Beyran Corbasi: Turkish lamb soup with rice and garlic

When it's soup time in south-eastern Gaziantep, it means one thing for the locals: Beyran soup.

The Turkish lamb soup with rice, garlic and "hot" is a classic in south-eastern Turkey. No visitor will leave Gaziantep and the surrounding area without trying Beyran Corbasi. While Beyran soup is incredibly tasty anyway, for many it is also the all-rounder par excellence.

Feeling cold? Eat Beyran soup.

You have a cold? Beyran soup.

Breakfast? Beyran soup.

Beyran, as the soup is often called for short in Turkey, is actually also a classic for Turkish breakfast. This is why soup and breakfast restaurants often serve the hearty Turkish lamb soup early in the morning. If a restaurant here in Istanbul (mostly typical barbecue restaurants or "dürümcüs", i.e. restaurants serving barbecue skewers in a dürüm) also offers Beyran soup, it is often advertised straight away. After all, everyone wants to enjoy Beyran.

But what exactly is Beyran soup?

Beyran soup is actually a bone broth. Traditionally, this Turkish soup is eaten from soup kitchens due to its complex or lengthy preparation. This is because lamb is cooked on the bone for a good 12 hours. This produces the strong broth, which is crucial for the taste and numerous benefits of Turkish lamb soup. For an even stronger taste, the bone broth is left to infuse overnight.

The complete Beyran soup is then prepared in portions. A little lamb fat (taken from the cooled soup), some cooked rice, the dissolved lamb, crushed garlic, pul biber* and pepper are added. These are arranged in traditional small copper bowls*, in which the beyran soup is also served.

The bowl is placed on the stove and the contents must not be stirred for a few minutes over a medium heat. After a few minutes, ladle some of the fat-free part of the bone broth into the pan. The soup is then served directly in the pan without stirring. Add lemon, salt and pul biber to season. 

Beyran soup made easy: our recipe

We have explained how to prepare Beyran soup in the traditional and elaborate way. But before you click away again because you were only looking for quick Turkish-style lamb recipes or a quick Turkish lamb soup, read on. Because our Beyran soup recipe is of course not that complicated. The ingredients are the same and the taste is just as strong and aromatic - but the Turkish soup with rice is quicker to prepare. 

And how could you cook meat faster than in a pressure cooker? The meat will soon fall apart in it. Alternatively, you can also cook the beyran soup in a normal pot. Our recipe is not a typical bone broth. But it is still a delicious broth. We also cook the garlic directly in the stock. This not only gives off a delicious flavor, but also saves time when serving.

At the end, we roast the spices in fat and add the meat and stock. The rice is also cooked directly in the soup. In addition, our Beyran soup recipe is not prepared in portions, but you ladle the soup directly from the pot.

Which meat is best for the Beyran soup recipe?

Beyran soup is traditionally a lamb/mutton soup. Lamb neck, lamb cheeks, lamb leg or sometimes lamb ribs are therefore used. However, our recipe is not very precise. As we have a pieces of mutton in the freezer at the moment, we have simply chosen any piece of meat with bone. It is important that there is not too much fat. But you can also cut away some of the fat.

And even if it's a traditional lamb neck recipe, you can also use other meat. When we were still in Austria, for example, it was difficult to get hold of lamb. So we also prepared the Beyran soup recipe with beef and without bones. You can also use typical goulash meat. The Beyran soup will then be a beef soup with rice. It is therefore less hearty, but at least as tasty. However, as the fat in the stock is also less in this case, use butter when preparing the Beyran soup. 

Beyran soup recipe: Turkish lamb soup with rice and garlic

Preparation

Step 1: Put the meat, sliced garlic cloves, water and salt in a pan. Boil everything until the meat separates from the bone. The longer you cook the stock, the more aromatic it will be. If you need it very quickly, use a pressure cooker and cook everything for at least 45 minutes. If you have more time, we definitely recommend a longer cooking time.

Step 2: Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the stock and pull it with your hands. 

Step 3: Scoop out some of the fat from the stock and put it in a pan. If you have used beef, use 1 tbsp butter instead. Now fry the paprika powder and Pul Biber in it. However, make sure that the temperature is not too hot, otherwise it will develop a bitter taste. Deglaze everything with all the stock and a little pepper.

Step 4: Add the washed rice to the stock and cook until done.

Step 5: To serve, place some loosened meat in each soup bowl and pour the Beyran soup over it. Enjoy the soup with extra pul biber and lemon wedges, depending on the desired spiciness.