This 15 min Turkish flour soup is surprisingly... simple?

When you think of Turkish soups, people often think of lentil soups or yogurt-based soups, but one of the oldest ones is their flour soup "un çorbası". According to some studies of Turkish culinary traditions, un çorbası is one of the most commonly consumed soups alongside tarhana, yogurt soups, lentil and rice soups.

In Ottoman cuisine, un çorbası was mostly a local folk tradition in Anatolia. The original recipe calls for flour browned in butter, then mixed with water, salt, garlic and a touch of vinegar or paprika. It's similar to what people make nowadays, except the added tomato paste. The garlic can also be omitted if you have people in your family who don't like garlic. I made this soup without garlic, but it's 10 x more delicious with!

Ingredients

✿ 2 tbsp olive oil

✿ 1 tbsp butter or ghee

✿ 50 g flour (about ½ cup)

✿ 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional: add red pepper paste for extra depth)

✿ 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock

✿ 1 L water

✿ 1 tsp dried mint

✿ 1 tsp Turkish red chili flakes

✿ 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)

✿ 1 clove garlic, crushed (optional, you can skip it!)

Instructions

1. In a pot, combine olive oil and butter (or ghee), stirring gently until melted together

2. Sprinkle in the flour and mix well to form a smooth roux

3. Add the tomato paste and stir for about a minute to deepen the flavour

4. Pour in the stock first, whisking to prevent lumps, then add the water and continue stirring until smooth

5. Add dried mint, red chili flakes, crushed garlic & salt, adjusting the seasoning to taste

6. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes

& you're done! Enjoy ☺️