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A bowl of creamy ivory-colored Çeşmi Nigar soup with a red pepper butter drizzle.

Authentic Ottoman Çeşmi Nigar Soup

A luxurious, historical Turkish red lentil soup featuring a creamy milk, egg yolk, and lemon tempering for a velvet-smooth finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Turkish
Calories: 239
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

The Soup Base:
  • 1 cup Red Lentils (rinsed)
  • 1 medium Onion (finely diced)
  • 4-5 tbsp Vegetable Oil or Butter
  • 1 tbsp All-purpose Flour
  • 6 cups Cold Water (adjust for thickness)
  • Salt (to taste)
The "Terbiye" (Tempering):
  • ½ cup Whole Milk
  • 1 Egg Yolk
  • Juice of 1/2 Lemon
The Sizzling Topping:
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Sweet Paprika

Equipment

  • Deep Soup Pot: For the main cooking process.
  • Immersion Blender: To get that signature pürüzsüz (perfectly smooth) texture.
  • Whisk: Essential for the tempering mixture.
  • Small Pan: For the sizzling red pepper butter topping.

Method
 

  1. Sauté the diced onions in oil/butter until soft. Add flour and cook until the raw smell is gone.
    Sautéing onions and flour in a soup pot for Ottoman soup.
  2. Add rinsed red lentils and sauté for 2 minutes to coat them in the roux.
    Adding red lentils to a sautéed onion and flour base.
  3. Pour in 6 cups of water and simmer on low heat until lentils are completely soft.
    Simmering red lentils in a large pot for Çeşmi Nigar.
  4. Use an immersion blender to process the soup until it is perfectly smooth and pürüzsüz.
    Blending a Turkish lentil soup with an immersion blender.
  5. Whisk milk, egg yolk, and lemon juice in a bowl. Temper with a ladle of hot soup.
    Whisking milk, egg, and lemon for a Turkish soup tempering.
  6. Slowly pour the tempered mixture into the soup while stirring continuously.
    Adding milk and egg tempering to a hot lentil soup.
  7. Prepare the sizzling red pepper butter and drizzle it over the bowls before serving.
    Pouring sizzling red pepper butter over a bowl of Çeşmi Nigar.

Video

Notes

This soup was historically served with a side of toasted sourdough croutons or a sprinkle of dried sumac for extra zest. For the best experience, serve hot at 70-80°C (158-176°F)!