Brothy soups have a history of being served either as a breakfast item or to begin a meal, to prepare the stomach for the heavier types of meals at the end of the day. In Turkey, soups are a mainstay of the everyday meal, and this was also true in the Byzantine and Ottoman times, when many of the traditional soups were developed.

Ezogelin Corbasi has its culinary roots steeped in Gaziantep and has a story behind the myth of its creation that gripped the nation, leading to a film production of the story. I have had this soup served several ways, and while it is more traditional to add various grains, my favorite way to enjoy it has been omitting the rice and bulgur altogether and relying instead for the lentils, grated potatoes, and tomato paste for thickness.

To prevent stomach discomfort and to infuse the flavour of mint with the tomato and butter, fry the tomato paste in some oil, adding the mint as it starts to sizzle, and add this mixture into the soup *after* boiling and pureeing the lentils and vegetables. I will recommend finishing this with a bit of lemon juice.

Ezogelin Corbasi

1/3 c. red lentils, washed and drained
5 cups water
1 small peeled, grated potato
1 small grated onion
1 medium sized carrot, grated
1 tbsp. cooking oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon dried mint
chicken or vegetable bouillon, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
wedge of lemon

Add the washed lentils to the water and begin to bring to a boil while you grate/chop the vegetables. Add them to the lentils and boil them together gently until soft, skimming the surface with a slotted spoon as you go. After, use an immersion blender to puree this mixture.

In a slightly larger pot, add the oil and butter with the tomato paste and fry for 4 minutes over medium heat, until the paste becomes very soft. Add the crushed red pepper, mint, and bouillon and fry for another 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add the pureed lentil mixture to the sauce and bring to a boil, adding more water if necessary.

Ladle into bowls and finish with a wedge of lemon.

*Serves 3-5