Turkish Red Lentil Soup / Mercimek Çorbası
Description
Made with very simple ingredients, Turkish Red Lentil Soup is so much more than the sum of its parts. Layers of flavor come from oil infused with dried mint, sweet-savory tomato paste, and a bright splash of lemon added at the end. The result is an amazing meal in a bowl that offers equal parts pleasure and nourishment.
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Pot
- Skillet
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 1¾ cups red lentils
- 10 cups 2.5 liters water
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons short-grain rice such as Arborio or Egyptian rice, rinsed under cold running water and drained
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing the onion
- ¼ cup olive oil for tempering the dried mint
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
- 1 heaped tablespoon pul biber Aleppo pepper or paprika. Pul biber is a coarsely ground red pepper with a mild smoky flavor and moderate heat. The best substitute is sweet paprika.
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional, but recommended. Feel free to adjust the heat level to your taste.
Upon Serving
- Croutons optional; you can skip them to keep the soup gluten-free
- Lemon wedges
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion softens. Add the tomato paste, water, red lentils, and rice. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
Make the Mint-Paprika Oil
Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the dried mint, pul biber or paprika, and cayenne (if using). Sizzle for just a few seconds, until fragrant and warm. Do not cook it for too long, as the spices can burn. Add the mint-paprika oil to the lentil soup and give it a quick stir. Adjust the salt to your taste.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Serve with freshly ground black pepper, optional croutons, and lemon wedges to squeeze over the top. Sublime!
Video
Notes
Note 1: To make the croutons, place 5 or 6 slices of white bread in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will make them easier to cut. Remove the bread from the freezer and discard the edges, then cut it into small cubes. Bake in a preheated oven until golden brown.
Note 2: If you can handle spicy food, don’t skip the cayenne. It will occasionally tickle your throat and add a welcome depth to the soup. Feel free to adjust the level of heat to your taste.
Note 3: Cumin is one of the most important ingredients for making a delicious soup, but please omit it here. The flavors are well balanced with the other ingredients, and after testing, I found that cumin overpowers the entire flavor profile, specifically in this version.
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