Turkish Soups (Çorba): 12 Classics and When Turks Eat Them

Quick answer: The classic Turkish soups (çorba) are mercimek (red lentil), ezogelin (lentil with bulgur and mint), yayla (yogurt, rice and mint), tarhana (fermented grain and yogurt), düğün (wedding soup with lamb and a lemon-egg finish), işkembe (tripe), domates (tomato) and tavuk suyu (chicken). In Turkey, soup is eaten at any time of day, including breakfast.

Key takeaways

• Soup opens most Turkish home meals and restaurant menus, and it's a traditional breakfast.
• Many classic çorbas are vegetarian: lentil, yayla, tarhana, tomato.
• Terbiye, a mix of yogurt, egg yolk, flour and lemon, is the technique behind the creamy soups.
• Most çorbas are finished with a drizzle of butter sizzled with dried mint or pul biber.

The 12 classic Turkish soups

1. Mercimek çorbası (red lentil soup)

This is Turkey's national soup: red lentils, onion, carrot and potato, blended smooth and served with lemon and pul biber butter. Restaurants make a silky "lokanta-style" version. Cook our classic red lentil soup or learn the restaurant texture in our lokanta-style lentil soup guide.

2. Ezogelin çorbası

The name means "Ezo the bride's soup", after a young bride from the Gaziantep region. It combines red lentils with bulgur, rice, tomato paste and plenty of dried mint, and it's heartier and more rustic than mercimek (background). Here's our ezogelin recipe.

3. Yayla çorbası (highland yogurt soup)

A comforting soup of yogurt, rice and dried mint, thickened with egg and flour so it doesn't split. It's good hot in winter and surprisingly refreshing in summer. Try our yayla soup.

4. Tarhana çorbası

Tarhana is one of the oldest instant foods: a fermented dough of flour, yogurt, tomatoes and peppers, sun-dried and crumbled, then cooked into a tangy, probiotic-rich soup. Make our tarhana soup, or make the base yourself with our homemade tarhana guide.

5. Düğün çorbası (wedding soup)

Lamb neck is simmered until tender and shredded, then the broth is thickened with a terbiye of yogurt, flour, egg yolk and lemon and finished with red pepper butter. It's served at weddings and big gatherings. See our wedding soup recipe.

6. İşkembe çorbası (tripe soup)

Tripe soup is served with garlic vinegar and chilli. It's the classic late-night and morning-after soup in Turkey. Here's our işkembe recipe.

7. Mahluta çorbası

This southern soup simmers lentils and rice together and finishes them with separately fried onions. It isn't blended, so it stays pleasantly grainy. Try our mahluta soup.

8. Domates çorbası (tomato soup)

Turkish tomato soup is thickened with a little flour and butter and often topped with grated kaşar cheese. Our Turkish tomato soup is ready in 30 minutes.

9. Şehriyeli tavuk suyu (chicken and vermicelli soup)

This is the soup Turkish families make on sick days: clear chicken broth with toasted vermicelli and lemon. Make our chicken vermicelli soup, and learn to make a clear, gelatinous broth with our chicken stock guide.

10. Tavuklu erişte çorbası (chicken and noodle soup)

A heartier sister of the vermicelli soup, made with homemade egg noodles (erişte). Here's our chicken noodle soup.

11. Yeşil mercimek çorbası (green lentil soup)

A rustic, chunky soup of green lentils with vegetables and sometimes bulgur, finished with mint butter. Try our green lentil soup.

12. Balkabağı çorbası (pumpkin soup)

An autumn favourite. Roasting or sautéing the pumpkin before simmering gives it more depth. See our pumpkin soup and our pumpkin season guide.

A soup for every occasion

Getting the texture right

• Too thick? Loosen with hot stock, not water, to keep the flavour.
• Yogurt soup split? Always temper it: whisk hot broth into the yogurt-egg mixture a ladle at a time before adding it to the pot, and don't let it boil hard afterwards.
• Tarhana lumpy? Soak tarhana in cold water for about 10 minutes before heating.
• Lentil soup gluey? Rinse the lentils well and add a whisk of butter at the end.

Our soup consistency guide covers each problem in more detail.

Chef's tip: Finish almost any Turkish soup with kızdırılmış tereyağı. Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter until it foams, take it off the heat, stir in dried mint or pul biber and drizzle it over each bowl. It adds aroma and colour and makes a home soup taste like it came from a soup house.

What about Cypriot soups?

In Cyprus, soups share the table with hearty stews such as molohiya and kolokas. Lemony egg-thickened chicken soups are also popular across the island.

The Turkish soup formula: make one from your pantry

Once you know the pattern behind most çorbas, you can make a good soup from whatever you have:

1. Aromatics: Soften 1 onion (and a carrot, if you have one) in 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil.
2. Paste: Stir in 1 tablespoon of tomato or pepper paste (salça) and cook for a minute until it smells sweet.
3. Body: Add about 1 cup of a legume or grain: red lentils, bulgur, rice, vermicelli, or a mix.
4. Liquid: Pour in 1.5 to 2 litres of hot stock or water and simmer until everything is soft. Lentils and bulgur take 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Texture: Blend for a smooth soup such as mercimek, or leave it chunky like ezogelin.
6. Finish: Season, add lemon at the table and drizzle over butter sizzled with dried mint or pul biber.

For a creamy yogurt soup, follow the same steps without the paste, and at the end stir in a tempered mixture of yogurt, egg yolk and a spoonful of flour, as for yayla soup.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular soup in Turkey?

Red lentil soup (mercimek çorbası) is the most popular. It's served in almost every home and restaurant, usually with lemon and red pepper butter.

Do Turkish people eat soup for breakfast?

Yes. Traditionally, especially in winter and in rural areas, soups such as tarhana and lentil are eaten for breakfast. Soup houses (çorbacı) open early for workers.

What is the difference between mercimek and ezogelin soup?

Mercimek is a smooth, blended red lentil soup. Ezogelin adds bulgur, rice, tomato paste and dried mint, which makes it heartier and more textured.

Are Turkish soups vegetarian?

Many are, including mercimek, ezogelin, yayla, tarhana and tomato soup, when they're made with water or vegetable stock. Some restaurants use meat or chicken stock, so ask if you're not sure.

How do you stop yogurt soup from curdling?

Mix the yogurt with an egg yolk and a spoonful of flour, then whisk in hot broth a ladle at a time to warm it gradually (tempering). Add it to the pot, stir constantly and keep it at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.

Sources

• Ezogelin soup: origin and ingredients
• Tarhana: fermented grain and yogurt food

Written by the House Chef Cyprus editorial team, Cyprus. Last reviewed: September 2026.