Tarhana Soup (Tarhana çorbası)
Overview
Tarhana soup is made from one of Anatolia's oldest pantry foods. Tarhana is a dough of flour, yogurt and vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and onions, left to ferment, then dried in the sun and crumbled into a coarse powder. Stirred into water or stock with a little tomato paste and butter, it thickens in minutes into a sour, savoury soup with a pleasantly tangy depth. Families traditionally make tarhana in late summer to last through the winter, so a hot bowl is a classic cold-weather meal.
Pictures
History
Tarhana belongs to a family of fermented grain and dairy foods eaten across Turkey, the Balkans, Greece, Iran and Central Asia, with names such as trahanas and kashk-like relatives. Preparing it was a way to preserve summer milk and vegetables for the lean months. In Turkey every region has its own recipe, and making tarhana together remains a seasonal tradition for many households.
Main ingredients
Tarhana (fermented dried yogurt-flour mix), tomato paste, butter, red pepper, dried mint. The soup is built on water or stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~20 min
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp tarhana powder
- 1.2 l water or stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 30 g butter
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp dried mint
Method
- Soak the tarhana in a glass of cold water for 10 minutes.
- Melt half the butter, fry the tomato paste briefly, then add the stock.
- Whisk in the tarhana and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring, until thick.
- Season, and finish with the remaining butter sizzled with pepper flakes and mint.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.