Yüksük Soup (Yüksük çorbası)
Overview
Yüksük means 'thimble', and this soup from south-eastern Turkey is named after its tiny dumplings, small enough to fit on a fingertip. They are made from a bulgur dough or pasta dough, sometimes filled with minced meat, and simmered in a broth with chickpeas and lentils. Some versions are finished with yogurt, others with tomato and mint. Rolling hundreds of tiny dumplings takes patience, so the soup is often prepared by several family members together, especially in Gaziantep, Kilis and Hatay.
Pictures
History
Like other dumpling soups of the region, yüksük reflects the importance of bulgur and careful handwork in south-eastern Turkish cooking. Local cooks have passed down the technique for generations, and the soup is often cited as an example of the region's rich home cooking. The exact origin of the recipe is not documented, but its name is widely known.
Main ingredients
Tiny stuffed bulgur dumplings, chickpeas, green lentils, yogurt or tomato, dried mint, butter. The soup is built on meat broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~95 min
Ingredients
- 250 g fine bulgur, 2 tbsp semolina
- 150 g spiced minced meat (optional filling)
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas, 60 g green lentils
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or 300 g yogurt
- 1.5 l stock
- butter, dried mint
Method
- Knead bulgur and semolina into a dough and roll into tiny thimble-shaped dumplings, filling with meat if you like.
- Simmer the lentils in the stock until almost tender, then add the chickpeas.
- Add the dumplings and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Finish with tomato or tempered yogurt and mint butter.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.