yüksük çorbasi

a “thimble” turkish dumpling soup 🥟

- hey guuuuuys,

on this episode of the soup series, we’re making yüksük çorbasi, an insanely delicious turkish soup made with manti. you’re most likely more familiar with armenian manti served with yoghurt and chili butter, whereas in this dish they’re added to a flavorful soup base and boiled to perfection. yüksük translates to thimble, which describes the mini manti in the soup.

making them is a labor of love, and maybe it’s the virgo in me, but i feel like they could’ve been a lot smaller. regardless, i was really happy with my first attempt. i know this recipe may seem intimidating to a lot of people, but i truly believe that making the recipes that intimidate you the most is what builds your confidence in the kitchen.

also, it’s such a fun activity—gather your friends and family and fold up some manti. even if they turn out ugly, they’ll be delicious regardless. this is literally how my friends and i spend our get-togethers, and i wouldn’t have it any other way.

the soup gets its hearty red color from a mix of tomato and red pepper paste. i paired my soup with some cooked chickpeas and toasted vermicelli. i think what drew me to this recipe was the amount of dried mint incorporated in it. it’s added to the soup base as well as the filling, and it also felt only right to pair it with some minty garlic yogurt. i also went the extra mile with the dried mint and mixed it with some grated halloumi, and it was so bomb. i cannot wait to make this again.

begin with making the dough and allowing it to rest in the fridge while you prepare the other components of the soup.

for the mince just add all the ingredients to a bowl, you can definitely buy your meat pre minced. put together the garlic yoghurt, grate your halloumi and mix with some dried mint, and prep and weigh out all your ingredients for the soup base.

it is crucial for you to have all your ingredients and components organized and prepped before cooking for efficiency, accuracy, and safety in the kitchen. adopting this method of “mis en place” will help keep you disciplined and is an important skill to learn for home cooks and chefs alike.

once all the components are ready divide the dough into 3 equal parts and roll out the dough as thin as you can. cut into squares about 1 inch wide, i used a ruler and pasta cutter. fill the manti with the meat filling no bigger than the size of a chickpea. add to a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven at 175c for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges turn slightly brown.

parbaking helps set the structure of the dough and prevents it from getting too soft, helps develop flavor, and reduces the moisture content, giving it a firmer texture so it can hold its shape better, but this is optional. if you have extra manti, store in a freezer safe bag after baking and freeze for up to 3 months.

allow the manti to cool before adding to the soup along with the rest of the components. serve with the garlic yoghurt and grated halloumi.

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:

300g ap flour - 2 1/4 cup

1 tsp salt

1 egg, beaten

120g water

30g olive oil + more for greasing

-

FILLING:

300g minced lamb or beef

1 tsp sumac

1 tsp aleppo pepper

1 tsp dried mint

20g turkish pepper paste - 1 tbsp

1/2 grated onion

2 cloves grated garlic

chopped parsley

chopped chives

salt

pepper

-

GRATED HALLOUMI:

40g grated halloumi

2 tsp dried mint

-

GARLIC YOGHURT:

200g greek yoghurt

2 cloves garlic, grated

2 cloves confit garlic, turned to a paste 15g (optional)

chopped fresh mint

confit garlic oil or olive oil

salt

pepper

-

SOUP BASE:

50g vermicelli - 1/2 cup

25g butter - 1 tbsp

50g butter + splash of olive oil

175g chopped onion, 1 large onion

15g grated garlic, about 4 cloves

20g turkish pepper paste, 1 tbsp

10g tomato paste, 1/2 tbsp

10g flour, 1 tbsp

120ml water or chicken stock, 1/2 cup

2 tsp mint

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp salt

1.5L water or chicken stock

180g cooked chickpeas

350g manti, baked and cooled to room temperature

-

METHOD:

1. for the dough, sift the flour & salt in a wide bowl. make a well and add beaten egg + water + olive oil

2. bring together to make a dough and knead for 3-4 minutes until smooth and elastic. use a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky. wrap with cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes

3. for the filling, combine all ingredients in a bowl. cover with cling film and set aside in the fridge until ready to use.

4. preheat your oven to 175c. meanwhile prep and measure all the ingredients for the soup base and set aside

5. for the garlic yoghurt, combine all ingredients in a bowl. cover and set aside until ready to use

6. for the grated halloumi, grate and combine with dried mint and set aside until ready to use

7. for rolling the manti, divide the dough into 3 equal parts. cover whatever you’re not using with cling film or a damp cloth so the dough doesn’t dry out.

8. roll out the dough as thin and even as you can get it. cut into evenly sized squares about 1 inch wide.

9. place a teaspoon of mince in the center of each square. the filling should be about the size of a chickpea

10. dab a bit of water on the corners and fold the squares to the opposite corners, meeting them all together in the middle like a little envelope

11. set your manti aside on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 175c until the edges and slightly browned

12. allow for them to cool before adding to the soup. i weighed out 350g to use in the soup and stored any remaining manti i had in the freezer to use next time

13. for the soup base, add 25g butter and 50g vermicelli to a pot and toast until golden brown. add to a bowl and set aside

14. add in the 50g butter with q splash of olive oil and add the onions. sweat for 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic and cook for another minute

15. add the tomato paste, turkish pepper paste, and flour and cook for another minute or two

16. add the 120 ml chicken stock or water with the dried mint, smoked paprika, and salt. stir to combine

17. add the remaining 1.5L chicken stock or water and bring to a boil

18. once boiling add manti and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes

19. add in the toasted vermicelli and cooked chickpeas and cook for another 2 minutes. taste the manti and cook more if you want them to be softer

20. serve up in a soup bowl and garnish with the garlic yoghurt and grated halloumi.

-