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Ezogelin çorbası
Red lentil and bulgur soup
Ezogelin çorbası: Gaziantep red lentil soup with bulgur, rice and dried mint
Gaziantep gave Turkey this hearty soup, named after Ezo, a bride from a village near the city whose sad story is still told in folk songs. Unlike the smooth mercimek soup, ezogelin keeps some texture: red lentils, bulgur and a little rice simmer together with tomato and red pepper paste until thick and soft, and plenty of dried mint goes in at the end. In southeast Turkey it is a winter staple, eaten in the morning and as a light supper with bread and a squeeze of lemon. It thickens as it stands, so add a splash of water when you reheat it. Chef's tip: rub the dried mint between your palms over the pot to release its oils just before you serve.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası)mild or hot
- 5 ½ oz red lentilsrinsed
- 1 ⅜ oz fine bulgur wheat
- 1 oz short-grain ricerinsed
- 6 ¼ cups hot vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp dried mint
- 1 lemoncut into wedges
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 2: Add 2 garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste and 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste (biber salçası) and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until they darken to brick red and smell rich.
2 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz red lentils, 1 ⅜ oz fine bulgur wheat and 1 oz short-grain rice and stir to coat them in the paste. Pour in 6 ¼ cups hot vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Step 4: Lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 25 minutes, stirring often, especially towards the end. The common mistake is leaving it alone: lentils and bulgur settle and catch on the bottom, and a scorched taste spreads through the whole pot. It is ready when the lentils have melted, the rice is soft and the soup is thick but still pourable.
25 minStep 5: Season with 1 tsp salt. For a creamier soup, give it 3 or 4 pulses with a stick blender, but leave plenty of texture.
Step 6: Warm the rest of ⅞ tbsp olive oil in a small pan over a low heat, take it off the heat and stir in 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (pul biber). Rub 2 tsp dried mint between your palms over the soup, stir, then drizzle over the red oil.
1 minStep 7: Serve hot with 1 lemon wedges and bread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ezogelin çorbası take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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