Yogurt Soup
Ingredients:
- ½ cup rice
- 1 cup water
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp red crushed pepper
Method:
Start Cooking- Cook the rice: Add the rinsed rice and 1 cup water to a pot. Cook until the rice is tender and the water is mostly absorbed.
- Build the broth base: Add the chicken broth and 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot with the rice. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Prepare the yogurt base: In a metal or glass bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg yolks, flour, and salt until completely smooth.
- Temper the yogurt: Slowly add 1 cup of hot broth from the pot into the yogurt mixture, whisking constantly so it does not curdle.
- Combine: Gradually pour the warmed yogurt mixture back into the main pot, stirring constantly.
- Simmer: Add the dried mint. Simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the rice does not stick to the bottom.
- Rest: Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 10 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and red pepper flakes in a small pan just until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Serve warm or cold in a bowl, drizzling the sauce over the top. Bon appétit.
Kitchen Tools:
Notes:
- Any type of rice works well.
- You can use all broth, all water, or a mix. Just keep the total liquid the same.
- Butter can be used instead of olive oil for a richer flavor.
- It is often used as a home remedy for stomach issues because of its probiotic-rich yogurt base.
- Add 1 clove pressed garlic to the soup.
- Stir 1 tablespoon tomato sauce into the chili oil for a deeper, richer topping.
- Add ½–1 cup cooked chickpeas for extra texture and protein.
- Enjoy it just as it is. This soup is wonderful warm on cooler days and refreshing when served cold in summer.
Nutrition:
FROM THE PANTRY
Yogurt soup
WHY WE LOVE IT
Yogurt and rice come together in the simplest, most comforting way. This soup is light yet satisfying, homey, and deeply familiar. We especially love it served cold – refreshing and soothing. It’s the kind of gentle appetizer you crave again and again.
A LITTLE STORY
While yogurt had long been part of everyday cooking in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean, it gained popularity in the West in the early 1900s after Russian scientist Élie Metchnikoff linked Bulgarian villagers’ longevity to yogurt’s probiotic benefits.
DID YOU KNOW?
Yogurt’s active cultures (probiotics) are known to aid digestion and promote overall gut health.
The word yogurt comes from the Turkish verb yoğurmak (to knead or work thoroughly), rooted in yoğ meaning “to condense,” describing how milk thickens as it turns into yogurt.