Turkish Lentil Soup is full of warm, rich spices with a hint of spice. This soup is healthy and perfect for a plant-based meal. Red lentils are simmered with red lentils, bulgur, vegetables, garlic, spices, diced tomatoes and lemon juice. If you are meal-prepping this is great soup for that and can be frozen for later. 

TURKISH LENTIL SOUP 

Some of my most popular recipes are lentil recipes. 

As we start 2023 I have made a goal to share more bean and lentil recipes along with healthy soup recipes. Today’s Turkish Lentil Soup, also known as mercimek corbasi in turkish cuisine, is the perfect simple soup for a chilly day. 

This red lentil soup is hearty, filled turkish soup with protein and warm spices. It makes a great healthy dinner.

It mixes red lentils with vegetables, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, fresh herbs and spices. I added bulgur into the soup but you can use any grain you like or skip it. 

When it comes to garnishing this soup I like to add cilantro or parsley, mint, crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper for heat and serve it with lemon wedges. Of course serve this soup with a side of pita bread or crusty bread.

In the Mediterranean diet lentils are very popular. There are a variety of types from green, brown, yellow lentils to red lentils. I prefer using red lentils in soups whenever possible because I feel that the texture works nicely in soups. 

Many of you have made some of my lentil soups like this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup, Lebanese Lentil Soup and this Lemon Lentil Soup. If you like those you have to give this delicious turkish lentil soup a try. 

Recipe Ingredients

• Garlic
• Vegetables: red onion, bell pepper and carrot
• Spices and herbs: mint, aleppo pepper, paprika, cumin and coriander
• Diced tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• Broth
• Red Lentils
• Vegetable broth {or use chicken broth}
• Bulgur wheat or other grain {optional}

How to Make Turkish Red Lentil Soup

1. Saute vegetables: In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the red bell pepper, carrot, mint, aleppo pepper, paprika, cumin and coriander. Sauté for 3 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients: Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, washed lentils, vegetable stock and the bulgur {or grain of your choice or leave it out}.

3. Simmer: Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until lentils and bulgur are tender.

4. Blend: You can eat the soup as is with the chunks of carrots, lentils and tomatoes or you can use a hand blender or regular blender to create a creamy texture. Sometimes I blend half and keep half chunky with a handheld blender, countertop blender or stick blender.

5. Serve and garnish: Serve the soup with fresh parsley or cilantro, mint, chilli flakes and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 

Ways to Modify This Lentil Soup

• Vegetables: You can add additional vegetables to this soup too. Some options are bell peppers, cauliflower, jalapeños for spice, zucchini, potatoes or sweet potatoes.
• Garnish: Garnishes are always a great way to take a soup to the next level. Some garnishes I love in this lentil soup is feta cheese {of course the soup won’t be vegan if you use feta}, fresh cilantro and parsley, Greek or plain yogurt swirled in to create a thicker, creamier soup.
• Beans: Try adding beans to accompany the lentils in this soup. Two options I love to use are chickpeas or white beans. 
• Herbs: You can add a variety of fresh herbs like dried mint, basil, parsley or dill.
• Grain: Sometimes I like to add a grain to my soups. You can try brown rice, white rice or quinoa. 
• Meat: If you want to add meat to your soup try adding sausage, diced chicken, ground pork or even some crispy bacon. 
• Blend: I like red lentils because they break down and become soft. With this soup I blend it with a hand held immersion blender. I blend all of the soup but some people prefer to just blend half of the soup.

Other Lentil Recipes You Might Like:

LENTIL MUSHROOM STEW

LENTIL SWEET POTATO STEW RECIPE

RED LENTIL CURRY

MEDITERRANEAN LENTIL SALAD

SLOW COOKER LENTIL SOUP

LENTIL SPINACH SOUP

RED LENTIL COCONUT SOUP

MOROCCAN RED LENTIL SOUP