Turkish Yogurt Soup

Yogurt in a Soup? Yes!

It might sound unusual if you’ve never tried it before, but in Turkey, yogurt soup is totally normal and delicious! This traditional soup has a creamy texture with a nice tangy flavor from yogurt. Don’t worry, when heated the right way, yogurt stays perfectly smooth and never curdles.

The melted butter sauce with dried mint on top balances everything beautifully and adds that signature Turkish flavor.

It’s also a soup loved by kids all over Turkey, and honestly, it’s one of the favorites in our home too.

As a Turkish family living in the UK, whenever we crave something cozy, a bowl of Yayla Çorbası always feels like home.

About The Ingredients

You can find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Turkish Yogurt Soup is made with a few simple, everyday ingredients, which means you can easily make it anytime!

We use long-grain rice, which is the common choice in Turkey, but honestly, any type of rice will work. Depending on the rice you use, the soup might turn out thicker; if that happens, you can simply add a little hot water at the end to adjust the consistency.

For the yogurt, go with plain yogurt. We sometimes use Greek-style yogurt or our homemade Turkish yogurt. If the yogurt you use isn’t tangy — Greek-style ones usually aren’t — a little lemon juice helps bring that nice, balanced flavor.

To thicken the soup, we use flour and egg yolk. Regular all-purpose flour works great, but if you want to make your soup completely gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free flour instead.

How to Make Turkish Yogurt Soup

Turkish Yogurt soup comes together in three simple steps. First, cook the rice in water until it’s soft and tender. This forms the base of your soup.

While the rice is cooking, whisk together the yogurt, flour, egg yolk and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. To make sure the yogurt doesn’t curdle, slowly warm it up by adding a few spoonfuls of the hot rice water while stirring.

Once it’s tempered, pour the yogurt mixture into the pot with the rice and cook gently until it slightly thickens.

Finally, prepare the butter-mint sauce. Melt the butter with a little olive oil in a small pan, add dried mint, and let it sizzle for a few seconds. Then pour this aromatic sauce over the soup, give it a good stir. That’s it! Your Turkish Yogurt Soup is ready to enjoy!

Warm Up the Yogurt Mixture Slowly!

This step is so important when making Turkish Yogurt Soup. If you add the cold yogurt mixture directly into the hot pot, it can easily curdle. To keep the texture smooth and creamy, you need to warm up (or “temper”) the yogurt mixture gradually before adding it to the hot pot.

Here’s how: take a few spoonfuls of the hot water from the pot with rice and slowly add it into the yogurt mixture while whisking constantly. Do this a few times until the mixture feels warm.

Then you can safely pour it back into the pot. This gentle warming process helps the yogurt adjust to the heat and keeps your soup silky and perfect every time.

Add the Salt at the End

It’s best to add the salt only after the soup is fully cooked. If you add it too early, before the yogurt mixture has finished cooking, it can cause the yogurt to curdle. By waiting until the end, you keep the soup smooth and creamy.

So once the yogurt soup is done, stir in the salt, then pour over the butter-mint sauce and mix well.

Taste it, and if you like, you can always add a little more salt at this step. It’s the safest (and tastiest) way to season your Yayla Çorbası!

Cook This Soup on Low Heat!

Once you add the yogurt mixture, keep the heat low and stir gently while it cooks. This helps the soup thicken slowly and stay smooth. After it starts to boil, you don’t need to stir constantly, but make sure to keep the heat low.

Cooking it gently is the secret to a silky, creamy texture. If the heat is too high, the yogurt can curdle.

So think of it this way: When making Turkish yogurt soup, always be gentle to your yogurt to get the best result.

Alternative Add-Ins

You can also give your Turkish Yogurt Soup a little twist by adding cooked chickpeas or green lentils. Both work beautifully and make the soup a bit more filling.

Since they’re already cooked, just stir them in at the very end (before pouring the butter sauce) and let the soup simmer for about 5 more minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Turkish Yogurt Soup goes perfectly with any type of Turkish bread.

We love serving it with Ramazan pidesi or bazlama, which are both soft and fluffy.

In the northern regions of Turkey, it’s also common to enjoy it with cornbread, which adds a lovely rustic touch. 

Storage and Reheating

Let the soup cool completely before storing. You can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, warm it up slowly over low heat, stirring often to keep the texture smooth. Avoid boiling it — high heat can cause the yogurt to curdle.

If the soup thickens too much in the fridge, just add a little hot water while reheating until you reach your desired consistency. It will taste just as comforting as freshly made!

We don’t recommend freezing yayla corbasi, as the yogurt may separate and change the texture once thawed.