Turkish Creamy Spinach and Chickpea soup

The Black Sea region in Türkiye is best known for fish.. but not this soup! 👀 This is "Nohutlu Ispanak Çorbası" and it's basically spinach and chickpeas cooked in a broth. Spinach soup is usually eaten in fall/ autumn, because it's freshest after being harvested in the late summer/early fall. Many traditional (Turkish) recipes follow the harvest calendar and since autumn is the time when the weather gets colder, it makes sense for soups like this to be eaten. And since it's still cold in winter, it's the PERFECT cozy winter soup

Ingredients

✿ A handful of fresh spinach

✿ 250-300 grams of canned chickpeas, drained

✿ 200 ml plain yogurt

✿ 1 tbsp flour

✿ 1 tbsp butter

✿ 200 ml vegetable or chicken/ beef broth

✿ Salt, to taste

✿ Water (start with 150-200ml and adjust for thickness)

Instructions

1. In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk continuously for about 2 minutes to form a smooth, pale roux (this will help thicken the soup)

2. Slowly pour in the cold broth (200 ml), whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

3. Then add the chickpeas and add the first 150-200ml of water and stir. Bring the soup to a gentle boil.

4. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat so the soup is just simmering.

5. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt with a few tablespoons of the hot soup until smooth and warm. Then slowly stir it into the pot. This prevents the yogurt from curdling. This is also where you check the thickness of your soup. Is it too thick? Add a little bit more water. Not too thick? Leave it as is.

6. Let the soup simmer a little bit before adding the salt. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and taste as you go.

7. Add the thinly sliced spinach and stir for about a minute, just until wilted.

Tip: Spinach darkens really quickly when (over)cooked. For a bright green and fresh flavour, always add it at the very end.

Enjoy!!