Toyga Soup (Toyga çorbası)
Overview
Toyga is a Central Anatolian yogurt soup similar to yayla soup but heartier, made with whole or hulled wheat and chickpeas. The grains and chickpeas are cooked until soft, then yogurt beaten with egg and a little flour is tempered and stirred in, giving a creamy, tangy body. Butter with dried mint, and sometimes red pepper, is poured on top. The chewy wheat makes it substantial enough to be a light meal on its own, and it is a familiar soup at family meals and village gatherings.
Pictures
History
Yogurt has been central to Turkic and Anatolian diets for centuries, and many regions developed their own yogurt soups using local grains. Toyga is especially associated with Central Anatolia, where wheat and dairy were the backbone of rural cooking. The name is used for slightly different recipes from place to place, but the combination of yogurt, grain and mint stays the same.
Main ingredients
Yogurt, wheat berries or rice, chickpeas, flour, egg, dried mint. The soup is built on yogurt and stock and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~55 min
Ingredients
- 100 g wheat berries or rice
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1.2 l stock or water
- 400 g yogurt
- 1 egg, 1 tbsp flour
- 30 g butter, 1 tbsp dried mint
Method
- Cook the wheat in the stock until tender (soak overnight if using whole wheat).
- Add the chickpeas.
- Whisk yogurt, egg and flour, temper with hot stock and stir in.
- Simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring, then top with mint butter.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.