Turkish Yogurt Soup

I know I taunted you a few days ago when I posted my Molasses Spice Cookies, by sharing that I was deciding between posting a new Moroccan or Turkish recipe. Well, I opted to present you with the Turkish one first, because how often do I have this kind of recipe for you? Understandably, the soup is a bit out of season since it's still summer, but this particular recipe is fairly appropriate for eating year-round. It's a nice, light soup, full of protein-rich ingredients like chicken and chickpeas. The spices give it a bit of a sweet and spicy sensation, primarily as a result of the interaction between the cayenne and mint. And the Greek yogurt provides a basis for a creamy base stock, which compliments the chunkiness of the chicken and chickpeas, nicely. It's a pleasant, balanced soup, that provides you with a more "ethnic" meal, but without ingredients that are intimidating or stand-offish! It's simple and satisfying-what more could you ask for in a soup?

Cooking Notes: The original recipe calls for regular chicken stock, but we of course used Better Than Bouillon. It also called for chicken thighs, but we opted for some lean chicken breasts. The recipe also calls for "full-fat" yogurt, but we just used plain Greek yogurt, since it's very thick. And lastly, we used smoked paprika because we're out of regular paprika; however, I recommend to keep the flavor of the sauce more in line with the soup, that you try to use regular paprika!

Turkish Yogurt Soup (adapted from Food & Wine; serves 4)
1/2 cup basmati rice
2 tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp olive oil
S&P, fresh ground
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp finely chopped mint
Lemon juice or wedges, for serving

Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rice, cover and cook over low heat until barely tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the Better Than Bouillon (combined with 4 cups water) to a simmer over moderately high heat. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Skim any fat from the surface of the stock. Lightly shred the chicken once it has cooled.

In a large saucepan, whisk the yogurt with the egg yolk and flour. Whisk in the stock and bring to a simmer over low heat, whisking occasionally. Stir in the chickpeas, rice, and chicken. Season with fresh ground S&P and keep warm over low heat.

Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne, cooking over medium heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and swirl in the garlic butter. Sprinkle with mint and serve with a few drops of lemon juice or lemon wedges.

Recipe: Food & Wine: Turkish Yogurt Soup