When you think of Turkish food you think of kebabs, the breakfast and baklava. I don’t think soup comes to mind instantly. But Turkish soups are actually a big part of the cuisine and are very popular amongst locals. Turkish soups are the ultimate comfort foods especially during the winter. However, due to the wide variety of soups available in the Turkish cuisine, there’s a soup for every season. So, the cold soups come out and become popular in the summer and the hot ones are more popular in the winter. There’s also a soup for every special occasion like a wedding. Usually, soup shops are open 24/7 making for the perfect late night hang out spot. And essentially it is an appetiser, but locals commonly have it for breakfast before a long hard day at work. Saying that, it is actually consumed during many parts of the day due to it versatility, nutrition and inexpensive. Soups are also commonly had to break the fast in Ramadan. Three must try soups are Ezogelin (lentil soup), Beyran (lamb soup) and Kelle Paca (head and trotter soup). We tried them at this popular spot near the Egyptian Spice Market in Istanbul: Lezzet-i Şark.
Lezzet-i Şark
Before going into the soups let’s talk about this little hidden gem near the Egyptian Spice Market in Istanbul: Lezzet-i Şark. It is a small spot that is located right next to the Egyptian Spice Market and is very popular with the locals. They do some of your usual kebab dishes, supposedly one of the best kunafa in town (we didn’t get to try this), but what is the distinguishing factor about them for us is the soups. They do the aforementioned authentic Turkish soups. They’ve got seating upstairs too where you get a nice view of the street outside the hustle and bustle of the market. A perfect people watching view with a bowl of wholesome and nutritious soup. This spot most definitely has to be added to your list of restaurants to visit when in Istanbul.
Ezogelin (lentil soup)
If you ask a Turk what is their favourite soup, 8 out of 10 of them would probably say the Ezogelin soup. It is quite possibly the quintessential, the most loved and the most popular. You’ll find this in Turkish soup spots (of course), but you’ll also find this on the menu of Turkish home food restaurants – if there’s only one soup on the menu, it’ll be this one. You just can’t go wrong. However, I need to make an important distinction. Even though I placed lentil soup in brackets in the title above, it is not exactly lentil soup. Red lentil soup is actually a separate dish. What is the difference? Ezogelin is lentil, bulgur and rice soup. So, the key ingredients are different as well as the texture of the soup – it is more grainy. What did we think? It was everything a soup is supposed to be: homely, warm and comforting. This was all that and more. Sprinkle some lemon over it and you got yourself a delicious soup. Initially, we thought it might be a bit like daal, but it was quite distinctively different.
Beyran (lamb soup)
Beyran is a traditional Turkish soup that comes from the food city of Turkey, Gaziantep. It is made up of lamb fat which is then topped with rice and shredded lamb meat. Along with these, spices are added to elevate this dish to top tier level. In Gaziantep, it is commonly served and consumed for breakfast. It is known for its spiciness, which may be the thing that distinguishes this more than the others on this list. The Beyran here at this spot is actually quite famous – it’s meant to be one of their best dishes! Unfortunately, we actually didn’t try this, but a few of the people we were with did and they confirmed its deliciousness.
Kelle Paca (head and trotter soup)
If you ask me to recommend one soup that you absolutely must try when in Istanbul or Turkey, it’ll be this one: Kelle Paca. Not only is it unique, a delicacy, intriguing but also super delicious. It is a soup that consists of offal with the sheep’s head and foot being the main components. I know I know, it doesn’t sound appetising and it sounds a bit daring and unfortunately the halal foodies are the least adventurous people I have ever seen. But if you put aside what it is made for a bit, I guarantee you, you’ll enjoy it. It is warm, comforting and literally like a big hug from long lost loved one. This was my favourite soup here and even my wife’s!
Getting there
Google Maps Location link: click here
