Ezogelin çorbası – spicy Turkish soup with lentils and bulgur Recipe
Ezogelin çorbası is a warming soup made with red lentils, bulgur, and rice, seasoned with mint and hot paprika. In Turkey it’s often served for dinner, especially in winter, as well as a first course at weddings and larger celebrations. The flavor is more pronounced than classic lentil soup, with a gentle heat and herbal aroma.
This soup combines three types of grains—red lentils, bulgur, and rice—for a particularly satisfying, velvety texture. The finishing touch of butter infused with dried mint gives it a distinctive Turkish character and a deep, aromatic flavor that sets it apart from standard lentil soups.
Chef's tips
Rinse the lentils, bulgur, and rice thoroughly to remove excess starch and any impurities—this helps keep the flavor clean and prevents the soup from becoming gluey. Keep the heat low when frying the paprika and tomato paste so they don’t burn and turn bitter. Adjust the thickness at the end: Ezogelin should be clearly thick but still pourable, not a purée.
How to serve
Serve Ezogelin çorbası very hot, with lemon wedges for squeezing and fresh bread or warm pita on the side. For a more filling meal, pair it with a simple cucumber–tomato salad and olives. A spoonful of thick natural or Turkish yogurt on top adds creaminess and balances the spiciness.
Ingredients
- red lentils dry - 150 g
- fine bulgur - 40 g
- rice short-grain or long-grain - 30 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- carrot medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- tomato paste - 20 g
- butter - 25 g
- vegetable oil - 15 ml
- dried mint - 3 g
- hot ground paprika - 2 g
- sweet ground paprika - 3 g
- vegetable stock or chicken stock - 1.2 l
- salt to taste - 5 g
- lemon for serving, in wedges - 0.5 piece
Preparation
- Rinse the lentils, bulgur, and rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water is almost clear.
- Finely dice the onion, grate the carrot on the large holes of a grater, and chop the garlic.
- In a large pot, heat the oil with half of the butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for 3–5 minutes, until softened and slightly translucent, without browning.
- Add the grated carrot and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring.
- Add the sweet and hot paprika, stir quickly, and after about 20 seconds add the tomato paste and cook for another minute to let it lightly caramelize.
- Pour in the stock, add the rinsed lentils, bulgur, and rice, and stir.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook covered for about 25–30 minutes, until the lentils and grains are very soft and the soup has clearly thickened; stir from time to time so nothing sticks to the bottom.
- If the soup is too thick, add a little hot water; if it’s too thin, cook for a few minutes uncovered.
- In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter, add the dried mint, and cook over low heat for about 30 seconds, until it becomes very fragrant but does not brown.
- Remove the soup from the heat, add the mint butter, stir, and season with salt to taste.
- You can lightly blend the soup with an immersion blender, giving just a few short pulses so that some of the ingredients break down, but not to a completely smooth purée.
- Serve hot, with a lemon wedge to squeeze directly into the bowl.
Storage
Zupa gęstnieje w lodówce, więc przy podgrzewaniu dolej trochę wody lub bulionu, aby uzyskać odpowiednią konsystencję. Można ją mrozić w porcjach do 3 miesięcy, najlepiej bez dodatku cytryny – sok dodaj dopiero po rozmrożeniu i podgrzaniu.
