Beyran Çorbası, or Spicy Lamb Breakfast Soup in Istanbul, Turkey

Beyran Çorbası, or Spicy Lamb Breakfast Soup

by Lezzet i Şark, Istanbul, Turkey

Beyran çorbası is a popular Turkish breakfast soup made from tender lamb meat and lots of spices. 

Soup for breakfast might seem a little unusual if it isn't something you're used to, but believe me, a hot bowl of beyran çorbası a fantastic way to start your day on a cold winter morning in Istanbul.

Beyran Çorbası, or Spicy Lamb Breakfast Soup in Istanbul, Turkey

Beyran çorbası is a rich and savory soup made from lamb fat and shredded lamb meat cooked with rice. The lamb broth that the meat is cooked in is stewed with garlic, tomato, and pepper paste.

In order to make sure that all of the flavors are perfectly balanced, this soup is not made in a big pot, but rather each bowl is made separately. While it can be very spicy, you can get it medium or mild as per your preference. Each bowl of soup is made special just for the person who ordered it.

a bowl of Turkish beyran corbası for breakfast in Istanbul

Beyran çorbası is traditionally served with a plate full of fresh, peppery arugula and lemon wedges.

It's recommended to take a bite of the arugula between every two or three bites of the soup. The bitter, herbal, peppery flavor of the herb acts as a sort of palate cleanser is said to enhance every bite of the rich, hearty beyran çorbası. You can also squeeze the lemon into your soup if you want it to have a brighter, citrus flavor.

Turkish lamb soup served with arugula (rocket), lemon wedges, and pita (pide)

Every bowl of soup also comes with a basket of pide (or pita), a yeast-leavened flatbread commonly found in Mediterranean and Levantine cuisine. Some people tear up pieces of the dense bread and put them in their soup to soak up the broth before eating it all with their spoons. Others prefer dipping pieces of the pide into the soup. I personally prefer the latter.

Turkish pide (pita bread) for dipping in the soup

Traveler's Tips

When you're in the area, don't miss a visit to the nearby Spice Bazaar, the second-largest market in the city.

Mısır Çarşısı (the Egyptian Bazaar or Spice Bazaar) in Istanbul, Turkey

The Spice Bazaar was built in 1660. Its official name is Mısır Çarşısı, or the Egyptian Bazaar. The reason for this is not because it was built for or by Egyptians, but rather Ottoman taxes levied upon their administrative territory of Egypt were used to fund the construction of the bazaar.

Today, you can find spices, jewelry, sweets of all sorts, dried fruits and nuts, and souvenirs.

The bazaar is vibrant, colorful, lively, and full of amazing smells, but I wouldn't recommend buying anything there. It's fun to explore, but anything inside the Spice Bazaar costs about four times what it costs outside.

various Turkish spices for sale at the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul

Location

Lezzet i Şark is located near Istanbul's Spice Bazaar at Rüstem Paşa, Hasırcılar Cd. No:38, 34116 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye. The nearest public transport station is Eminönü tram station.

Lezzet i Şark, Istanbul, Turkey (near the Spice Bazaar)

See the exact location on the map.