Yayla Çorbası (Turkish Yogurt & Rice Soup with Mint)
یایلا چوربا سی (پودینے والا ترکی دہی اور چاول کا سوپ)
Yayla means "highland pasture", and this soup comes from the herding traditions of the Anatolian uplands, where yogurt was always at hand. Rice is simmered in stock until soft, then the soup is thickened with yogurt, an egg yolk and a spoon of flour, and finished with butter sizzled with dried mint. It's tangy, creamy and soothing, a favourite on cold days and when someone is feeling unwell.
- ⏱ Total: 40 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Simmer the rice in the stock for 15–18 minutes, until very soft.
Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt, egg yolk and flour in a bowl until completely smooth.
Temper the yogurt: whisk in a ladleful of the hot soup, then another, so it warms gradually. Lower the heat and pour the yogurt mixture into the pot, stirring constantly.
Keep stirring in one direction and bring it slowly to a gentle simmer. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, then add the salt. Don't let it boil hard.
Melt the butter in a small pan until it foams, take it off the heat and stir in the dried mint and pul biber. Pour over the soup and serve.
Serve hot in bowls.
Kitchen notes
The flour and egg yolk stabilise the yogurt. Don't skip them, and always temper the yogurt before adding it.
Stir constantly in one direction while it heats; this is the traditional way to stop it curdling.
Add salt at the end. Salt added early makes yogurt more likely to split.
A highland soup
Anatolian shepherds spent summers on high pastures (yayla) with their flocks, and yogurt was the staple of their diet. Cooking it into a soup with rice or grain was a natural step. Today yayla çorbası is served everywhere in Turkey, from homes to hospital canteens, and it’s one of the best-known Turkish soups abroad.
Keeping yogurt smooth
The challenge with any hot yogurt dish is curdling. Turkish cooks use three tricks together: they thicken the yogurt with flour and an egg yolk, they temper it by slowly mixing in hot soup before adding it to the pot, and they stir constantly in one direction while it heats. Adding salt at the end helps too. Follow these and the soup will be silky.
Making it your own
Chicken stock gives the richest flavour, but vegetable stock or water with a little butter works. Some cooks use chickpeas or wheat berries instead of rice. Readers who know South Asian kadhi will recognise the idea, though yayla is gentler, without turmeric or spices.
Serving
Serve hot with the mint butter swirled on top, a squeeze of lemon if you like, and bread. It makes a light dinner with a çoban salatası. For other Turkish soups, try mercimek çorbası or domates çorbası.
Questions people ask
Can I use chickpeas or wheat instead of rice?
Yes. Cooked chickpeas or whole wheat berries make heartier regional versions.
My soup curdled. Can I save it?
Blend it briefly with a stick blender. It won't be perfect, but it will be smoother and still taste good.
Is it like kadhi?
It's a cousin: both are yogurt thickened with flour and heated slowly. Yayla is milder, with rice and mint instead of besan and spices.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 190
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
