It’s Always Time for Soup
Preparing pasta for soup in Sakarya, in the Marmara region of the Black Sea coast
On a star-filled December night, we sit with our friends, sipping spoonfuls of hot soup, in a corba lokantası, or soup restaurant, in the city of Konya in central Anatolia. We’ve just come from the opening ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes Festival honoring the mystic poet Jelaluddin Rumi. At the performance, we were enthralled by the moving meditation where the dervishes’ white coats were like clouds as they moved in slow, sweeping circles. Afterward at the restaurant, it is nearly midnight, but the tables around us are filled with other festival-goers fortifying themselves over bowls of soup, a staple of the typical Turkish diet.
In a room buzzing with animated conversation that steams the windows, the waiters hustle trays of aluminum condiment containers holding jars of dried mint, smoky red Aleppo pepper, black pepper and cumin to tables. Our friend Mahomut asks for extra lemon. We’ve adapted that Turkish taste for lemony soup in our own kitchens, in a rich broth thick with flavorful shredded chicken.
Soup recipes often carry with them years of tradition, like Bride’s Soup, thick with lentils and bulgur, served to the bride as sustenance for her wedding night and life to come. We once spent an afternoon in a seaside village near Kekova dancing with the bride-to-be and other young women while the men, separated by partitions of colorful hand-woven blankets, sang songs of love. One strummed a saz and another beat a rhythm on a drum held between his knees, while the older married women gossiped, and from time to time joined in song as they stirred cauldrons of soup.
Soups are eaten in Turkey for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As in many kitchens around the world, including our own, leftover vegetables and meats from tonight's dinner often end up in tomorrow’s soup pot. Inspired by thrift and creativity, our Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes and Spinach is one of them.
◁ Lentil Soup with Bulgur, Mint and Aleppo Pepper
SERVES 6
Afateful error in a hotel reservation in Istanbul brought us to a meticulously restored nineteenth-century Ottoman-style hotel in Sultanahmet, near the Hagia Sophia, managed by a stylish Dutch chef who also ran a cooking school in the basement. In addition to savory sarmas stuffed with herb-infused rice and pomegranate-marinated kebabs, the Cordon Bleu–trained chef, with the help of her Turkish partner, taught us to thicken a classic Turkish red lentil soup with a spice-infused roux of Aleppo pepper and dried mint.
If you make this in advance, be aware that the bulgur will expand, making the soup thick. You may thin it with water as needed while reheating. This soup can serve as a main course with the addition of shredded cooked chicken, beef or lamb to the bottom of the bowl. Ladle the hot soup on top.
1 cup (200 g) dried red lentils
2 cups (473 ml) water
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Turkish red pepper paste
6 cups (14 dL) vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 cup (35 g) coarse bulgur wheat
2 to 4 teaspoons salt
Lemon wedges, for serving
Plain yogurt, for garnish
Chopped fresh mint, for garnish
Put the lentils in a colander, rinse well and transfer to a 11/2 quart (14 dL) pot. Add the water and set over medium heat, uncovered, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the lentils begin to fall apart. They will change color from orange to yellow. Skim any foam from the surface during cooking. Add additional water if needed to keep the lentils submerged.
To make the soup, melt the butter with the vegetable oil in a large soup pot over a medium-low heat. Add the flour, stirring quickly to make a roux, and then stir in the dried mint and the Aleppo pepper.
Add the tomato paste and red pepper paste to the roux and stir vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes to incorporate the flavors.
Slowly whisk the broth into the roux. Add the lentils. Increase the heat to medium, stirring occasionally, until the soup starts to boil.
Add the bulgur and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the soup from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add salt to taste. Be generous, as lentils need a lot of salt to bring out their flavor. Turn off the heat, cover and let the soup sit for 5 to 10 minutes so that the bulgur can reconstitute. You can reheat the soup for a minute or two at low heat to bring the temperature back up.
Serve with lemon wedges. Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of yogurt and fresh chopped mint.
Note: If red pepper paste is not available, increase the amount of tomato paste to 2 tablespoons and the Aleppo pepper to 11/2 teaspoons.
Boats on the Golden Horn, near the Suleymaniye Mosque
Lentils of all hues, a Turkish pantry staple, are ready for the soup pot.
Velvety Red Lentil Soup with Lemon
SERVES 6
Behind an unassuming façade, Sultanahmet Köftecesi’s tables are filled with locals and tourists alike. While famous for its meat köfte, it is our go-to spot for pure and simple red lentil soup, especially after enjoying a Turkish bath at the nearby Çemberlitaş Hamamı. We like to sit at a marble table overlooking the Divanyolu, the Divine Road, watching students alighting from the tram on their way to Istanbul University and tourists ambling toward the Grand Bazaar. Alongside our bowls of soup, a basket—all too soon empty—brims with slices of soft fresh bread to dip into the broth. We do as the locals do, and squeeze fresh lemon juice into our soup, adding dried mint and Aleppo pepper to taste. At home, we make this soup often, and sometimes top it with rosemary- or thyme-flavored croutons.
11/2 cups (300 g) dried red lentils
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup (55 g) roughly chopped sweet onion, such as Vidalia
1/2 cup (70 g) roughly chopped carrots
1/2 cup (50 g) roughly chopped celery, strings removed
11/2 teaspoons salt, divided
6 cups (14 dL) vegetable, chicken or beef stock, or water
Plain yogurt, for garnish
Aleppo pepper, or hot or sweet paprika, for garnish
Dried mint or chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
Put the lentils in a colander, rinse well and set aside. Set a large pot over medium-low heat and add the butter. Swirl in the cumin and stir for 30 seconds until the cumin releases its perfume.
