Domates Corbasi (Turkish Tomato Soup)

About This Recipe

Domates corbasi is a staple of Turkish home cooking, the kind of soup that appears at the start of nearly any family meal, made from ripe tomatoes, a base of onion and garlic, and a thickening of rice or bulgur. The tomatoes are cooked down slowly with tomato paste until their raw acidity mellows into something deep and slightly sweet, then blended smooth and finished with a butter-and-paprika drizzle known as tereyagi sos that's poured over just before serving. Fresh mint or dried mint stirred in at the end is what separates this from an ordinary tomato soup — it adds a cooling, herbal note that Turkish cooks reach for reflexively with tomato-based dishes.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgripe tomatoes(or 2 cans whole peeled tomatoes)
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1/4 cupwhite rice
• 4 cupsvegetable or chicken stock
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 tbspbutter(for finishing)
• 1 tsppaprika(for finishing)
• 2 tbspdried mint

Instructions

1. 1

   Saute the aromatics

   Heat olive oil in a pot and cook onion until soft, about 6 minutes, then add garlic for 1 minute.

2. 2

   Build the base

   Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until it darkens slightly, then add tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon.

3. 3

   Simmer with rice

   Add rice, stock, sugar and salt; bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 20 minutes until the rice is fully tender.

4. 4

   Blend smooth

   Puree the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth.

   Strain through a sieve for an ultra-silky texture if you prefer no tomato skin flecks.

5. 5

   Make the finishing butter

   Melt butter in a small pan with paprika until fragrant and slightly foamy, about 1 minute.

6. 6

   Serve

   Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with the paprika butter, and sprinkle with dried mint.

Variations

• •

  A version made with bulgur instead of rice is common in southeastern Turkey and has a slightly nuttier flavor.

• •

  Ezogelin-style additions of red lentils turn this into a heartier, more filling soup.

• •

  For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter for the finishing drizzle.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days in a sealed container; the soup also freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat gently on the stove, whisking to re-emulsify.

Frequently Asked Questions