Turkish lentil soup

Turkish lentil soup (or Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası), is a traditional Turkish red lentil and vegetable soup that is blended with an immersion blender to a thick and creamy texture. Serve with lemon wedges and warm Turkish bread for dipping.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  40 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Culinary Adventure

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• 5 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
• 2-3 carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 potato, cut into 1 cm chunks
• Sea salt flakes and pepper
• 2 tbsp (50 g) tomato paste
• 1.5 litres vegetable stock
• 2 tsp Aleppo pepper, divided
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Simit or Turkish bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, 2/3 of the garlic, carrots and potatoes with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
   
2. Stir through the tomato paste to coat the vegetables, then add the vegetable stock, half the Aleppo pepper and the remaining spices. Stir through the lentils, then bring to the boil.
   
3. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are tender. If too thick, add an additional ½ cup of extra vegetable stock or water.
   
4. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow the soup to cool considerably before using a standard blender to blend in batches.
   
5. To serve, heat the remaining olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat and add the reserved garlic and Aleppo pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Remove from the heat.
   
6. Spoon the Turkish lentil soup into serving bowls and drizzle over the garlic and Aleppo pepper oil. Serve with lemon wedges and simit (or Turkish bread).

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Culinary Adventure

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G