Turkish Ezo Gelin Soup

Ezo gelin çorbası is almost always the soupe du jour at the popular kebap-house in our neighborhood in Ankara. At roadside cafeterias, ezo gelin or mercimek (lentil) corbası is usually on offer. Gelin means “bride”; where the ezo comes from, we do not know. I make the soup thick; it can be a meal in itself.

Ingredients

• 250 ml red lentils
• 250 ml coarse bulgur (I have also used brown rice)
• 1.5–2 litres water
• 1 onion
• oil
• 100 ml tomato puree
• salt
• dried mint
• dried hot red pepper

250 ml is a quarter litre, hence a bit more than a cup. For the tomato, I use half a 1/5-litre box of puree.

Preparation

Chop the onion, and fry it in oil if you like. Pick through and rinse the lentils and bulgur. Add them to the onion (or the onion to them) along with the water, tomato, and salt. Boil till done (I use a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes). Add mint and red pepper in equal amounts to taste.