Turkish Grandma’s Wheat Soup (Buğday Çorbasi)

• Soak the wheat overnight in water. Drain well.
• Place the yogurt in a sieve lined with cheesecloth and let the excess liquid drain out for a minimum of 5 to 6 hours, or overnight if possible.

1. Place the wheat in a large pot with the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain the soup. If desired puree in food processor.

2. Place the strained yogurt in a small pan with the egg and flour, constantly mixing well. This will help prevent curdling. If mixture is too thick you can add ¼ cup of water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles.

3. Remove from heat and whisk it into the wheat mixture, cooking over low heat and adding more chicken broth or water if soup is too thick. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

4. In a small skillet melt the butter and when it is hot and sizzles turn the heat off and quickly add the mint and Aleppo pepper, mixing well. Pour in circles on top of the soup.

Nur’s note: It is important that the butter sizzles and the heat is turned off before adding the mint and paprika. This is a hint I learned from my grandmother. This trick keeps the mint green and the pepper red.