A silky Turkish tomato soup finished with a swirl of butter and mint, simple enough for a weeknight but deeply savory.
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.
Serves 4
Heat olive oil in a pot and cook onion until soft, about 6 minutes, then add garlic for 1 minute.
Stir in tomato paste and cook 2 minutes until it darkens slightly, then add tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon.
Add rice, stock, sugar and salt; bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered 20 minutes until the rice is fully tender.
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.
Melt butter in a small pan with paprika until fragrant and slightly foamy, about 1 minute.
Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with the paprika butter, and sprinkle with dried mint.
Use canned whole peeled tomatoes in winter — they're often riper and sweeter than off-season fresh ones.
Don't skip the tomato paste step; cooking it briefly before adding liquid deepens the flavor considerably.
Crush the dried mint between your fingers before adding it to release more aroma.
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.
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.
Tomato soup entered Turkish cuisine after tomatoes became widely cultivated in Anatolia in the late Ottoman period, and it has since become one of the most common starters in Turkish home meals and lokantas.
Yes, use vegetable stock and swap the finishing butter for good olive oil — the flavor stays rich.
Carefully transfer the soup in batches to a stand blender, venting the lid to let steam escape.
Tomato soup often needs more salt and a touch of sugar than you'd expect to balance the tomatoes' acidity — taste and adjust before serving.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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