Yogurt soup (Yayla çorbasi) is one of the most famous and classic soups in Turkey. There are many recipes for soups in Turkish cuisine, but there are a few of these soups that are known and popular in all of Turkey’s cities. Today I will share the Turkish yogurt soup recipe with you.
About This Recipe
Yogurt has a special place in Turkish food culture. Countless dishes are prepared or served with yogurt, such as kebabs, meze, and manti. The name of this soup is taken from the high mountains in the northern regions of Turkey called “Yaylalar” because yogurt and dairy products are found in abundance in this region and this soup was cooked in these regions. In Turkey, yogurt soup is believed to be as helpful as chicken soup to reduce the symptoms of cold and illness. This soup is packed with nutrients and has a mild minty taste that is easy to digest.
What You Will Need to Make Turkish Yogurt Soup Recipe
- Rice: Half-grain rice, unlike normal white rice, has short grains. This rice is usually used at home cooking or in foods such as Shir Berenj and soups.
- Dried Mint: Dried mint has many uses in Iranian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Sunlight, the microwave, and the oven can be used to dry mint.
- Yogurt: Yogurt is an integral part of Turkish cuisine. A variety of soups, drinks, and kebabs are prepared or served with yogurt.
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the rice under cool water before cooking. Add 3 cups of water and rice to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Lower the heat, cover, and wait for the rice to cook and soften.
- In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks, yogurt, flour, and 1 cup water with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Then add this mixture to the rice and stir.
- Add salt and white pepper and let the soup start to simmer. To avoid soup sticking to the pot, stir constantly.
- If the soup is too thick, you can add a little water to it. Melt the butter in a small frying pan and add the dried mint. Saute the dried mint on low heat for 1 minute and then remove it from the heat.
- Then add sautéed mint to the soup and mix well.
- Pour the soup into small bowls and garnish with sautéed mint and fresh mint leaves.
Pro Tips To Make Turkish Yogurt Soup
It is better to use half-grained or broken rice to cook yogurt soup. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little water to it. To garnish yogurt soup, you can use red pepper flakes sautéed in oil with dried mint.
How Do You Keep the Yogurt From Curdling?
Imagine a bowl of creamy and comforting soup with your favorite things. You found a great recipe and decided to go straight to the kitchen and cook it. All the ingredients are ready, all the steps are done one after another. Coming to the hardest part of the job. Now it’s time to add the seasoning. Guess what happened? Your delicious soup is curdled. This is one of the saddest things that can happen. So should you keep the Turkish yogurt soup from curdling?
This recipe calls for flour, egg yolk, water, and yogurt. One of the most important points is the freshness of the ingredients in the recipe. Use fresh yogurt. Sift the flour to make sure there are no lumps in it. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl. Whisk until smooth then leave it at room temperature for a while. If the yogurt mixture is cold and your soup is too hot, no matter how careful you are, your soup will curdle.
Then pour the yogurt into the soup little by little and keep mixing. When it reaches a smooth consistency let it for a few minutes. When it reaches desired consistency remove it from the heat and add the mint sauce.
Did you like the Turkish yogurt soup recipe? Leave your comment below and If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photos #yummynotes 
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rice
- 3 cups water
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- White pepper in the required amount
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp dried mint
Instructions
Step 1
Thoroughly rinse rice under cool water before cooking. Add 3 cups of water and rice to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Step 2
Lower the heat, cover, and wait for the rice to cook and soften.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks, yogurt, flour, and 1 cup water with a hand mixer until smooth.
Step 4
Then add this mixture to the rice and stir.
Step 5
Add salt and white pepper and let the soup start to simmer. To avoid soup sticking to the pot, stir often.
Step 6
If the soup is too thick, you can add a little water to it.
Step 7
Melt the butter in a small frying pan and add the dried mint. Saute the dried mint on low heat for 1 minute and then remove from the heat.
Step 8
Then add sautéed mint to the soup and mix well.
Step 9
Pour the soup into small bowls and garnish with sautéed mint and fresh mint leaves.
