This homemade Turkish Tarhana powder recipe is made from a blend of summer vegetables, fresh herbs, yogurt, and flour. It's a pantry staple in our home, always ready to be transformed into a cozy, comforting Turkish Tarhana Soup - Tarhana Çorbası whenever needed.
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Making tarhana from scratch might sound like a huge project that takes days, but it's actually pretty simple and so worth it. My mom makes a big batch every summer, not just for herself but for all of us. We always have a stash of tarhana powder ready for those chilly days when we need something quick, nutritious, and full of flavor.
This traditional Turkish fermented soup base recipe is my mom's, one she’s been making her whole life and now I’m excited to share it with you. You can halve the recipe if you want to make a smaller batch or double it for a larger quantity.
What is Tarhana?
Tarhana is a fermented mixture that’s dried and turned into powder, traditionally used to make a thick and hearty soup. The fermentation gives it a slightly tangy flavor that sets it apart from other soup bases. It’s an ancient way to preserve fresh vegetables and herbs. There are many different versions of this fermented mixture, but the basic concept remains the same: it’s a blend of yogurt, flour, vegetables, and fresh herbs that’s allowed to ferment before being dried.
Why Make Your Own Tarhana?
- Homemade tarhana is not only tasty but also incredibly versatile. You can tweak the ingredients to suit your taste, adjust the flavors, and control how tangy it turns out.
- It’s a great way to use up extra summer vegetables and herbs.
- Once dried, you can store tarhana for months in airtight containers. When you're ready for soup, just rehydrate it with water or stock, simmer, and enjoy a warm, comforting bowl.
- One of the best things about homemade tarhana is that it’s a fantastic time-saver on busy days. With your jar of tarhana powder on hand, you can whip up a delicious, hearty soup in under 15 minutes. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or a cozy dinner when you don’t have time for a more elaborate meal.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Yogurt - For this recipe, you’ll be using a combination of thick strained yogurt (like Greek yogurt) and regular natural yogurt. The thick yogurt helps give tarhana its rich texture, while the regular yogurt adds to the fermentation process. If you’re making your own yogurt, this is a great way to use it!
- Tomatoes - Try and use the ripest, reddest vine-ripened tomatoes you can find.
- Red peppers - I usually use romano peppers but red bell peppers or any sweet type of red pepper works great with the tarhana recipe.
- Onions - You can use a medium-sized brown, white, or yellow onion.
- Fresh herbs - A mixture of parsley, dill, and mint works great!
How to Make Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder?
Making homemade tarhana powder from scratch might seem like a lengthy process, but it's actually quite simple and well worth the time and effort. Just follow a few easy steps and check out the tips to get the best results:
Prepare the Vegetables
Start by thoroughly washing your red Romano peppers, tomatoes, peeled onions, parsley, dill, and mint. You’ll want to roughly chop them all, as they’ll be blended together later.
Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer it to a large bowl. Repeat the same with red peppers, onions, and fresh herbs, and add them together with the tomatoes.
Pour in the strained yogurt and natural yogurt, salt, yeast, and flour, and stir well to ensure everything is fully combined.
Ferment the Mixture
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to ferment for 3-4 days. During this time, the mixture will start to develop that signature tangy flavor, thanks to the yeast and yogurt.
Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon once a day to help it ferment evenly. After 3-4 days of fermentation, the tarhana mixture will be ready to dry.
Dry the Tarhana
Spread the mixture onto generously floured clean kitchen towels or a cloth in small, thin mounds. Leave enough space in between to speed up the drying process. You can do this on a tray or directly on a clean surface.
Leave it to dry in a sunny, warm, and dry place for a couple of days, flipping it occasionally so it dries evenly.
After 2 sunny days, the tarhana will be nearly dried. Break it into smaller pieces at this stage to speed up the drying process.
Leave it dry for another day and grind it into a fine powder using a food processor or blender.
After blending the tarhana, pass it through a colander to ensure there are no large pieces. If any remain, simply collect them and blend again until you have a fine, smooth tarhana powder.
Your tarhana powder is almost ready, but you’ll need to spread it out on a clean cloth for a couple more days to ensure it’s fully dried.
Once completely dry, you can store it in airtight containers for months.
Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe Tips
- Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon once a day during fermentation to distribute the flavors and ensure it ferments evenly.
- When spreading out the fermented mixture to dry, keep it in small, thin mounds to ensure it dries properly and evenly.
- Leave enough space in between the tarhana mounds to speed up the drying process.
- Pick a warm sunny time of the year to make the whole process quicker.
- Once your tarhana powder is completely dry, store it in airtight containers to preserve its flavor and keep moisture out.
Recipe FAQs
Homemade tarhana can be stored for up to 12 months in an airtight container, as long as it is kept in a cool, dry place.
Fermentation is key to tarhana’s flavor, so it's best not to skip it. The fermentation process is what gives tarhana its signature tanginess and depth.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Turkish food recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below, tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram, and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this traditional Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
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Homemade Turkish Tarhana Powder Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1200 g red romano peppers
- 1900 g tomatoes
- 1000 g onion
- 100 g flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 100 g fresh dill
- 100 g fresh mint leaves
- 1200 g thick strained yogurt
- 300 g natural yogurt
- 2200 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- 150 g salt
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
Instructions
Preparing the Vegetables
- Start by thoroughly washing your red Romano peppers, tomatoes, peeled onions, parsley, dill, and mint. You’ll want to roughly chop them all, as they’ll be blended together later.
- Place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer it to a large bowl.
- Repeat the same with red peppers, onions, and fresh herbs, and add them together with the tomatoes.
- Pour in the strained yogurt and natural yogurt, salt, yeast, and flour, and stir well to ensure everything is fully combined.
Fermenting the Mixture
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place to ferment for 3-4 days. During this time, the mixture will start to develop that signature tangy flavor, thanks to the yeast and yogurt.
- Stir the mixture once a day to help it ferment evenly. After 3-4 days of fermentation, the tarhana mixture will be ready to dry.
Drying the Tarhana
- Spread the mixture onto generously floured clean kitchen towels or a cloth in small, thin mounds. Leave enough space in between to speed up the drying process. You can do this on a tray or directly on a clean surface.
- Leave it to dry in a sunny, warm, and dry place for a couple of days, flipping it occasionally so it dries evenly.
- After 2 sunny days, the tarhana will be nearly dried. Break it into smaller pieces at this stage to speed up the drying process. Leave it dry for another day and grind it into a fine powder using a food processor or blender.
- After blending the tarhana, pass it through a colander to ensure there are no large pieces. If any remain, simply collect them and blend again until you have a fine, smooth tarhana powder.
- Your tarhana powder is almost ready, but you’ll need to spread it out on a clean cloth for a couple more days to ensure it’s fully dried. Once completely dry, you can store it in airtight containers for months.
Notes
- Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon once a day during fermentation to distribute the flavors and ensure it ferments evenly.
- When spreading out the fermented mixture to dry, keep it in small, thin mounds to ensure it dries properly and evenly.
- Leave enough space in between the tarhana mounds to speed up the drying process.
- Pick a warm sunny time of the year to make the whole process quicker.
- Once your tarhana powder is completely dry, store it in airtight containers to preserve its flavor and keep moisture out.
Paul
Could you slowly dry this in an oven?
Ayla Clulee
I haven’t tried drying tarhana in the oven myself, but I’ve heard it can work! Set your oven to 60°C (140°F) and leave the door slightly open to allow for air circulation. Be sure to flip the tarhana frequently, and make the pieces as thin as possible for even drying. I hope this method works well for you. Let me know if you have any further questions, and I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Best wishes
Ayla