Rustic Mercimek Çorbası (Turkish Lentil Soup)

If I had to name Türkiye’s ultimate comfort food, Mercimek Çorbası would be a strong contender. This naturally vegan lentil soup has been simmering in Turkish kitchens for generations, served everywhere from bustling city lokantas to sleepy village cafés, often as the first thing to hit the table. Traditionally, it’s blended until silky smooth, but I decided to skip the blender for a bit more texture—a rustic twist.

How it all began

I had my first taste of this soup in İzmir, the largest city along Türkiye’s Aegean coast. It was late, and I’d just arrived from İstanbul, feeling that familiar disorientation that comes with stepping into a new place—something I find oddly charming when I can throw myself into the buzz of a different culinary culture. But this part of town was dead quiet. An empty bar, a badly stocked supermarket and, across the street, a restaurant with neon green chairs and switched-off plasma screens made up the local life surrounding my Airbnb. With an early alarm set for filming for my series Vegan Cultures the next day and a stomach staging a rebellion, I took a leap of faith and grabbed a chair.

I glanced at the laminated menu in front of me, my eyes fighting the weight of the day and the inescapable haze of smoke drifting over from the next table. A quick scan crushed the faith that had carried me across the street. Nothing on the menu was naturally vegan. Nothing but… one soup. So far, my trip to İstanbul has expanded my Turkish vocabulary enough that I could make out the words Mercimek (lentils) and Çorbası (soup) and after liaising with my trusted Google Translate, the waiter confirmed that the soup was, in fact, made without dairy or meat stock. I was ready to dig in, undeterred by the fact that this was a choice from the starter section.

A bread basket large enough to feed a small army and two bowls of soup later, I had already made peace with my new surroundings. The soup was simple, comforting—and honestly, delicious. Suddenly, the stark neon green chairs become a charming asset of a street food eatery and the chaps at the next table turned into companions over the shared joy of a humble meal—judging by a faint nod of approval. I felt ready to take on İzmir. As it turned out, the city offered plenty of culinary buzz, and Mercimek Çorbası became a much-loved staple during the rest of my trip. Sometimes, a small leap of faith is all it takes to make a new discovery.

A word about the recipe

This soup is indeed often enjoyed as a starter, but this rustic version, adding the joy of texture to every bite, makes a wonderful main, especially if paired with a chunk of crusty bread. When asking locals whether the soup is plant-based, some will tell you that it is made with chicken stock and drizzled with chilli-infused melted butter. But nowadays, many places offer a veg-stock version, and depending on the chef’s mood, a polite request might have them reach for olive oil instead of butter. As so often, it’s really in the comfort of their home, that many cooks naturally opt for the fully plant-based version.

The beauty of split red lentils is how easily they soften. This means you can make most of the soup in one pan without worrying whether they’ll cook through. Split red lentils also break down easily, helping to thicken the soup as it simmers.

For depth and richness, Turkish pepper paste is the secret touch. Whether tatlı (mild) or acı (hot), it adds complexity that belies the effort. You’ll find it in most Turkish or Middle Eastern grocers, and when combined with tomato paste, it gives the soup a warming, savoury base. If you can’t track it down, a little extra tomato paste will also do the trick.

A final swirl of pul biber chilli oil adds a soft smokiness and a touch of heat that rounds everything off. You can blend it for a smooth finish but I like it best with a little bite.

Here’s how you make it…

Mercimek Çorbası (Turkish Red Lentil Soup)

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 50 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

Soup

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve)

• 1 large onion (200g)

• 2 carrots (150g)

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp dried mint

• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)

• 1 tbsp pepper paste (tatlı biber salçası), 25g

• 1 tbsp tomato paste (25g)

• 320g red lentils

• 3/4 tbsp salt (10g)

• A few twigs of parsley

• 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 ml)

• Bread to serve

Chilli Oil

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper)

Method

Heat the olive oil in a casserole. Peel and finely chop the onion and dice the carrots, adding both to the casserole as you go. Sauté until the onion is translucent (8-10 minutes), then finely grate or crush in the garlic and continue cooking until aromatic.

Stir in the cumin, mint, pepper and pul biber, followed by the tomato and pepper paste and cook for a minute more.

Wash the lentils under the running tab, then add them to the casserole along with the salt and 900ml of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Meanwhile, trim and discard the lower stems of the parsley, finely chop the rest and set aside for later.

Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and divide over bowls.

For the chilli oil, heat the olive oil in a small pan over low heat and add the pul biber. Allow it to infuse the oil for around a minute, then drizzle it over the soup, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

Hope you get a chance to try this one. I’ll be back next week with a round-up on Tuesday and a fresh recipe on Friday. Have a good one!

Much love,Julius