Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt and Rice Soup)
One of the simplest and most comforting soups in the Turkish kitchen.
Yayla çorbası is one of the quiet staples of Turkish home cooking. Built on yogurt and grain, it can be made with water or, in some parts of Turkey, meat stock, depending on whether the bowl is meant to soothe or sustain. It is the kind of soup you make when you want to eat well, not impress.
This version stays close to the kind of yayla çorbası that appears in home kitchens: simple, gentle, and finished with mint butter. What matters here is not complexity but balance. The rice should soften enough to thicken the broth, and the yogurt should be warmed slowly so the soup stays smooth and silky.
Yayla Çorbası
INGREDIENTS:
500 g yogurt
1 large egg yolk
60 g (about ⅓ cup) short-grain rice (Baldo or Osmancık),
1 liter (4 cups) water
8 g (1-2tsp) salt
For finishing:
40 g (3 tbsp) butter, ghee or olive oil
2 tsp dried mint
A pinch of pul biber
Green oil, optional
METHOD
Rinse the rice briefly and put it in a heavy pot with the water and half the salt. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook uncovered until the rice is very soft and the liquid looks lightly cloudy and slightly thickened, about 15 to 18 minutes. The rice should look a little swollen and fuzzy at the edges.
While the rice cooks, build the soul of the soup. In a wide bowl, whisk the yogurt until completely smooth and glossy. Add the egg yolk and whisk again until fully integrated and pale. The mixture should flow like loose cream.
Once the rice is ready, reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Ladle some of the hot rice cooking liquid into the yogurt mixture, one ladle at a time, whisking constantly. Continue with 3 to 4 ladles, until the yogurt mixture feels warm and looks noticeably looser.
Pour the tempered yogurt mixture back into the pot in a steady stream, stirring gently but constantly. Keep the heat very low and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the soup lightly coats a spoon. Do not let it boil. Season with the remaining salt and taste.
If the soup feels thin at the end, keep it at a very gentle simmer a little longer. Usually that means the rice needs a bit more time to release its starch and the soup needs a little more time to reduce.
For the finishing oil, melt the butter, or heat the oil, in a small pan over medium heat until fragrant. Add the dried mint and pul biber, let them bloom for a few seconds, then immediately pour over the soup. Rest the soup off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Kitchen Notes
For extra protein, you can add cooked chickpeas or green lentils. Make sure they are very soft, and add them during the final 10 to 12 minutes over low heat so they warm through gently.