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Balkabaklı Kestaneli Çorba; Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup

By Ozlem Warren on October 28, 2024 in Soups, Vegetarian recipes 2

It is the soup season, as we are fully in the autumn / fall. It is also the pumpkin season; this Balkabaklı Kestaneli Çorba, Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup, from my new book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish Kitchen, is a delicious and easy celebration of autumnal flavours.

Pumpkin (balkabağı) is enjoyed in savoury and sweet dishes in Türkiye. While it can be combined with yoghurt or with pomegranate molasses in the south for savoury meals (for example, Adesiye, at page 143, in SEBZE cookery book), it is cooked with chestnuts in the north. The city of Zonguldak in the Black Sea region grows some of the finest chestnuts and this soup is a Zonguldak specialty. The sweetness of the pumpkin and onions works beautifully with the earthy chestnuts. Locals would also add the region’s creamy manda sütü, water buffalo’s milk, to the soup – full-fat milk works well as a substitute although you can use single (light) cream for a creamier taste. You can use butternut squash instead of pumpkin, too.

Serve this delicious soup with Corn Bread, Mısır Ekmeği (page 50 in SEBZE). It is the gift giving season upon us; copies of SEBZE is available worldwide at this link and it can make a lovely foodie present.

I hope you enjoy this delicious soup, Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

Balkabaklı Kestaneli Çorba; Pumpkin and Chestnut Soup

Pumpkin (balkabağı) is enjoyed in savoury and sweet dishes in Türkiye. While it can be combined with yoghurt or with pomegranate molasses in the south for savoury meals (for example, Adesiye, at page 143, in SEBZE cookery book), it is cooked with chestnuts in the north. The city of Zonguldak in the Black Sea region grows some of the finest chestnuts and this soup is a Zonguldak specialty. The sweetness of the pumpkin and onions works beautifully with the earthy chestnuts. Locals would also add the region’s creamy manda sütü, water buffalo’s milk, to the soup – full-fat milk works well as a substitute although you can use single (light) cream for a creamier taste. You can use butternut squash instead of pumpkin, too.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian Soup

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
825 g (1 lb 13 oz) deseeded and peeled pumpkin, sliced into 1 cm (½ in) chunks
255 g (9 oz) peeled, cooked chestnuts, quartered
510 ml (18 fl oz/generous 2 cups) vegetable stock
510 ml (18 fl oz/generous 2 cups) water
140 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) full-fat milk (or a plant-based alternative)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
handful of fresh parsley, chopped, to serve
For the sautéed chestnuts
80 g (3 oz) peeled, cooked chestnuts, diced into small bites
2 tablespoons olive oil or sunflower oil

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over a medium heat, add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes until softened. Stir in the pumpkin pieces and sauté for another 2 minutes. Add the chestnuts, pour in the vegetable stock and water, then season with salt and pepper, and combine well. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12–15 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked.
Purée the soup in a blender and pour back into the pan, add the milk and bring back to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Seasoning is important – check and add more salt and pepper to your taste.
For the sautéed chestnuts, heat the oil in a small sauté pan over a medium heat, add the chestnuts and sauté for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup warm with the sautéed chestnuts and chopped parsley sprinkled over.
Serving suggestion: Serve with Mısır Ekmeği (page 50 in SEBZE cookery book) to complement this delicious soup.

Collard Greens Soup with Borlotti Beans; Karalahana Çorbası

By Ozlem Warren on September 11, 2024 in Gluten-free recipes, SEBZE, Soups, Vegetarian recipes 4

Karalahana Çorbası image, from SEBZE; taken during photo shoots with Sam A Harris

The autumn/fall season is in the air and we started to turn to wholesome, nourishing soups.

This Hearty Karalahana Çorbası, Collard Greens Soup with Borlotti Beans and Sweetcorn, from my new book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, encapsulates the staple ingredients in Black Sea cuisine, with many variations within the region. This version is inspired by my travels; I was served it at Sümer restaurant on the way to Maçka, near Trabzon. Made with the region’s delicious butter, the sweetness of the corn is a delightful match to the slightly bitter greens (karalahana). You can enjoy this chunky, good-value soup with Corn Bead, Mısır Ekmeği (at SEBZE, page 50,) as the locals do.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

We have many gluten-free recipes in Turkish cuisine, like this soup, and many of them featured in my new book SEBZE (or ideas to turn recipes to gluten-free, when applicable). You can make this soup ahead of time – the flavours settle and taste even better the next day.

Quicker option: This soup is best made with dried borlotti beans. If pressed for time, you can use 2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans of good-quality, pre-cooked and rinsed beans instead. Fold the beans into the soup before adding the maize/corn flour to the pot.

