Oh, how we love soups. Here in Turkey, there are eateries on every corner, with a wide variety of soups on the menu every day. In addition to the classic lentil soup, there are mainly soups with offal and meat on offer. Strangely enough, the soup we want to introduce to you today is never available in soup kitchens or restaurants. At least not in the ones we know.
So while eateries don't offer our delicious Turkish yoghurt soup, it is one of the most popular soups in Turkish households. After all, it is easy to prepare, ideal for children and has a subtle taste. This also makes it ideal alongside various main dishes, such as orman kebabi or pizza.
And we notice it in the flow of writing: Perhaps this is also the reason why the yoghurt soup is simply not on offer. It is simply much more of a side dish than a hot, hearty meal for lunch...Mystery solved.
Instead, Turkish yogurt soup, also known as yayla corbasi (alpine soup), is part of my mother(-in-law's) standard menu. Since we emigrated to Turkey, we have to make the soup ourselves, for better or worse. But this time we'll be using our mother(-in-law's) recipe, which is sure to succeed.
Tip for Turkish yoghurt soup recipe
At first glance, you might why a Turkish yoghurt soup should be difficult. But in fact, we struggled when we first tried it. The reason? The risk of curdling!
Because if you don't do it right, the Turkish yoghurt soup will curdle into crumbly cheese. But our original Turkish recipe is tried and tested and guaranteed to succeed.
Another tip: solid Turkish yogurt (or Greek yogurt) makes the soup much better than the creamy one from the pot. You could also try using Greek yogurt, but then the soup will of course be fatter.
Incidentally, you can also prepare the Turkish yoghurt soup with a garnish. Rice, bulgur, chickpeas, buckwheat or even meatballs can all be used to make different variations of yoghurt soup. But with our basic recipe, you're already well catered for.
Incidentally, the Turkish mint* butter gives the slightly tart yoghurt soup a tangy kick. Don't forget it and please don't replace it by tipping the mint directly into the soup. Trust us on this one... we speak from disappointing experience.
And now: Afiyet olsun!
Turkish yogurt soup with mint butter recipe
Ingredients (for approx. 1 liter)
- 5 full tablespoons of yogurt
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp oil
- water
- salt
For the mint butter
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp dried mint*
Preparation
Step 1: Mix the yogurt, egg, flour and oil in a saucepan with a whisk. The mixture should be very smooth. Now add a cup of water and stir the mixture.
Step 2: Place the pan on the stove over a medium heat and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly. This is important to prevent the soup from flocculating.
Step 3: When the soup comes to the boil and thickens, you can add the remaining water and salt the yoghurt soup. Stir everything again and leave the soup to cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Prepare the mint butter. To do this, melt the butter in a pan and add the dried mint. Fry for about 1 minute. Stir the mint butter through the finished yoghurt soup and serve hot.
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