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Vegetarian, Maghreb and Middle East

Spas, Armenian yogurt soup, with bread

Spas is a warm Armenian soup made with yogurt and precooked wheat, serving 4 people, ready in 45 minutes, rated easy, for about €1.70 per person. The key to success is never letting the yogurt boil, or the soup will split and lose its silky texture.

Tonight, a soft Armenian soup with yogurt, wheat, and fresh herbs, perfect for dipping with warm bread.

Spas, Armenian yogurt soup, with bread
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.70
Calories per person
560 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Winter, Fall

Spas is a velvety yogurt soup, warm and comforting, quite different from a classic vegetable soup. Precooked wheat gives it body, fresh cilantro and mint add a green, fragrant note, and melted butter with onion poured on top right before serving wakes up the whole bowl.

It is the kind of dish you make on a weeknight when you want something soft and a little different, with no meat and no long simmering. Mon Chou suggests it for days when you want to surprise your family without extra effort, served with plenty of bread for dipping.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Precooked wheat (such as Ebly)often in the pantry 150 g
  • Flouroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Dried mintoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Plain yogurt 6 tub
  • Egg 1
  • Butter 30 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Fresh cilantro 1 bunch
  • Fresh mint 1 bunch

Bakery

  • Bread 1

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the wheat in a large pot of salted water until tender, then set it aside with a bit of its cooking water. 15 min

    Cook it in more water than needed, it will turn out softer.

  2. In a large cold pot, whisk the yogurt with the egg and flour until smooth.

    Starting with the yogurt, egg, and flour in a cold pot is the trick for never getting lumps.

  3. Gradually pour in a liter of the wheat cooking water while whisking, then heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until it just starts to simmer. 12 min

    Stir in the same direction with a wooden spoon, it is the classic Armenian grandmother move.

  4. Add the drained wheat, the chopped fresh cilantro and mint, season with salt and pepper, and let it simmer very gently for a few minutes. 5 min

    Add the herbs at the very end, they keep their color and aroma that way.

  5. Melt the butter with the sliced onion and dried mint, pour it over the soup, and serve with bread. 5 min

    Let the butter foam before adding the dried mint, it releases more of its fragrance that way.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a whole milk plain yogurt, it makes a creamier soup than a low fat one, which tends to split more easily when heated.
  • Keep whisking the whole time the soup is heating, that steady motion is what keeps the yogurt from separating even without boiling.
  • Save the wheat cooking water, it is already salted and flavored by the starch, giving the soup more taste than plain water would.

The variations

  • Swap the precooked wheat for short grain rice for a creamier texture, keeping the same quantity and roughly the same cooking time.
  • For an egg free version, use a bit more flour to bind the soup, the result stays silky even though the texture is slightly different.
  • For kids, serve the soup warm rather than hot and go lighter on the dried mint in the finishing butter, its flavor can be strong for little ones.

What to serve it with

  • Warm bread for dipping
  • A cucumber and mint salad
  • A light black tea after the meal

Storage

Spas keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It does not freeze well, since the yogurt tends to split once thawed. Reheat it very gently over low heat, stirring constantly, and never let it boil.

Questions about this dish

Why did my yogurt soup split?

The yogurt boiled, which is the most common cause. Heat it very gently and take it off the heat as soon as it starts to simmer, never past that point.

Can I use a different grain instead of precooked wheat?

Yes, short grain rice works very well and gives an even creamier texture. Thin noodles like vermicelli also work if you shorten the cooking time slightly.

Can spas be made ahead of time?

You can cook the wheat and chop the herbs ahead, but prepare the yogurt base right before serving. This avoids the risk of it splitting when reheated later.

Is the dried mint in the finishing butter essential?

It gives spas its signature aroma, but you can swap it for dried thyme or skip it if you do not have any. The flavor will be a little less distinctive but the soup will still be good.

How long does it take to make an Armenian yogurt soup called spas, served with bread?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in an Armenian yogurt soup called spas, served with bread?

About 560 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does an Armenian yogurt soup called spas, served with bread cost?

About €1.70 per serving, or €6.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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