Reviews

About Steven Tobin

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