Add the onions, carrots, celery and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Sauté the vegetables for 10 minutes over low heat until the carrots and celery are soft and the onions are translucent but not brown. Slowly add the stock. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.
Stir in the lentils and bring back to a boil. Give the mixture a stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are completely tender.
Turn off the heat and let the soup cool for a few minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until creamy. (It can also be pureed in batches in a blender or food processor.) Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, if needed.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with a spoonful of yogurt, sprinkle with Aleppo pepper and dried mint, and squeeze a lemon wedge on top.
Mediterranean Chicken Soup with Lemon and Cumin
SERVES 6 TO 8
This bright, creamy soup has two inspirations. The first was the flavorful carcass remaining after a meal of Cumin-Scented Roast Chicken Stuffed with Preserved Lemons and Thyme. The second is our love for the rich egg and lemon emulsion used to thicken soups throughout the Mediterranean region that’s called terviye in Turkey, from the Arabic tarbiya, meaning to improve and refine. A handful of aromatic chopped dill reminds us of our Ottoman-Greek friends whose families planted the feathery herb in their gardens along the Aegean Coast. Serve with feta Gougères and a crisp French Viognier or other fruit-forward white wine.
8 cups (19 dL) chicken stock
1/2 cup (105 g) uncooked orzo
1 cup (120 g) thinly sliced carrots
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 cup (195 g) shredded cooked chicken
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons salt (depending upon the broth’s saltiness)
1/4 cup (13 g) chopped fresh dill, for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving
In a large soup pot, bring the stock to a boil. Add the orzo, carrots and cumin. Cook at a low boil for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, depending upon the size of the orzo, until it is cooked through and the carrots are tender.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice until the mixture is the consistency of thick cream. To temper the egg and lemon mixture before adding it to the soup, slowly whisk a ladleful of broth into the bowl.
Add the tempered egg and lemon mixture to the hot soup, whisking gently until the soup becomes creamy. Do not allow it to boil or the eggs will curdle. Add salt to taste, garnish with chopped dill and serve with lemon wedges.
◁ Dilled Yogurt Soup with Chickpeas and Rice
SERVES 4 TO 6
Often served after sunset to break the fast during Ramadan, this immensely comforting soup is served warm. We first tasted it in Gaziantep, a city near the Syrian border that is a culinary epicenter of Turkey, located on a major ancient trading route from east to west. Traditionally, tiny chickpea-sized balls made from chickpea flour give the soup a tender bite. While this labor-intensive step of rolling tiny dumplings brings women together in the kitchen for hours, we achieve nearly the same result by using canned chickpeas, which have a softer texture than those cooked from dried beans. Serve this soup warm with a drizzle of red pepper butter and Sweet Potato Yufka.
FOR THE RICE
1/2 cup (90 g) basmati rice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE SOUP
1 cup (240 ml) plain yogurt
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups (12 dL) vegetable or chicken stock, divided
1 cup (220 g) canned chickpeas, drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup (13 g) chopped dill, plus 1 tablespoon, for garnish
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving
In a small saucepan, combine the rice and salt with 1 cup (236 ml) water. Bring to a boil, stirring once. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the water is absorbed. Set aside.
In a large heavy pot, whisk together the yogurt, egg yolk and flour. Turn the heat to medium and whisk in 4 cups of the stock. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to the consistency of cream. Do not let the mixture boil as it may curdle.
Stir in the rice and chickpeas. Add up to 1 more cup (236 ml) of stock to keep the soup creamy but not too thin and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the salt and lemon juice. Stir in the 1/4 cup (13 g) of dill.
Mix together the melted butter and Aleppo pepper. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, drizzle with the hot pepper butter and garnish with the reserved tablespoon of chopped dill. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Adding olive oil to caçik with mint and parsley at a kitchen in Istanbul
Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes and Spinach
SERVES 4 TO 6
On a June afternoon, Erkut, owner of a small locanta in Harbiye—home of one of the world’s largest laurel groves—invited us into the kitchen to meet Seyval, his wife. She showed us how to make the excellent chickpea soup we’d just had for lunch. From a large picture window, beyond the cypress and laurel trees, we could see the road from Harbiye to the Syrian border, slipping over the mountain range like a golden sash. While Seyval softened chopped onions and celery in butter and oil, she told us that her grandparents had left Syria before she was born, and that her grandmother taught her how to make this soup with dried chickpeas—a family staple—spinach and tomatoes from the garden and a single dried bay leaf plucked from a garland hanging over the kitchen door. This soup brightens our tables year round. In colder months, we substitute canned plum tomatoes and serve it with a Cheese-Filled Bread Boat for lunch or supper.
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup (65 g) finely chopped onion
1/2 cup (50 g) finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried mint
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
11/2 cups (250 g) peeled, seeded and roughly chopped fresh or canned plum tomatoes, including any juice
1 quart (1 L) vegetable, chicken or beef stock
1 dried bay leaf
3/4 cup (105 g) diced carrots
3/4 cup (105 g) diced potato
11/2 cups (330 g) cooked chickpeas or 1 (15-ounce / 425-g) can chickpeas, undrained
1 to 2 teaspoons salt (use less if broth is salted)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (90 g) coarsely chopped spinach
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving
In a large heavy soup pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook until just softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the Aleppo pepper, paprika, mint and cumin until the spices release their fragrance. Add the tomatoes and the broth and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the bay leaf, carrots and potatoes. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
Add the chickpeas, salt and pepper, and bring back to a simmer. Stir in the chopped spinach. As soon as the spinach wilts, garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.