Yayla Çorbası (Turkish yogurt soup)

Selam..... Merhaba from Turkey...

Getting cold here in my town, feel hesitate doing outdoor activities.... for me of course I don't mind at all stay inside and do my daily housework... but with one very active kid, going out to park / playground is a must even not everyday though.... No matter how much I try to make her busy doing thing inside she still gets bored easily. I wish we live in like my homeland...where kids could play outside on alley safely. Neighbors watch each other to their kids....  

Well.... no complaint about where I live or where I wish to live in.... I am just grateful what I have now and enjoy my life with my family here.....
And for these chill days.. I always try to make something that can comfort us e.g soup. Many kind of soup in Turkey, and like other 4 seasons countries each season has it's own comfort soup.

And my today post is Yayla Çorbası or "highland meadow" soup. The name of Yayla took from word "yaylalar" or high mountains meadows in northern of Turkey where grazing is at its best and high quality yogurt and dairy products abound. In Turkey, this soup is considered a good menu to fight cold because it has mild and minty flavor which easy and light for your stomach.

So if you want to have healthy and comfort soup during your chill days here I share my yayla Çorbası recipe. I like my yayla Çorbası has light and not really thick. So if you compare with other recipes mine has less rice and flour in certain amount of stock (about 1,2 lt). But if you want to go with thicker soup, you may reduce the stock/ broth. And with 2 egg yolks I guarantee you'll have best creamy and yummy yayla Çorbası 
Serve 4~5 shares 

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp short-grain rice, wash and drained
• 350 gr (about 2 cups) thick plain yogurt
• 700 ml water *
• 500 ml meat/ chicken stock *
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp flour
• about 1 Tbsp dried mint
• 1 ½ Tsp salt or to taste

For serving

• butter
• dried mint
• red chili flake

(*) you can use 1,2 lt water and 1 cube chicken/ meat bulyon)

 How to make:

1. Boil rice with water until rice is tender, add in meat/ chicken stock and dried mint, continue cooking to boil.
2. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, lightly beat egg yolks, mix in yogurt and flour, mix thoroughly to well combine (I use a balloon whisk). 
3. Temper yogurt mixture with hot stock, take few spoon boiling stock and mix with yogurt mixture. Pour back that mixture into pan stir to combine. Add salt to taste. Continue to cook until soup boil and thickened. Remove from heat.
4. When you ready to serve, heat about 5 Tbsp butter/ margarine with dried mint and red chili flake. Flush that melting butter over soup in a pan or individually on a serving bowl.

Enjoy it hot. Afiyet Olsun.