Ezogelin chorba is a thick Turkish soup, in which red lentils are combined with rice, fine bulgur, salsa and aromatic spices.
Required products:
- 1 tea cup of red lentils
- 2 tablespoons of fine bulgur
- 2 tablespoons of rice
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of pepper salsa
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 7 teaspoons hot water or broth
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- 1 teaspoon sweet red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Lemon juice and hot pepper flakes for serving
Preparation method:
- Wash the red lentils, rice and bulgur separately until the water runs clear. Let them drain.
- Dice the onion into small cubes and mince the garlic.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add the onion and sauté until soft. Add the garlic and stir briefly.
- Add the tomato puree and pepper sauce. Fry for a few minutes, without letting them burn.
- Add the lentils, rice and bulgur. Pour in the hot water or broth and salt.
- When the soup boils, reduce the heat. Cook for about 30 minutes with the lid half-open, until all the ingredients are soft.
- Blend the soup with a hand blender until desired smoothness. If it is too thick, add a little hot water.
- Add the mint, paprika, cumin and black pepper. Let the soup simmer for about 5 more minutes.
- Serve the ezogelin soup hot with lemon juice. Optionally, add hot pepper flakes or a drizzle of melted butter with mint.
For a coarser texture, you can skip the blending. Some recipes use only water or broth, while others add both types of sauce.
Sources: hthayat.haberturk.com, yemek.com, lezzet.com.tr