Ezogelin: The Bride’s Soup – A Love Story in a Bowl

Merhaba!I’m Kadir, your favorite Turkish guide 😄While I usually take you through the streets of Istanbul and into the heart of its history, today I invite you to join me in my kitchen—for a different kind of journey: one of warmth, memory, and flavor.

Each month, I’ll be sharing a special recipe that tells a story, straight from my Anatolian roots. We begin this new culinary series with one of the most touching: Ezogelin çorbası, or “The Bride’s Soup.” A dish full of heart, heat, and history.

🧕 Who was Ezo the Bride?

Legend has it that Ezo was a beautiful young woman from a small village near Gaziantep in southeastern Turkey. Forced to marry a man from Syria, she left her homeland, her mountains, and her family. It’s said that she created this soup to soothe her homesickness, using humble ingredients—lentils, bulgur, mint, and red pepper paste—to recreate the taste of home.

A comforting dish born of longing, this soup has become a symbol of love and resilience.

🍲 Ezogelin Soup Recipe (Serves 6)

Ingredients:

• 250g red lentils

• 50g coarse bulgur

• ½ – 1 tbsp tomato paste

• ½ – 1 tbsp red pepper paste

• 1 tbsp butter + a dash of vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp dried mint

• 1 tsp Turkish chili flakes (pul biber)

• 1 tsp flour

• 5 cups water (more if needed)

• Salt, lemon

  
  

Instructions:

1. Cook the lentils in double their volume of water for 15–20 minutes until soft. No salt yet!

2. In a separate pot, melt butter and oil, stir in the flour, then add mint, chili flakes, and both pastes. Stir constantly.

3. Add room-temperature water, whisk until smooth, then add the cooked lentils.

4. When boiling, stir in the bulgur and salt to taste. Let simmer a few minutes.

5. Let sit 10–15 minutes for the bulgur to soften.

Kadir’s Tip: The next day, the soup gets even better—thicker, richer, deeper in taste. Just add a little water if needed!

🧭 Why I Love It

This soup is more than just food. It’s a bridge between past and present, home and exile. Every time I make it, I feel closer to the stories of my land.

📆 See You Next Month

This is just the beginning! Next month, I’ll take you into the streets of Istanbul to taste something you’ve probably seen… but never truly known.

Afiyet olsun,

Kadir