Spinach & Borlotti Bean Soup with Yogurt and Mint Chilli Butter

This is a soup I first made years ago after discovering it in The Turkish Cookbook by Musa Dağdeviren. It stayed with me, one of those quietly comforting recipes that doesn’t try too hard but delivers every time.

I recently made it again, this time keeping things a little simpler. I built it around borlotti beans I had already cooked, adding body and depth, and finished it with a yogurt base and a drizzle of mint and chilli butter.

It’s the kind of soup that feels both familiar and just a little bit special.

Spinach & Borlotti Bean Soup

Ingredients

For the soup

1 large bag baby spinach, about 200 to 250 grams

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons butter

200gr cooked borlotti bean

150 gr strained yogurt

1 egg

Salt to taste

For the mint chilli butter

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon dried mint

½ to 1 teaspoon chilli flakes

Method

1. Start by placing the spinach in a large pan and cooking it gently over medium heat until fully wilted. There is no need to chop it, just let it collapse naturally. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, melt the butter and fry the garlic for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the cooked borlotti beans and the spinach, then use a potato masher to lightly crush everything together. You are looking for a coarse texture, not a purée.

3. In a separate pot, whisk together the yogurt and egg until smooth. Place over medium heat and stir continuously as it warms up. Once it comes to a gentle boil and thickens slightly, add the spinach and bean mixture.

4. Let the soup simmer for a few minutes to come together, stirring occasionally.

5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan and add the dried mint and chilli flakes. Let it sizzle briefly until fragrant.

6. Serve the soup warm, finished with a generous drizzle of the mint chilli butter.

Notes and Tips

Crushing some of the beans gives the soup body without needing flour or cream.

Keep stirring the yogurt mixture as it heats to prevent splitting.

The mint chilli butter brings everything together.

Serving

Serve warm with a slice of good bread. It is even better the next day, once the flavours have settled.