Turkish cuisine · Soups & Stews

Pancar Çorbası (Chard Soup)

Black Sea stew-style soup of chard with white beans and corn, finished creamy with yogurt.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 500 g chard
• 200 g beans
• 150 g corn
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1.2 l water
• 300 g yogurt
• 50 g butter
• 1 tsp pul biber (Turkish pepper flakes)
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the beans overnight, drain and cook in fresh water for 50 min. until soft; wash the chard, cut the stems into 1 cm pieces and slice the leaves into wide strips.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic and sauté in half the butter over medium heat for 5 min. until translucent.
3. Add the chard stems first and sauté for 5 min., then fold in the leaves and let them wilt.
4. Pour in the water, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 20 min. until everything is soft; add the beans and corn and let steep for 5 min., then season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, whisk the yogurt smooth with two ladles of hot soup and stir it in – do not let it boil from now on, or it will curdle.
6. Heat the remaining butter with the pul biber, drizzle over the bowls and serve the soup warm with bread.