Turkish Red Lentil, Rice and Bulgur Soup — Ezogelin Çorbası

US cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.

Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (180 g) red split lentils, rinsed until the water is nearly clear
• 1.5 tbsp (20 g) fine bulgur, rinsed
• 1.5 tbsp (20 g) short-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, finely chopped
• 0.25 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp (20 g) sweet red pepper paste (tatlı biber salçası; check the label)
• 6.67 cups (1600 ml) hot water
• 1.5 tsp (9 g) fine salt
• 1 tsp (2 g) pul biber (Aleppo-style pepper flakes)
• 1 tsp (1 g) dried oregano
• 1 tsp (1 g) dried mint
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon lemon wedges, to serve

How to make Ezogelin Çorbası

1. Rinse the grains

   Put the lentils, bulgur and rice in a fine-mesh sieve. Rinse under cool running water until the runoff is nearly clear, then drain well.

2. Soften the aromatics

   Warm the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Fry the pepper paste

   Add the sweet pepper paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring it through the oil until fragrant and evenly distributed.

4. Coat the lentils and grains

   Add the drained lentils, bulgur and rice. Stir for 1 minute so every grain is coated with the pepper-paste mixture.

5. Build the soup gradually

   Pour in 480 ml (2 cups) of the hot water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring from the bottom. Add the remaining 1.12 litres (4⅔ cups) hot water in 3 additions over 25 minutes, letting the soup return to a simmer each time. Stir often, especially near the end, until the lentils have broken down and the rice and bulgur are very tender.

6. Season and finish

   Stir in the salt, pul biber, oregano and dried mint. Simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and add a little more hot water if the soup is thicker than a pourable porridge.

7. Serve

   Ladle into warm bowls and serve at once with lemon wedges. Keep the visible grains and lentils intact rather than blending the soup smooth.

Recipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-red-lentil-rice-and-bulgur-soup-ezogelin-corbasi. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.