Ezogelin Soup (Ezogelin çorbası)
Overview
Ezogelin is one of Turkey's best-loved soups, a heartier cousin of plain red lentil soup. Red lentils are cooked with a little fine bulgur and rice, so the soup keeps some texture instead of becoming a smooth purée. Onion, tomato paste and red pepper paste give it a deep orange colour, and a generous pinch of dried mint and hot pepper flakes, sizzled in oil or butter, perfumes the pot. It is a staple of tradesmen's restaurants and home kitchens alike, usually served with lemon wedges and bread.
Pictures
History
The soup is named after Ezo, a young woman from a village near Gaziantep whose life story, marked by an unhappy first marriage and a hard life far from home, became a well-known folk tale in Turkey. The tale has been retold in songs and a film. Whether she really created the recipe is uncertain, but her name has stayed with this lentil and bulgur soup across the country.
Main ingredients
Red lentils, bulgur, rice, onion, tomato and pepper paste, dried mint. The soup is built on vegetable stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegan; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~45 min
Ingredients
- 200 g red lentils
- 2 tbsp fine bulgur
- 2 tbsp rice
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp pepper paste
- 1.6 l stock or water
- 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp dried mint, chilli flakes
Method
- Soften the onion in oil and stir in both pastes.
- Add lentils, bulgur, rice and the stock; simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Season with salt and thin with water if it gets too thick.
- Warm a little oil with mint and chilli flakes and pour over the soup before serving.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.