Ezogelin Çorbası (Ezo the bride Soup)

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Ezogelin Çorbası (Ezo  the bride Soup)

is definitely one of the best soups in Turkish cuisine. Very tasty and very nutritional, too. The smell of mint and paprika is a must , that reminds Anatolia...  

Ingredients:

Makes 4-6 servings.

1/2 cup red lentils
1/4 cup bulgur, cracked wheat (ignore for a gluten free soup )
1/4 cup rice
2 tbsp  oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste (can use 1 spoon of pepper paste if available)
4-5 cups of water
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp dry mint
Salt
Pepper
Topping: Melt the butter, add red pepper and/or mint

Saute the onion with olive oil then add tomato paste and saute the onions are softened

Add the rest of the ingredients. After it comes to full boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes. You may want to stir so that the ingredient dont stick to the bottom of the dish.
(Optional: You can blend the soup if you want more homogenous texture but do for short time as you would like to feel the ingredients which makes the soup such special)

If it's too thick, add a little more hot water.

Add the butter sauce and  Serve with lemon !

Afiyet olsun!

The movie from 1968 , starring famous Turkish actress Fatma Girik

• Although not known exactly, here is the story behind the Ezo gelin ,whose name embraced this delicious soup :

Originally from southeast Anatolia, the origin of this soup is attributed to an exceptionally beautiful woman named Ezo, near Gaziantep in the early 20th c. Legend has it that Ezo, with her rosy cheeks and black hair, was admired by travelers along the caravan route who stopped to rest in her village. Many men longed for her hand in marriage. Unfortunately she did not become happy in her  two marriages. Her second marriage took her to Syria where she became homesick for her village. It is for her, the story goes, that Ezo created this soup. After bearing 9 children, Ezo died of tuberculosis in the 1950s and has since become a Turkish legend, depicted in popular films and lamented in folksongs. Her name lives on in this popular soup although the reason is not known exactly.

• There were even Turkish movies, Tv series named after Ezo gelin
• If you have Turkish markets around where you live, you can find 'ready to cook' soup mixes. You add water and boil, then let it simmer.