Recipes

Chilled Yogurt and Chickpea Soup (Ayran Aşi)

  • Serves

    serves 4-6

  • Time

    3 hours

Yogurt and Chickpea Soup
CEM TALU

By Mehmet Gürs


Published on February 24, 2016

Mehmet Gürs of Mikla in Istanbul adds heaps of fresh parsley and mint to his yogurt soup for a bright flavor and a shot of color. For the full Turkish taste, search for buffalo milk yogurt, which has a welcome undertone of funk—but in a pinch, plain yogurt will do.

Ingredients

  • 34 cup green lentils
  • 34 cup wheat berries
  • 12 cup dried black-eyed peas
  • 12 cup dried chickpeas
  • 4 cups plain, full-fat yogurt, preferably made with buffalo milk or goats' milk
  • 14 cup thinly shredded flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 14 cup thinly shredded mint leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1

In 4 separate bowls, soak the lentils, wheat berries, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas in water overnight, then drain. In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, add the wheat berries and cook for 15 minutes. Add the lentils and chickpeas and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, and continue cooking until all the grains and beans are tender, about 15 minutes more. Drain the grains and beans, transfer to a bowl, and let cool.

Step 2

Stir the yogurt, two-thirds each of the parsley and mint, and 2 cups ice-cold water into the grains and beans and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve the soup chilled and garnished with the remaining mint and parsley.

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