Spicy LENTIL, CHICKPEA & NOODLE Soup – Turkish ‘Widow’s Soup’

Dul Avrat Çorbası, “Widow’s Soup,” is a comforting and humble soup from Adana, Turkey made with staple ingredients.
Legend has it that this soup was first created by a widowed woman who, despite her limited resources, became famous for making delicious, filling meals from basic, inexpensive ingredients like lentils, chickpeas, and homemade noodles (erişte). The combination of spicy, tangy flavors and hearty staples made this soup a staple in the region.
With green lentils, square noodles and spinach or chard, this soup is packed with nutrients and flavor. A spicy kick from pul biber (Turkish chili flakes) and a tangy finish with fresh lemon or bitter orange (turunç) juice. A traditional Turkish soup, perfect for warming you up on a cold winter day!

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Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup green lentils, soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 3 – 4 cloves of garlic
• Spinach or chard, chopped, 1 cup
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 tsp dried mint
• 2 tsp pul biber / Aleppo peppers / chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp red pepper paste (biber salcasi)
• 1/4 cup dried square noodles (erişte), 50 g
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1.5 liter hot beef or vegetable stock
• 1.5 tsp salt
• Extra noodles + olive oil to fry and garnish
Instructions:
1. Soak the green lentils overnight, transfer into a small sauce pan, add water and bring to a boil
2. Let it simmer on low heat and cook for 15 mins until slightly softened. Drain and set aside
3. Finely chop the onion and the garlic cloves. Roughly chop the spinach or chard, set aside.
4. In a large pot, add 3 tbsp olive oil, heat up the oil and the onion. Sit and cook for 2 mins
5. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 1 min until the garlic is fragrant.
6. Add the spinach, dried mint, pul biber, black pepper, ground cumin and 1.5 tsp salt.
7. Stir and cook on medium low heat for 2 mins until the spices are fragrant.
8. Add the tomato paste and the red pepper paste, stir and cook until the paste is combined and cooked.
9. Add the chickpeas, green lentils, stir to combine
10. Add 1.5 liters hot stock, stir and let it simmer for 15 mins
11. Squeeze the juice of the lemons to get 1/4 cup lemon juice and add into the soup.
12. Add the dried noodles, give a gently stir and let it simmer for another 10 mins until noodles are cooked
13. Serve warm and optionally garnish with fried noodles on top.

Music provided by Epidemic Sound

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