This Yayla Corbasi Recipe is a creamy Turkish Yogurt Soup made with yogurt, rice, and dried mint. It needs a handful of pantry ingredients and about 45 minutes.
A spoonful of sizzling mint butter goes over the top just before serving. In Turkey, this is the soup we make when someone is feeling under the weather. It is light, easy on the stomach, and filling enough to be a meal with bread.
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What Is Yayla Corbasi?
Yayla means high summer pasture in Turkish, and that is where this soup gets its name. Some people call it Yoğurt Çorbası, which simply means yogurt soup.
Both names mean the same soup: rice cooked until soft in water, mixed with yogurt, and topped with mint butter.
Çorba means soup, and almost every proper meal in Turkey starts with a bowl of it. We make this one all through the colder months, just like Ezogelin Çorbası and Turkish Red Lentil Soup.
Yogurt is the main ingredient here, and we use it everywhere in Turkey. We drink it as Ayran, mix it into Cacik, pour it over Turkish Manti, and poach eggs on top of it for Turkish Eggs - Cilbir.
How to Keep the Yogurt from Curdling?
Yogurt splits when it hits high heat too fast. The fix is called terbiye in Turkish. You whisk the yogurt, egg, and flour together, then warm the mixture up slowly before adding it to the pot. The method below walks you through it with photos.
Two more things help. Keep the heat low once the yogurt is in, and never let it come to a hard boil.
Do not place a lid over the soup during or after cooking, as it can make the soup curdle.
Why This Recipe Works?
- The step-by-step tempering method keeps the yogurt smooth, and the photos show you what each stage should look like.
- Everything in it is cheap and probably already in your kitchen: rice, yogurt, an egg, flour, and butter.
- It is naturally vegetarian, and one pot feeds four as a starter or two as a main meal.
- The tang from the yogurt makes it taste rich without any cream in it.
- The mint butter is my favorite part. It takes two minutes and makes the whole soup taste better.
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.
- Rice - I use long-grain rice such as Osmancik or Basmati. Any rice works, but the cooking time and the thickness of the soup will change with it. You can find Osmancik rice in Turkish shops.
- Yogurt - Traditionally this soup is made with homemade yogurt, and my Homemade Greek Yogurt works really well in it. Store-bought plain yogurt is just as good. Full-fat and fresh is the safest choice, because low-fat yogurt splits more easily.
- Egg - It goes into the yogurt mixture and keeps the soup stable as it cooks.
- All-purpose flour - Two tablespoons thicken the soup and help stop it from splitting.
- Butter - Use good quality unsalted butter for the mint topping, or swap it for olive oil.
- Dried mint - Most of the flavor comes from this. Dried mint tastes stronger and earthier than fresh, so don't swap one for the other. Any Turkish or Middle Eastern shop carries it.
- Salt - Adjust the amount to your taste.
How to Make Yayla Corbasi?
Cook the Rice
Combine the 1 ½ cups of water and rice in a large pot and bring it to a boil.
Cook the rice until it is soft and tender, and the water is absorbed. Add the remaining 4 ½ cups of water to the pan and bring it to a boil.
Make the Yogurt Mixture
As the water comes to a boil, combine the yogurt, egg, and flour in a large mixing bowl.
Slowly add one ladle of the boiling water to the yogurt mixture and whisk until smooth. Repeat with more ladles, one at a time, until the mixture feels warm. Stir it back into the pot with the rice.
Finish the Soup and Serve
Bring the mixture to a boil and gently simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt at this point.
Make the mint sauce as the soup simmers. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the dried mint along with paprika or chili flakes.
Serve the soup in bowls with a drizzle of the mint butter on top. You can stir it through or leave it sitting on the surface.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- The amount of rice looks too small, but it overcooks, swells, and thickens the soup. Half a cup is right for 4 servings.
- Do not place a lid over the soup during or after cooking, as it can make the soup curdle.
- Add the salt at the end of cooking, not at the start.
- Use full-fat, fresh yogurt. Low-fat yogurt is more likely to split when heated.
- Warm the yogurt mixture slowly with ladles of the hot cooking liquid before it goes into the pot. If you rush this step, the soup will curdle.
- Keep the heat low once the yogurt is in, and never let the soup come to a hard boil.
- If the soup thickens as it sits, loosen it with a splash of hot water.
