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Diyarbakır Habenisk Çorbası
A thick, meatless Diyarbakır soup of hulled wheat, whole green lentils and chickpeas, finished with onions cooked in clarified butter and Turkish red pepper flakes.
Measure the dry wheat and chickpeas, then soak them overnight in separate bowls of water. Drain.
Boil the chickpeas separately in fresh water until tender, then drain. While they cook, put the soaked wheat in a soup pot with the measured soup water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until the wheat has softened.
Rinse the green lentils and add them to the wheat. Cook for 20 minutes more, until the lentils are tender; allow longer if needed. Add the cooked chickpeas and table salt.
Meanwhile, melt the clarified butter in a separate pan and cook the finely chopped onions for 10 minutes, until softened and beginning to color.
Add the onions and their fat to the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes more until thick and spoonable, with tender grains. Add a little hot water if needed to prevent sticking before the grains soften.
Add the pepper flakes, remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Serve with fresh bread, turşu and lemon wedges, with Turkish red pepper flakes on the side.
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