Ezogelin Çorbası (Turkish Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup)
A warming Turkish soup of red lentils, bulgur and rice with a tomato and pepper paste base and a mint and chilli oil.
Made with Homemade chicken stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.10 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 6 minutes until soft and golden, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
7 min - 2
Stir in the tomato purée, red pepper paste and cumin and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens.
2 min - 3
Rinse the lentils, bulgur and rice together under cold water. Add to the pan with your ready made homemade chicken stock (see the base recipe) and the water. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down and everything is soft.
27 min 30 s - 4
Blend a ladleful of the soup with a stick blender or mash with a spoon, then stir it back in for a thicker texture, or blitz the whole soup for a smooth one. Season with the salt.
- 5
Warm the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan, remove from the heat and stir in the mint and pul biber for 10 seconds.
- 6
Serve the soup in bowls with the red oil drizzled over and a lemon wedge for squeezing.
Tips
- Rinse the lentils well. This removes dust and excess starch and gives a cleaner flavour.
- Ezogelin is traditionally fairly thick. Thin with a splash of boiling water if it thickens as it stands.
- Add the lemon only at the end. A good squeeze brightens the whole bowl.
- Red pepper paste (biber salçası) is found in Turkish shops and larger supermarkets. Extra tomato purée and a pinch of chilli works instead.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 1 to 2 hours. Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes well in portions for up to 3 months. Thin with a splash of water on reheating until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Can I make Ezogelin without bulgur?
Yes. Use extra rice or an extra spoonful of lentils. Bulgur contains gluten, so leave it out and use rice if you need a gluten free version.
Is this soup vegetarian?
Not as written, because of the chicken stock. Use homemade vegetable stock to make it vegetarian or vegan; the rest of the recipe already contains no animal products.
Why is it called bride soup?
Ezogelin is said to be named after a woman called Ezo the bride, from southeast Turkey. It is traditionally served to new brides and is a staple on Turkish menus.
More made with homemade chicken stock
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.