January 10 - Winter Soup Recipe (Armenian Soup Spas =Tanapour)

Day 10 - Winter is a great time for soup! Share your favorite soup recipe.

The winter has officially arrived, with cold and dreary days, when you get up and go back home in the dark. Now that it is officially soup season, it's time to enjoy a hearty bowl of satisfying soup.

Can anyone explain why we refuse to eat delicious homemade soups as a kid? 

And why do we love them once we are grown-ups? 

I have simply no idea...

Out of all the soups my mom used to make there was the only one that I loved to eat as a kid and it is my kids' favorite soup as well. 

It is the Yogurt Soup ("Spas" as we call it in Armenian), a perfect heartwarming soup for the gloomy rainy days though you can serve it as a refreshing cold soup during the summertime as well. You will only need a few ingredients to make it but you will fall in love with its creamy and tangy taste. It is also budget-friendly and doesn't need any complicated cooking techniques. 

There are 2 equally tasty versions of Spas: one with rice and the other with peeled wheat. 

The only trick you need to master in order to get its magical smooth and creamy texture is to stay close to the stove and stir occasionally.

Ingredients

1 egg

1 full tbsp  flour

1/2 cup rice or peeled wheat (soaked in hot water beforehand)

1 kg plain yogurt (you can add a little sour cream as well)

20 gr of butter

chopped cilantro/fresh or dry mint

4-5 cups boiling water

Preparation

In a large pot whisk together the egg, flour and the yogurt until smooth.

Add the previously soaked and drained rice or wheat and bring the mixture to a boil.

Then slowly pour the boiling water and start cooking on high heat while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

When it starts boiling, reduce the heat and simmer it for approximately 10 minutes or until done.

While it is simmering, add the butter, salt to taste.

Add freshly chopped cilantro/parsley or thyme once you turn the heat down.

Enjoy!

Check the famous Armenian cooking blogger Heghineh's post and watch the video for a more detailed cooking direction.

This post was inspired by the January Mind, Body and the Writing Challenge hosted by Linda Jean from Witte's World Blog.