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    Cooking Gorgeous » All Recipes » Main Dishes

    Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup)

    Published: Apr 2, 2021 · Modified: Oct 21, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup) is a spicy and buttery legume soup made with lentils, bulgur, rice, stock, and tomato paste. This hearty and absolutely delicious soup is a Turkish cuisine favorite, especially during the cold winter days. And the good news is that it is quite an effortless recipe and takes no time to prepare.

    turkish ezogelin soup recipe
    Ezogelin soup served with Turkish Pide Bread (Ramazan Pidesi), butter and chili sauce, and a lemon wedge on the side.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Top Tips From The Chef
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup)

    Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup in Turkish) is one of the most popular soups in Turkey, a great example of Turkish regional cuisine. If you have ever been to a Turkish restaurant, the chances are that you've already come across this soup. It is typically served with Turkish flatbreads such as Bazlama - Turkish Flatbread or Greek Pita Bread, butter and chili sauce, and lemon wedges on the side.

    Traditionally in Turkey, a meal start with soup. And this lightly spiced soup is definitely one of the most popular options and the nation's favorite! It's also common to have this soup in the morning for breakfast, and it is a popular hangover cure for many.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • You can have Ezogelin Corbasi as a starter (as Turkish people like to do) or it can also make up a perfect quick weekday meal on its own served with a bowl of green salad on the side.
    • Ezogelin Corbasi is quite filling and indulgent!
    • You can safely store the leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
    • It's a very simple recipe to follow with step-by-step pictures and instructions.
    • This Ezogelin soup freezes beautifully.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Labelled picture of ingredients for Ezogelin Soup

    Bulgur Wheat

    It is a staple in Turkey, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean countries. Bulgur is made from cracked parboiled wheat and it is available in a range of grinds, typically fine, medium, coarse, and extra coarse. You can use any size of bulgur for this soup.

    • Red lentils - These lentils are split and cook quickly. They’re great for making soup or dal and have a sweet and nutty flavor. They are widely used in Turkish cooking.
    • Rice - It gives a creamy texture to the soup. Use any type of short-grain rice you have in your cupboard.
    • Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. You can use garlic powder or granules instead although I strongly suggest using fresh ones. Peel and roughly chop before adding to the soup.
    • Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or buy it online from Amazon .
    • Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often with my Turkish recipes. You can buy it from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon.
    • Vegetable stock or Easy Chicken Stock (Bone Broth) - For the best results, always try and use homemade or a good quality stock for your dishes. If using store-bought stock, check the seasoning before adding salt to your dish. Use Basic Homemade Vegetable Stock if you want to make this delicious soup vegan friendly.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    This delicious and comforting soup doesn't take long to prepare and there are a few easy steps that you need to follow to achieve the best results:

    Prepare The Soup Base

    Heat a saucepan on medium heat and sauté the onions with olive oil until soft. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Garlic burns quickly so make sure you stir continuously after adding the garlic.

    Sautéing the onions in olive oil

    Stir in the tomato and pepper taste and cook for a few minutes. You can omit the pepper paste and add an extra ½ tbsp tomato paste if you don't have it in your fridge but I like the distinctive taste of it in this soup.

    The tomato paste and spices are added to sautéed onions

    Add red lentils among with the black pepper, chili flakes, and salt. Cook for a few minutes then add the bulgur and rice.

    the lentils, bulgur and rice are added to the sautéed onions

    Cook The Soup

    Pour in the vegetable stock or chicken stock and stir well to combine. Bring it to a boil and turn the heat down, simmer gently with the lid off for about 35 to 40 minutes until the legumes are softened.

    Blitz

    Remove the pan from the heat and then blitz the soup with a stick blender. The consistency of the soup is not meant to be smooth, therefore do not over-blitz it. It should have granules of cooked legumes.

    Blitzing  Ezogelin Soup

    If the consistency of the soup seems too thick, add more liquid and boil for another minute until combined. If the soup is too thick, then boil it for another 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid.

    Garnish And Serve

    To prepare the garnish, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the chili or paprika and mint. Gently sauté for a few minutes, then pour in the soup.

    Give it a good stir and serve in bowls with a piece of nice crusty bread and a lemon wedge on the side. A bit of lemon juice in this soup makes a huge difference, and adds a great flavor!

    Turkish red lentil soup recipe ezogelin çorbası

    Top Tips From The Chef

    • Use vegetable stock or water, and replace the butter with olive oil for the chili-mint garnish on the top to turn this delicious soup vegan friendly.
    • If the consistency of the soup seems too thick, add more liquid and boil for another minute until combined.
    • Garlic burns quickly so make sure you stir continuously after adding the garlic.
    • Or if the soup is too thick, then boil it for another 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid.
    • The consistency of the soup is not meant to be smooth, therefore do not over-blitz it.

    Recipe FAQs

    What to serve with Ezogelin Corbasi?

