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Azerbaijan · Soup
Azerbaijani Dovga
Local name: Dovğa
A yogurt soup with chickpeas, rice and plenty of fresh herbs from Azerbaijan, served warm or chilled.
- Servings4
- Prep4 h 15 min
- Cooking1 h 7 min
- Total time5 h 22 min
- DifficultyMedium
🌱 VegetarianContains glutenContains dairyContains egg
About this dish
Dovga is a classic Azerbaijani soup made from yogurt and herbs. It is traditionally served at weddings between meat courses, said to aid digestion, and is eaten warm in winter and chilled in summer.
The herbs change with the season and region, but usually include coriander, dill, mint and spinach. Some households add rice, chickpeas and meatballs; this recipe is the simple home version with rice and chickpeas.
Ingredients
Tick the ingredients off like a shopping list.
Soup base
Herbs
To finish
Method
Soak the chickpeas in plenty of water for 4 hours, then drain.
Put the chickpeas in a pot with 1 litre of water and simmer, lid ajar, for 30 minutes until half-tender.
Wash and finely chop the spinach, dill, cilantro and spring onions.
In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, egg, flour and 200 ml cold water until completely smooth.
Add the rinsed rice to the chickpeas and cook for 15 minutes.
Whisk a few ladles of hot broth into the yogurt mixture to warm it so it does not curdle.
Pour the mixture slowly into the pot and cook on low heat, stirring constantly in one direction, for 10 minutes just below boiling.
Add the chopped herbs and salt and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Melt the butter, fry the dried mint for 1-2 minutes and drizzle over the soup.
Serve hot, or cool and chill in the fridge for a cold version.
💡 Tips
- Use full-fat yogurt at room temperature to reduce the risk of curdling.
- The egg and flour stabilise the yogurt, so whisk them in thoroughly.
- After adding the yogurt, stir constantly in one direction and never let the soup boil hard.
- If serving cold, the soup thickens as it chills; thin with a little cold water if needed.
🛒 Can't find it abroad?
- Dried mint — Use 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh mint instead.
- Spinach — Swiss chard leaves or sorrel can be used in the same amount.
This recipe was prepared with the help of AI, following the traditional home-style method; quantities, times and steps were checked automatically for consistency. Ovens and stoves differ, so check doneness by eye.
