Vermicelli yogurt soup is a creamy, tangy soup of full-fat yogurt, thin vermicelli noodles and dried mint, ready in about 35 minutes. It feeds 4, needs only a handful of pantry ingredients, and works as a quick meatless dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
The soup starts with everything cold: yogurt, egg, flour, garlic and water go into a cold pot with the heat off. Whisking it smooth before any heat touches it means the proteins in the yogurt have nothing to clump around.
Flour and egg do the stabilizing. They hold the yogurt together as it warms, so the soup stays silky and doesn’t split into curds and whey. Stir nonstop until it boils and the base stays smooth.
The vermicelli gets fried in butter and olive oil before it goes in. That turns the noodles golden and nutty. The dried mint wakes up in the hot fat for a few seconds, so its flavor spreads through the whole pot.
Vermicelli Yogurt Soup Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 3/4 cups (400 ml) full-fat plain yogurt (sour, homemade-style works best)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
- 4 1/4 cups (1 liter) cold water
For the vermicelli butter
- 1/3 cup (about 100 ml) thin vermicelli noodles
- 1 heaping tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried mint
To finish
- About 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
How To Make Vermicelli Yogurt Soup
Make the yogurt base
- Whisk the base: With the heat off, put the yogurt, egg, garlic, flour and cold water in a cold pot. Whisk until completely smooth, so no lumps of flour are left. A blender works too.
- Heat and stir: Turn the heat on and stir constantly until the soup comes to a boil. If you stop stirring, the yogurt curdles.
- Take it off the heat: As soon as the soup boils, lift the pot off the heat and set it aside while you fry the noodles.
Fry the vermicelli
- Brown the noodles: Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan. Add the vermicelli and fry until golden, which gives the soup a toasty flavor.
- Add the mint: Stir in the dried mint and cook for a few seconds, just long enough to wake it up. Pour everything from the pan into the soup.
Simmer and rest
- Simmer gently: Return the pot to the heat. Cook on low for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the vermicelli is tender.
- Salt and rest: Stir in the salt at the end, since salt early can push the yogurt to split. Take the pot off the heat and let it rest uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Start cold: Use cold water and a cold pot. Warm liquid shocks the yogurt before the flour and egg can protect it.
- Never stop stirring: Keep stirring until the soup boils. A minute of walking away is the most common reason this soup curdles.
- Salt last: Add the salt after the final simmer. Early salt can make the yogurt separate.
- Rest without a lid: Leave the pot uncovered while the soup rests. A lid traps steam that drips back and can cause curdling.
What To Serve With Vermicelli Yogurt Soup
Spoon the soup into warm bowls and swirl a little of the mint butter on top. Serve it with warm flatbread or crusty Italian bread for dipping, plus a simple cucumber or tomato salad on the side.
How To Store
- Fridge: Cool the soup, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm it slowly over low heat, stirring often, until hot all the way through. Don’t let it boil hard or the yogurt may split.
- Freezer: Skip freezing this one. Yogurt soups tend to separate when thawed, and the texture suffers.
FAQs
Why did my yogurt soup curdle?
Usually the soup was not stirred while heating, or it was salted too early. Start with a cold pot and cold water, stir nonstop until it boils, and add the salt at the end. The flour and egg also help hold the yogurt together, so don’t skip them.
Can I use low-fat or Greek yogurt?
Full-fat plain yogurt works best because the fat helps keep the soup smooth. Greek yogurt is much thicker, so thin it with a little extra cold water. Low-fat yogurt is more likely to split.
Is vermicelli yogurt soup vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish, only yogurt, egg, butter, olive oil and noodles. It is not vegan because of the yogurt, egg and butter.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, you can make it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Reheat it gently over low heat while stirring. The noodles keep soaking up liquid, so you may need a splash of water to loosen it.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 4), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 260 kcal
- Total Fat: 16g
- Total Carbohydrate: 20g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 9g
Vermicelli Yogurt Soup
4
servings10
minutes25
minutes35
minutesA creamy yogurt soup with golden fried vermicelli and dried mint, finished with a swirl of mint butter. A quick meatless bowl for 4 that comes together in about 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the soup
1 3/4 cups (400 ml) full-fat plain yogurt (sour, homemade-style works best)
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg
2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)
4 1/4 cups (1 liter) cold water
- For the vermicelli butter
1/3 cup (about 100 ml) thin vermicelli noodles
1 heaping tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried mint
- To finish
About 1 teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
Directions
- Whisk the base: With the heat off, put the yogurt, egg, garlic, flour and cold water in a cold pot. Whisk until completely smooth, so no lumps of flour are left. A blender works too.
- Heat and stir: Turn the heat on and stir constantly until the soup comes to a boil. If you stop stirring, the yogurt curdles.
- Take it off the heat: As soon as the soup boils, lift the pot off the heat and set it aside while you fry the noodles.
- Brown the noodles: Heat the butter and olive oil in a pan. Add the vermicelli and fry until golden, which gives the soup a toasty flavor.
- Add the mint: Stir in the dried mint and cook for a few seconds, just long enough to wake it up. Pour everything from the pan into the soup.
- Simmer gently: Return the pot to the heat. Cook on low for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until the vermicelli is tender.
- Salt and rest: Stir in the salt at the end, since salt early can push the yogurt to split. Take the pot off the heat and let it rest uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes.