I am delighted to share this delicious soup with you here, from SEBZE cookery book. You can get a copy here, world wide.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 1 reviews

Collard Greens Soup with Borlotti Beans; Karalahana Çorbası

Hearty Karalahana Çorbası encapsulates the staple ingredients in Black Sea cuisine, with many variations within the region. This version, from my new cookery book SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen, is inspired by my travels; I was served it at Sümer restaurant on the way to Maçka, near Trabzon. Made with the region’s delicious butter, the sweetness of the corn is a delightful match to the slightly bitter greens (karalahana). You can enjoy this chunky, good-value soup with Corn Bead, Mısır Ekmeği (from SEBZE, page 50) as the locals do. Quicker option: This soup is best made with dried borlotti beans. If pressed for time, you can use 2 x 400 g (14 oz) cans of good-quality, pre-cooked and rinsed beans instead. Fold the beans into the soup before adding the maize/corn flour to the pot.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian recipes

Cuisine: Turkish Cuisine

Serves: 6

Ingredients

170 g (6 oz/generous ¾ cup) dried borlotti beans
2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil for a vegan option)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
85 g (3 oz/1/3 cup) double concentrated tomato paste
225 g (8 oz/generous 1 cup) sweetcorn kernels (cut from 2 medium cobs)
225 g (8 oz) collard greens, washed, rough stems removed and coarsely chopped
1.475 litres (52 fl oz/6 cups) hot water
30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) fine cornmeal or maize flour (also known as corn flour – not cornflour/cornstarch)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the pul biber sauce
3 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon pul biber / Aleppo pepper (use less or more to your taste)

Instructions

Soak the dried borlotti beans overnight or for 8 hours in plenty of cold water.
The next day, drain the beans, place in a large saucepan and cover with hot water. Bring to the boil, then cook over a medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir often and skim off any foam forming on the top with a spoon. Drain in a colander and refresh under cold running water (to retain colour and texture) and set aside in a bowl. They will be partially cooked and still firm, with a bite to them.
Heat the butter (or olive oil) in a large pan over a medium–high heat, add the onions and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring often to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, sweetcorn and the beans, and combine well. Add the collard greens and the measured hot water and bring to the boil. Gently mix – the collard greens will start to wilt. Season with salt and pepper, then cover, reduce the heat to medium–low and cook for 15 minutes, gently mixing a few times.
Place the fine cornmeal/maize flour in a small bowl and add 3 ladlefuls of the soup liquid. Mix with a spoon until the flour is dissolved and the mixture smooth. Pour into the pan and gently combine well. Cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes. This is a chunky soup but if it appears to be too thick for you, add a little more water and combine well.
For the sauce, heat the butter (or olive oil) in a small pan and stir in the pul biber. Gently infuse for 30–45 seconds over a low heat.
Pour the pul biber sauce over the soup and check the seasoning. Serve immediately while hot.

Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce

By Ozlem Warren on August 6, 2024 in Salads, Vegetarian recipes 0

Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce – Tahinli piyaz. Photo by Sam A Harris from SEBZE cookery book

This Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce, Tahinli piyaz, is one of my favourite recipes from my recent cookery book, SEBZE, Vegetarian recipes from my Turkish kitchen. It makes a substantial, delicious lunch or perfect aside to grills, pasta. I hope you enjoy my recipe here. You can get a copy of SEBZE cookery book worldwide at this link too.

SEBZE, Vegetarian Recipes From My Turkish Kitchen

Antalya style bean salad with tahini sauce

We have a variety of bean salads in Türkiye and this Tahinli Fasulye Piyazı is a specialty from the Antalya region, on the southwest coast of Türkiye. It makes a substantial, nutritious, great-value lunch with flatbreads to mop up the delicious sauce.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Vegetarian recipes

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins pre-cooked cannellini beans (or equivalent dried beans)
½ small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 medium ripe tomato, diced
handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
45 g (1¾ oz/1/3 cup) Turkish or other good-quality black olives, pitted and halved
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the tahini sauce
2 fat garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon grape or cider vinegar
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) lukewarm water
To serve
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Drain and rinse the pre-cooked beans, then place in a large bowl (If you prefer to use dried beans, as it is traditional in Türkiye, you need to soak them in cold water overnight. Drain and put them in a pan with plenty of fresh water, and cook for about 1 hour, or until tender, adding salt towards the end of the cooking time. Drain and set aside in a bowl, to be used in this salad). Stir in the onions and gently combine.
To make the tahini sauce, combine the garlic, lemon juice, ground cumin and a good pinch of salt with the tahini in a small bowl. Stir and combine well; you will notice the sauce will thicken. Pour in the vinegar and lukewarm water and combine well for 30 seconds. You will achieve a runny sauce at the end. Pour this sauce over the beans and gently combine well.
Stir the tomatoes, parsley and olives into the salad and combine well, then check the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
Transfer the salad to a serving plate, decorate with the quartered, hard-boiled eggs, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.