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Tasty Turkish Protein-Rich Lentil Soup

The most delicious vegan protein-packed lentil soup full of nutrition and taste. Perfect for autumn and the cold days of winter.


I have lived in Turkey since 2019 and one of my favorite soups is without any doubt the popular lentil soup, Mercimek Çorbası. I would venture to say that all Turks are enthusiastic about this soup.

It is full of nutrition, incredibly easy to make and incredibly tasty.


I myself absolutely love Turkish cuisine - they have so many healthy delicious tasty dishes and many of them are actually quite simple to make. At our house, we always only eat what is in season, as it is actually the only thing that is possible to buy - something I had to get used to when I first moved here but which I now love and find lovely and simple.

Linse suppe

You don't really get tired of eating the same things, as there is always a natural flow and you appreciate things in a different way, as you can look forward to what comes in season, as you can't just buy what you want to. You can also clearly taste the difference. For example peaches taste completely different in the middle of their season than when it has just started or is coming to an end.

We have a local farmers market every Saturday in my village and it is one of the highlights of the week - I love love love being out shopping. Sometimes I spend several hours just walking around and looking at all the beautiful vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. Even if I really only have to pick up a few small things, it never ends up being just that. My boyfriend always laughs when i arrive packed with groceries like a donkey. Luckily, we both love to cook, so everything will be eaten. It must be said that I live on countryside and it is of course possible in larger cities to buy what you want, when you want.





Turkish Lentil Soup - Mercimek Corbasi

I myself think and I also hope that others agree that I am better at cooking than I am at taking pictures of food! However, I hope that the lack of aesthetic food pictures will not keep you from trying this recipe. I promise it's delicious!


If the soup is the main course, 2 people can eat it. If it is for starters, it will be approx. 4.


It takes approx. 15 minutes preparation and 30 minutes to cook.


The Turks traditionally eat it quite thin, but I like it a bit thicker, like a puree when I make it at home. You can therefore slightly adjust the amount of water you add depending on the consistency you want your soup to have. I also love to eat the lentil soup with rice in it, but I also get some strange looks from the locals hehe.


Ingredients for lentil soup

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (I recommend a good quality one - YES! it matters)

  • 1 large onion

  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree

  • 2 tablespoons wheat flour ( gluten-free is okay or you can leave it out)

  • 1 large carrot

  • 1 medium potato

  • 1 teaspoon of salt (if there is a lot of salt in your tomato puree or broth, this can be omitted, you can also taste at the end)

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon cumin (optional)

  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika

  • 4 dl red lentils (yellow or green are also ok if you have nothing else at home)

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable broth (I use a low salt one from Herbamare - not advertising just my ultimate favorite broth)

  • 2 liters of water

  • Possibly Delicious bread you can eat with the soup (or rice - not sure if it's me who is super weird with rice in soup. If some of you try it with rice, please write what you think!)

Procedure for the lentil soup

  1. Cut the onions into coarse pieces and fry them in the olive oil.

  2. After the onions have fried a little, add the tomato puree and the spices: salt, pepper, cumin and paprika. (If it is about to burn, add a little water)

  3. Cut potatoes and carrots into coarse pieces and add them. (There is an incredible amount of nutrition in the skin, so I usually just wash them well and use them with the skin on them, but if you want to, peel both things first.

  4. Rinse the lentils well in a strainer so that the water that comes from them is clear and not dusty. Add them to the pan. It is important to rinse the lentils, it is also very important for the taste.

  5. Add (boiled) water with bullion in. The water must at least cover all the items, feel free to add more.

  6. Let the soup cook over low heat for approx. 40 minutes. When you can stick a fork through the potatoes and the lentils are soft, you can now blend the soup with an immersion blender. If you want the soup to have a more fluid consistency, you can add more water.

  7. Season with salt and pepper.


    If you want to eat the soup later as leftovers, it can become quite thick in consistency and you can safely add more water to give it the consistency you want.

 

Afiyet Olsun! This is how you say "bon appetit / enjoy your meal" in Turkish

I absolutely love what they say as thanks for food: "Ellinize Saglik" - which translates to health for your hands. And the meaning is that may your hands continue to be healthy so that you can continue to make more delicious food.


Do you want to try authentic delicious, healthy and fresh Turkish food in season?

Then travel with me on a Yoga trip with hiking to amazing Turkey. We will live in a large fruit plantation just 100m from the water and far from mass tourism!

Thanks for reading along! I hope the soup tastes good!

Namaste Emely



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