Variations
- Stir a can of drained chickpeas in for the last five minutes of cooking. In Turkey this version is called nohutlu yayla çorbası, and it makes the soup a proper main course.
- Swap the rice for coarse bulgur, cracked wheat, or barley and cook it the same way until soft.
- Use chicken stock instead of water for a deeper flavor. Vegetable stock keeps it vegetarian.
- Stir a handful of chopped fresh parsley or dill through the soup at the end.
Serving Suggestions
In Turkey, we usually eat this soup as a first course at dinner.
I like it with warm Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi or a slice of Fluffy Japanese Hokkaido Milk Bread.
If you want more on the table, add Kol Böreği - Turkish Arm Borek and a bowl of Çoban Salatası on the side.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat the soup gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water to loosen it, stirring now and then until piping hot.
I do not recommend freezing this soup, because the yogurt loses its creamy texture once thawed.
You can make the soup a day or two ahead, and the flavor holds up well. Make the mint butter fresh just before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. The egg helps keep the yogurt stable, but the flour will hold the soup together on its own. Warm the yogurt mixture just as slowly and keep the heat low.
Yes. Greek yogurt makes a thicker soup, so you may need a little extra water. Greek yogurt is milder than Turkish yogurt, so add a squeeze of lemon juice for tang.
Not as written, because of the flour. Swap it for rice flour or cornstarch and the soup works just as well.
Yes. It is made with water, rice, yogurt, an egg, and butter, so it is vegetarian as written. If you try the stock variation, use vegetable stock to keep it that way.
Related Recipes
For more delicious soup recipes why not try:
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I hope you enjoy the process of making this healthy and refreshing Yayla Corbasi - Turkish Yogurt Soup as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Turkish Yogurt Soup - Yayla Corbasi
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice long grain rice such as Osmancik or Basmati
- 6 cups water
- 1 egg
- 1 ⅓ cups yogurt full-fat Turkish or plain natural yogurt
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- ½ teaspoon paprika or chili flakes
Instructions
Cook the Rice
- Combine the 1 ½ cups of water and rice in a large pot and bring it to a boil.
- Cook the rice until it is soft and tender, and the water is absorbed.
- Add the remaining 4 ½ cups of water to the pan and bring it to a boil.
Make the Yogurt Mixture
- As the water comes to a boil, combine the yogurt, egg, and flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Slowly add one ladle of boiling hot water to the yogurt mixture. Give them a quick whisk until they are fully mixed together.
- Add another ladle of the boiling water and mix well again, repeat it until the yogurt mixture is slightly warmed up.
Finish the Soup and Serve
- Slowly add the yogurt mixture back to the pan with the rice, stirring continuously until all is combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and gently simmer for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add some salt at this point. Do not cover it with a lid as this would cause the soup to curdle.
- Make the mint sauce as the soup simmers. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the dried mint along with paprika or chili flakes.
- Serve the soup in individual soup bowls and garnish with a drizzle of mint&butter sauce.
Notes
- The amount of rice looks too small, but it overcooks, swells, and thickens the whole pot. ½ cup is right for 4 servings.
- Use full-fat, fresh yogurt. Low-fat yogurt is more likely to split when heated.
- Warm the yogurt mixture slowly with ladles of the hot cooking liquid before adding it to the pot, and keep the heat low afterward.
- Do not cover the soup with a lid during or after cooking, as this can make it curdle.
- Add the salt at the end of cooking, not at the start.
- If the soup thickens as it sits, loosen it with a splash of hot water.
- You can leave out the egg. The flour will hold the soup together, but warm the mixture extra slowly.
- For a gluten free version, swap the flour for rice flour or cornstarch.
- Swap the rice for coarse bulgur or barley, or stir in a can of drained chickpeas at the end for a heartier soup.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheat gently with a splash of water. Freezing is not recommended, as the soup loses its creamy texture.
Anne says
can this be made without egg, I'm allergic?
Ayla Clulee says
Hi Anne,
You can leave the egg out if you are allergic to it.
Aisha says
What a delicious soup. I had it hot at night, but ate it cold the next morning. I loved it both ways.
Senem says
Perfect soup for anytime of the year. Absolutely love it!
Irina says
This recipe is perfect. Thank you!
Anita says
I love this soup! It is simple, healthy and delicious. Fab recipe!
Shahan says
Such a delicious and silky soup! Definitely a new family favourite.
Ayla Clulee says
Lovely to hear that Shahan 🙂