Turkish red lentil soup mercimek

Name: Turkish red lentil soup mercimek
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 200 g red lentils; 1 pc onion; 1 pc carrot; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1200 ml vegetable broth; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon ground caraway; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1 pc lemon; salt; ground pepper; 30 g butter; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Eduard LáskaSoupTurkish Cuisine x se líbilo

Mercimek is a smooth Turkish red lentil soup, cooked down with onion, garlic and carrot to a velvety texture. Cumin, sweet paprika and tomato paste give it a warm color and the aroma of Middle Eastern cooking, brightened by a squeeze of lemon. It is finished with melted paprika butter that forms a bright orange ring on the surface. It is served hot with a slice of lemon and bread, and in Turkey it is an everyday dish found in every eatery.

Příprava: 10min

Vaření: 25min

CELKOVÝ ČAS: 35min

Step by step process

Preparing the base

1
For the red lentil soup mercimek prepare the base: heat olive oil in a pot and sauté the chopped onion for 3 minutes until golden, add crushed garlic and diced carrot. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in tomato paste, ground cumin and sweet paprika.

Cooking and blending

2
Add the rinsed red lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until lentils and carrot are tender. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, then season it with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
3
Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add paprika and let it become fragrant for 30 seconds. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with paprika butter. Serve hot with lemon wedges.