Ezogelin Çorbası (Lentil, Bulgur & Mint Soup)
ایزوگیلن چوربا (دال، بلغور اور پودینے کا سوپ)
Ezogelin is mercimek çorbası's heartier cousin from south-east Turkey. Red lentils are joined by a handful of rice and , the base is brick-red with tomato and pepper , and a generous amount of dried mint and gives it a warm, peppery taste. It isn't blended, so it has texture, and it's thick enough to be a meal with bread. The name comes from a folk story about a bride called Ezo, but every Turkish cook will tell you the version they grew up with.
- ⏱ Total: 50 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 40 min
- Easy
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Melt the butter in a over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato and pepper pastes and fry for 2 minutes, stirring, until they darken slightly and smell sweet.
Add the lentils, rice and bulgur and stir to coat. Pour in the hot water, add the cumin and salt, and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down and the rice and bulgur are soft. Add hot water if it gets too thick; it should be thick but pourable.
Rub the dried mint between your palms and stir it in with the pul biber. Simmer for 2 more minutes.
Serve hot with lemon wedges and bread.
Kitchen notes
Be generous with the dried mint. It's the main flavour of ezogelin, not a garnish.
Bulgur is sold in some Pakistani supermarkets and Arab grocery stores. Coarse dalia (cracked wheat) is a good substitute.
The soup keeps thickening as it stands. Thin it with hot water when reheating.
A thicker, mintier lentil soup
Ezogelin is the soup you choose when you want something more filling than mercimek çorbası. It’s from the region around Gaziantep, close to the Syrian border, and it carries that region’s love of pepper paste and dried mint.
The ingredients that make it
Three grains. Red lentils break down and thicken the soup; a little rice and stay whole and give it body. Together they make a soup that’s almost a light stew.
Two pastes. Tomato paste for sweetness and red pepper paste for a gentle, smoky heat. Frying them in butter for two minutes before the water goes in deepens their flavour, much like the stage in a Pakistani salan, but much shorter.
Dried mint. In Turkey, dried mint (nane) is a pantry staple, and ezogelin uses plenty of it. Rubbing it between your palms as you add it releases the aroma.
Pakistani pantry notes
If you can’t find pepper paste, use 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and an extra half teaspoon of paprika. Bulgur can be replaced with coarse dalia. Pul biber can be made from 2 parts paprika to 1 part crushed red chili.
Serving
Serve with bread and lemon. It’s a good iftar soup and a warming winter dinner on its own.
Questions people ask
What's the difference between ezogelin and mercimek çorbası?
Mercimek is blended smooth and mild, with carrot and potato. Ezogelin is not blended, includes rice and bulgur, and is spicier and mintier.
Can I skip the bulgur?
Yes. Use 4 tablespoons of rice instead. The texture will be a little softer.
Is it good for iftar?
Very. In Turkey, a bowl of lentil soup is the most common first dish after dates and water.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 270
- Protein
- 12 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
