Turkish- Yogurt Soup w/Lamb Meatballs (Yayla Çorbası)

By Addylicious

Yayla Çorbası is a classic comfort dish in Turkey. The soup is smooth, creamy, and tangy with a wonderful taste of mint. A must try for all those who love yogurt and creamy soups!

Ingredients

• Yogurt Soup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pinch chile flakes
• 1/4 cup rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 cup flour
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, to serve
• Lamb meatballs, to serve
• Lamb Meatballs
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped to a paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from yummly.com

Preparation

Step 1

Soup
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook until just softened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Stir in the rice and chile flakes plus a generous pinch of salt, and cook for about 2 minutes more, until the rice is very lightly toasted.

4. Stir in the water, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook, covered, until the rice is tender.

5. Meanwhile in a bowl, mix yogurt, milk, egg yolk and flour. After the rice is cooked, take a few spoons of liquid from the pot and mix into the bowl. Then slowly pour your mixture into the pot while stirring very slowly. Cook for 10 more minutes on low heat.


6. Place the butter in a frying pan. When it begins spitting, stir in the mint and pour into your soup.
7. Adjust the salt to taste, then ladle the soup into bowls, add a couple of lamb meatballs to each serving, and sprinkle with parsley



Lamb
1. Heat your oven to 425F.
2. In a mixing bowl, use your hands to mix together all the ingredients (use a couple pinches of the salt) until well-blended.
3. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Shape the lamb into little walnut-sized balls and place them on the lined baking sheet. 5. Roast them in the oven until they're just cooked through, about 8 minutes.
5. Serve with the yogurt soup