Turkish cuisine · Soups & Stews

Toyga Soup

Central Anatolian yogurt soup with cracked wheat and chickpeas, bound with egg and topped with mint butter.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 150 g wheat berries
• 200 g chickpeas
• 600 g yogurt
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 l rich vegetable stock
• 50 g butter
• 1 tbsp mint
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the wheat berries and chickpeas separately in plenty of cold water the day before, then drain and rinse on cooking day.
2. Cook the chickpeas in water for 40 min. until soft, and cook the wheat berries separately for 35 min. until they split open; drain both.
3. Whisk the yogurt, egg and flour together in a bowl until completely smooth, with no flour lumps visible.
4. Heat the vegetable stock in a pot and pour in the yogurt mixture in a thin stream while stirring constantly.
5. Warm over low heat, stirring continuously in one direction, for 10 min. until the soup visibly thickens — it should only barely simmer, or the yogurt will curdle; add the wheat and chickpeas and season with salt.
6. Melt the butter, let the mint steep in it for 30 sec., pour over the soup and serve with freshly ground pepper.