Tarhana Soup
Tarhana is one of Turkish cuisine’s most unique discoveries. There are countless varieties of tarhana in Turkey. Generally, it is made at home in preparation for winter. This means that the ripest, juiciest tomatoes and peppers of the season are used. As a fermented food, tarhana is very beneficial in health terms. And because it is so nutritious, tarhana is one of the favorite soups, particularly during the winter months. Cornelian cherry tarhana is made with cornelian cherries gathered in the highlands during the autumn season and is very effective at combating the common cold. More detailed information on the varieties of tarhana is available in the “Pantry” section.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 150 g Bolu cornelian cherry tarhana
- 1.6 l chicken or meat broth, room temperature
- 60 g butter or clarified butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
Preparation
- Dilute the tarhana with 1/3 of the water and stir.
- Melt 45 g of the butter in a saucepan.
- Add the remaining chicken or meat broth to the water and bring to the boil. Continuously stirring, add the diluted tarhana. Season with salt. Continue to cook for about another 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add boiling water if the soup becomes too thick.
- Sauté the dry mint in the remaining 20 g butter in a small pan, drizzle over the soup and serve hot.
This recipe can also be prepared with meatballs. Knead minced lamb with some salt to make marble-sized meatballs. Crush 2 cloves of garlic with salt using a mortar and pestle. Sauté the meatballs in butter in a saucepan, stir in the garlic just before removing from the heat. Add the meatballs to the soup and serve.