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A bowl of creamy Armenian yogurt soup with shell pasta, garnished with dried mint and a drizzle of olive oil
Lindsay Lehrer

Armenian Yogurt Soup (Tutmaj Abour)

A creamy, tangy Armenian yogurt soup with shell pasta, sautéed onions, and mint, one of the oldest dishes in Armenian culinary history, traced to Smyrna and carried through the Syrian diaspora.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine: Armenian, Middle Eastern, Middleeastern, Syrian, Turkish
Calories: 220
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Olive oil for sautéing
  • 1 medium to large onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried mint or fresh
  • 10 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 2 cups small shell pasta
  • 1 large container 32 oz plain yogurt, full-fat or low-fat
  • 2 eggs

Equipment

  • Large Soup Pot
  • blender
  • Food Processor (for finely chopping the onion - Optional)
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Ladle
  • cutting board
  • Measuring Cups & Spoons 

Method
 

  1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion and cook, stirring often, until completely soft and translucent — about 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Add the mint to the softened onions and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in 10 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
  4. While water heats, add the full container of yogurt and both eggs to a blender. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
  5. Once boiling, add 2 cups of shell pasta. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until fully tender.
  6. Reduce heat to medium. Slowly pour the yogurt-egg mixture into the soup in a thin, steady stream while stirring rapidly and constantly. Never stop stirring.
  7. The moment you see the very first bubble rise, turn off the burner. Keep stirring 1 to 2 more minutes. Serve hot immediately.

Notes

The key to this recipe is patience during Step 6. Stir constantly, pour slowly, and keep the heat at medium — never high. Stopping the stir or pouring too fast will cause the yogurt to curdle and separate. This cannot be fixed once it happens. Pull off the heat at the very first bubble — not a full boil.