Chilled Yogurt Wheat Berry Soup (Soguk Yogurt Corbasi)

Wheat berry, is not a berry at all, but it refers to the entire wheat kernel. They retain all their original goodness, including B vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. I usually double the amount of the berries and freeze the half for the second time because I can never have enough of this soup.
 
Wheat berries are so versatile you can also use these berries for a delicious salad with a crunchy texture, or even for a fiber packed breakfast! Just add some cranberries, raisins and nuts (pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts) with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup or maple-yogurt combination and voilà! you won't go back to your instant oatmeal again. It is chewy, nuty and so versatile...go ahead and give these humble berries a chance they won't dissappoint you whether with a sweet combination or savory!

Ingredients:
1 cup soft wheat berries
1/2 cup dry chickpeas or 1 cup canned, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 (32 oz) plain non fat yogurt, (strained yogurt is the best for this recipe)
1 tsp dried-mint flakes or finely chopped fresh mint
1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
olive oil (garnish)
salt

Directions:

1. Soak berries (and chickpeas if you are using) overnight, keep in the refrigerator to avoid fermentation. You will need 3 cups of water for 1 cup of berries.

2. In a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring berries to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until plump and chewy (and a few of the berries split open), about 30 min. (it takes about an hour or longer if you skipped the first step and didn't soak them overnight). The berries will  be chewy, taste a few to make sure they are cooked. Drain and set aside. (If you are using chickpeas, cook the chickpeas with the berries, if you are using canned version add them 10 min. after you add the berries)
3. Let the berries cool.
4. Add the yogurt and stir to combine.
5. Sprinkle dried mint flakes and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and savor every bit of it!

A "medicinal" Soup - Turkish Yogurt Soup Recipe (Yayla Corbasi)

"Rice soup with yogurt is the Turkish version of chicken soup: a panacea for everything from mild depression to colds and upset stomachs. If the yogurt is homemade, recovery is guaranteed, they say. This soup absolutely has to be seasoned with dried mint" (The Worldwide Gourmet)

This a soup which is made in all regions of Turkey. Literal translation of its name means "the soup of the high plateaus". In the old days when refrigeration was not available it was difficult to keep milk fresh and it was thus turned into yogurt as soon as possible. Plateaus were cool and consequently the best yogurt could be found in these high plateaus. Hence the name of this yogurt based soup. (Reference courtesy of allaboutturkey.com)

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain yogurt (I use low fat, or fat free to make it
healthier)

1/3 cup rice

1 egg

5 cups of water

2 tbs flour

For the sauce:

2 tbs butter (I used olive oil to make it healthier)

2 tbs dried mint

1 tbs paprika or red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the rice and place in a saucepan, add water and salt and cook for 30 min. or until the rice is soft, it must be well cooked to be pleasing to the palate.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and yogurt; add the egg and a few spoonfuls of cooking water from the rice to temper the mixture and continue whisking for a few moments.

3. Put the yogurt mix in a separate pot and start cooking on very low and continue whisking for ten minutes.

4. Gradually pour rice soup into the saucepan containing the yogurt, stirring constantly until it returns to a boil. Continue cooking for 10 minutes over very low heat.

For the Sauce:

Heat the butter/oil in a small skillet and add dried mint and red pepper flakes stir a couple of times and immediately remove from the heat (don't let it burn).