    This soup is warm with spices and very comforting, especially for winter nights. You can serve it with some Turkish flatbreads such as Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread), Greek Pita Bread, or Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes). They also pair perfectly with boreks such as Potato Borek, Spinach and Feta Borek, or Turkish Rolls (Sigara Boregi).

    Can I freeze Ezogelin Corba?

    Yes, this soup is freezer friendly. When the soup is cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat it, thaw it overnight and transfer it to a saucepan. Heat it up on low heat until it is piping hot.

    Related Recipes

    For more delicious and cozy soup recipes why not try:

    • Sulu Kofte - Turkish Meatball Soup
    • Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Celeriac
    • Turkish Lentil Soup (Mercimek Corbasi)
    • Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delightful and warming Ezogelin Soup (Ezogelin Corbasi) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun! 

    turkish ezogelin soup recipe

    Ezogelin Corbasi (Ezogelin Soup)

    Ayla Clulee
    A healthy and delicious soup that would warm your cockles up on cold winter nights.
    5 from 11 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 241 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 Hand blender
    • 1 Lodge Dutch oven

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 medium onion (chopped)
    • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
    • ½ tablespoon red pepper paste
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup red lentil
    • ½ cup bulgur
    • ¼ cup rice
    • 1 ½ litre vegetable stock or chicken stock

    For Garnish

    • 20 g butter
    • ½ teaspoon chili flakes (replace with paprika if its too spicy for you)
    • ½ teaspoon dried mint
    • 4-6 lemon wedges

    Instructions
     

    Cooking the Soup

    • Put a Dutch oven or heavy-based saucepan on medium heat and add olive oil.
    • Add the onions and sauté until soft and slightly browned then add the garlic, and sauté for another minute.
    • Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper paste and sauté for a few more minutes on low heat.
    • Add freshly ground black pepper, chili flakes, salt, and red lentil, sauté for 2-3 minutes then add the bulgur and rice.
    • Pour in the stock, give the mixture a good stir and bring it to a boil.
    • Turn the heat down and gently simmer with the lid closed for 30 minutes or until the legumes are softened.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and blitz the soup coarsely with a stick blender.
    • If the soup seems too thick, then add a bit more water. If the soup looks too liquid, continue to boil the soup for another few minutes.

    Preparing the Garnish

    • To prepare the garnish, melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the chili or paprika and mint.
    • Sauté the mixture on low heat for a few minutes, then pour the butter garnish into the soup.
    • Give it a good stir and serve in bowls with a piece of nice crusty bread and a lemon wedge on the side.

    Notes

    • Use vegetable stock or water, and replace the butter with olive oil for the chili-mint garnish on the top to turn this delicious soup vegan friendly.
    • If the consistency of the soup seems too thick, add more liquid and boil for another minute until combined.
    • Garlic burns quickly so make sure you stir continuously after adding the garlic.
    • Or if the soup is too thick, then boil it for another 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid.
    • The consistency of the soup is not meant to be smooth, therefore do not over-blitz it.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 10gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 342mgPotassium: 434mgFiber: 12gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 207IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 46mgIron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ayla

      August 03, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a fabulous soup! I can’t wait to make it again.

      Reply
    2. Marjorie

      March 06, 2022 at 5:51 am

      5 stars
      We all love this soup! Perfect soup for a weeknight, I do it in batches and freeze too.

      Reply
    3. Aisha

      March 21, 2022 at 6:06 am

      5 stars
      "Healthy and delicious!" Thats how my dinner guests described when I served this amazing soup as an appetiser. Will be doing it again.

      Reply
    4. Mary

      March 24, 2022 at 5:37 am

      5 stars
      It looks so delicious!

      Reply
    5. Ellen

      March 25, 2022 at 5:32 am

      5 stars
      This was awesome! Usually I have to add way more spices to online recipes to make them flavourful enough for me, but this one is just great.

      Reply
    6. Dana

      March 27, 2022 at 4:30 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! I skipped the blitzing and cooked until really soft. It was heavenly.

      Reply
    7. Wendy

      March 28, 2022 at 4:39 am

      5 stars
      First time trying this recipe and it’s a GEM! I will be making this again.

      Reply
    8. Isabel

      April 02, 2022 at 4:58 am

      5 stars
      This is delicious!! Easy to make with wonderful flavour. Thank you so much!

      Reply
    9. Will

      April 08, 2022 at 4:20 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is so simple and delicious! I made it as a meal prep for my lunch this work week and it worked perfectly! Thank you for this deliciousness!

      Reply
    10. Carrie

      April 09, 2022 at 5:05 am

      5 stars
      Delicious soup; so quick, easy and tasty. Definitely will be a favourite, quick and hearty dinner!

      Reply
    11. Rosa

      April 24, 2022 at 5:55 am

      5 stars
      This soup was delicious and I will be making it again.

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    More about me →

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