Traditional Turkish Yogurt Soup (Yayla Çorbası)

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure 70 g rice, 300 g yogurt, 1 egg yolk, 25 g flour, 30 g butter, 5 g dried mint, and 6 g salt. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold tap water until the water runs clear. Place a deep soup pot, a medium mixing bowl, a whisk, and a wooden spoon on your counter.

2. 2

   Put the rinsed rice into the deep soup pot along with 1200 ml water. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so grains do not stick, until soft and plump.

3. 3

   While the rice simmers, prepare the liaison mixture. Combine 300 g room-temperature yogurt, 1 egg yolk, and 25 g flour in the medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously with your whisk for 2 minutes until completely smooth with no flour lumps remaining.

4. 4

   Ladle about 200 ml (two full scoops) of hot rice broth into the yogurt bowl while whisking continuously. This gradually warms up the yogurt mixture so it will not curdle when introduced into the main pot.

5. 5

   Lower heat under the pot to low. Pour the tempered yogurt mixture into the pot in a thin stream while stirring continuously with the wooden spoon. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 8 minutes, stirring constantly until silky and thickened. Stir in 6 g salt at the very end.

6. 6

   Melt 30 g butter in a small skillet over medium heat until sizzling. Add 5 g dried mint and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant and foamy, then remove from heat. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and drizzle the sizzling mint butter evenly over top before serving.