Kesme Noodle Soup (Kesme çorbası)
Overview
Kesme means 'cut', and this soup is made with small squares or strips of homemade egg noodle dough, rolled thin and cut by hand. The noodles are simmered in a tomato-tinged broth, often with green lentils or chickpeas, and finished with butter and dried mint. Some households serve it with a spoon of garlicky yogurt. The fresh noodles give a soft, slightly chewy bite that is quite different from dried pasta. It is a typical winter soup of Central and Eastern Anatolia.
Pictures
History
Hand-cut noodles have a long history among Turkic peoples, with related doughs found from Central Asia to Anatolia. Families traditionally made large batches of noodles called erişte or kesme in late summer, dried them and stored them for winter. Kesme soup continues that tradition and remains a common dish in village and city homes alike.
Main ingredients
Homemade egg noodles (kesme), green lentils or chickpeas, tomato paste, butter, dried mint, yogurt (optional). The soup is built on water or stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~60 min
Ingredients
- 200 g flour, 1 egg, salt (for the noodles)
- 100 g green lentils, cooked
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 l stock or water
- 30 g butter, 1 tbsp dried mint
- garlic yogurt to serve
Method
- Knead flour, egg, salt and a little water into a firm dough; rest, roll thin and cut into small squares.
- Fry the tomato paste in half the butter and add the stock and lentils.
- Add the noodles and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
- Finish with mint butter and serve with yogurt if you like.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.