In the Kitchen With April: Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezo Bride Soup)

One of my favorite soups is Ezo Gelin Corbasi. It is a smooth creamy soup that has a robust flavor and is very nutritious. While pregnant with my daughter, Stella, I was living in Turkey. Ezogelin soup was my life line. It was one of the few things I could eat and feel completely satisfied. There were many soup restaurants near our house and it was always a treat to have a hot bowl of soup with a squeeze of lemon juice and some delicious crusty Turkish bread or freshly made croutons!

Ezo Bride Soup (Ezo Gelin Corbasi)

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Large Yellow Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Tomato
1 Carrot
2 Cups Red Lentils
1/4 Cup Jasmine Rice
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/2 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Mint
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
8 Cups Chicken Stock or Water
For Serving: Melted Butter, Crushed Mint, Lemon Wedges, Croutons (optional)

Cooking Directions

Finely chop the carrot, onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent in the olive oil and butter. Peel, seed and chop the tomato and add to the stockpot along with the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Add the lentils, rice and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Your soup should be a creamy consistency. If your soup is too thick you can add more stock or water and adjust the salt as necessary. Ezo Gelin Soup is served with crushed mint, melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. You can top with croutons if you like. Afiyet olsun! Enjoy!