Creamy Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Bread
Turkish mercimek çorbası made fast: red lentils, ground beef, and tomato paste blended smooth, finished with lemon and served with crispy toasted bread and pumpkin seeds. Comfort in a bowl.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
7 items — tap to check off
Missing one? Custrd suggests a swap that works.
Open the appInstructions
Step 1
Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon until no pink remains, about 4 minutes.
Step 2
Add diced onion and cook until softened and fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in tomato paste, coating the beef and onion, then add red lentils and broth.
Step 4
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until lentils are completely soft and fall apart, about 12 minutes.
Step 5
Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy, working in batches if needed.
Step 6
Squeeze lemon juice into the soup, stir, and taste for salt and pepper. Toast bread slices until golden, then serve soup topped with bread and pumpkin seeds.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (5-quart minimum)
- wooden spoon
- immersion blender
- toaster or toaster oven
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
Custrd is an iPhone and Android app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations. Try it free for 7 days.
