Mercimek Çorbası (Turkish Red Lentil Soup) 🍲

Method

1. 1

   Melt a knob of butter, softening the onion, carrot and potato for 5 minutes so they sweeten rather than color.

2. 2

   Add the tomato paste and fry 1 minute until its raw edge cooks off — this step separates restaurant soup from pot-and-hope.

3. 3

   Stir in lentils and cumin, cover with water or stock, salt lightly. Boil, then simmer 20 minutes until the lentils collapse completely.

4. 4

   Blend the soup silky-smooth with a stick blender; loosen with more water if it sets like porridge. Add lemon juice off the heat.

5. 5

   Make the suzme yağ: brown butter with Aleppo pepper and dried mint until it foams and smells; spoon a red sizzling coin over each bowl at the table.

6. 6

   Serve with lemon wedges and bread for dunking — never let it boil after the lemon goes in or the color dulls.