Turkish Chicken Soup (Tavuk suyu çorbası)
Overview
Tavuk suyu çorbası is Turkey's go-to soup for colds and recovery. A whole chicken or pieces on the bone are simmered into a clear broth, the meat is shredded, and the broth is cooked with fine vermicelli or rice. Many cooks then add an egg yolk and lemon liaison, which turns the soup creamy and gives it a gentle tang, while others leave it clear with just lemon and black pepper. It is served in restaurants, hospitals and homes, and is especially popular in winter.
History
Chicken broths have been valued as restorative food in many cultures, and Ottoman and Turkish cooks used chicken stock as the base for countless dishes. The egg-lemon finish connects this soup to related dishes around the eastern Mediterranean, such as Greek avgolemono. In modern Turkey it has become a standard menu item and the soup most people associate with feeling better.
Main ingredients
Chicken, vermicelli or rice, egg yolk, lemon, carrot, black pepper. The soup is built on chicken broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~75 min
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken pieces on the bone
- 1 carrot, diced
- 60 g vermicelli or rice
- 1 egg yolk, juice of 1 lemon
- black pepper
- parsley
Method
- Simmer the chicken in 2 l salted water for 45 minutes; shred the meat.
- Strain the broth, add the carrot and vermicelli and cook for 10 minutes.
- Temper the egg yolk and lemon with hot broth and stir in off the boil.
- Return the chicken, season with pepper and add parsley.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.