Wish Tree of Anatolia
- Mar 19, 2021
- 2 min read

Traditional "Tarhana" Soup - All-Natural Homemade

Updated: Mar 21, 2021

Tarhana is one of the most famous soups of traditional Turkish cuisine. It is one of the most common soups at the Anatolia region of Turkey. Especially in cold winter days, Tarhana is one of the most popular soups in Turkey. As it is homemade, it does not contain any preservatives which makes it a very healty food as well. 😊

Tarhana Soup - Homemade & Healthy 😊

Tarhana powder is prepared by mixing plain yogurt, flour, and grated vegetables like red pepper, tomato, and onion into a thick paste that is left to ferment for several days. After the fermentation process, Tarhana mix divided into small portions and then dried and then crumbled to make Tarhana powder. This fermented Tarhana powder can last 1-2 years and it is considered as the best soup for cold winter months. The advantage of making your own Tarhana is; you will know what kind of ingredients in it. You can purchase tarhana powder in most Turkish groceries too. Many people, especially those in rural areas, prefer to make their own tarhana. This is usually done once a year during the summer when drying the pulse is easy.

You can see the pictures of my own homemade tarhana below too. 😊

While cooking, you just dissolve tarhana in water, add the salt and cook for 10 minutes. Melt butter or margarine, add mint and red pepper and stir a few times and sprinkle over the soup. There may be different variations of Tarhana - In some regions while preparing the soup, pre-cooked chickpeas, pre-cooked dried white beans or browned ground meat and green peppers are also added. Some people even add milk in tarhana soup. You can see different tarhana variations in Balkan countries and Greece as well - for example some tarhana can be whiter in colour whereas some of them can be more pinky - all these depend on the ingredients used while making the tarhana...

Preparation of Tarhana soup 😊