Ekşili (Maraş Sour Soup) (Ekşili çorba)

Name: Ekşili (Maraş Sour Soup)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Türkiye
Ingredients: 150 g dövme (hulled wheat), soaked overnight; 150 g red lentils, rinsed; 150 g cooked chickpeas; 1 bunch chard with stalks, finely chopped (or purslane or 2 aubergines, diced); 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 to 2 tbsp sumac ekşi, or lemon juice, and salt; 3 tbsp butter or oil, 1 onion, 1 tsp tomato paste, 1 tsp dried mint, 1 tsp Maraş pepper flakes

Overview

Ekşili is the much-loved sour soup of Kahramanmaraş in southern Türkiye, and locals simply call it ekşili, the sour one. Hulled wheat called dövme, soaked overnight, is simmered with red lentils and chickpeas until the pot turns thick and creamy. A seasonal green or vegetable goes in next: finely chopped chard with its stalks is the most common choice, but purslane or aubergine are just as traditional. The sourness comes from ekşi, a concentrated sumac extract made in Maraş, along with plenty of garlic. Each bowl is finished with a sizzling sauce of butter or oil, onion, a little tomato paste, dried mint and dark red Maraş pepper flakes.

History

The soup is a fixture of home cooking in Kahramanmaraş, and many families cook it often during Ramadan for the evening iftar meal. According to the Ministry of Culture's Kültür Portalı, it is traditionally eaten with Maraş goat cheese or a baked börek made with it. In 2023 Maraş Ekşili Çorba was registered as a geographical indication product, joining Maraş ice cream and Maraş pepper among the city's protected specialities.

Main ingredients

Hulled wheat (dövme), red lentils, chickpeas, chard, purslane or aubergine, sumac sour (ekşi), dried mint and maraş pepper. The soup is built on water or meat broth and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.

Explore: Lentil soups · Chickpea soups · Barley and grains soups · Mint soups · Spinach and greens soups · More soups from Türkiye

Recipe

4Serves

1h 10m20 prep · 50 cook

~290kcal / serving

EasyDifficulty

Method

1
25 min
Simmer the soaked dövme in 1.8 l water or meat broth for 25 minutes, then add the lentils and cook until both are soft.
2
10 min
Add the chickpeas and the chopped chard and cook for 10 minutes, adding hot water if it gets too thick.
3
5 min
Stir in the garlic, the sumac ekşi and salt and simmer for 5 minutes, tasting for a clear sour edge.
4
Fry the finely chopped onion in the butter, add the tomato paste, mint and pepper flakes for a few seconds and pour over the soup to serve.
✓
Serve. About 1h 10m from start to bowl.

Sources

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.