Bob chorba
White bean soup
Bob chorba (боб чорба): Bulgarian white bean soup with dried mint, savory and paprika
Bob chorba is one of Bulgaria's best-loved soups, cooked in every region, served in monasteries such as Rila and set on the meat-free table on Christmas Eve, when the dishes must be Lenten. White beans simmer slowly with onion, carrot, peppers and tomato until creamy, then the pot is seasoned with dzhodzhen (dried mint), chubritsa (summer savory) and sweet paprika fried in oil. A bowl gives about 21 g of protein from the beans, and it is eaten with fresh bread and a hot pickled pepper alongside. Soak the beans for 12 hours first; that time is not counted below. The most common mistake is pouring paprika into very hot oil: it burns in seconds and makes the soup bitter, so take the pan off the heat first. Chef's tip: dried savory is the true taste of this soup; if you can't find it, use dried thyme with a pinch of oregano.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz dried white beanssuch as haricot or large white beans, soaked in cold water for 12 hours
- 9 ¼ cups water
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 1 red pepperdiced
- 2 tomatoesgrated, skins discarded
- 1 dried red chilliwhole, optional heat
- 2 tsp salt
To season
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 2 tsp dried summer savory
- 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsleychopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 14 oz dried white beans, put them in a large pot with fresh cold water to cover, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and discard this water; it makes the soup lighter on the stomach.
10 minStep 2: Return the beans to the pot with 9 ¼ cups water, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 red pepper and 1 dried red chilli. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently, partly covered, for about 60 minutes, until the beans are tender and creamy all the way through.
60 minStep 4: Warm 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan over a low heat for 1 minute, then take it off the heat and stir in 2 tsp sweet paprika: it should foam and turn brick red, not darken. Pour it into the soup at once.
1 minStep 5: Rub 1 tbsp dried mint and 2 tsp dried summer savory between your palms over the pot, stir and simmer for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the chilli, add 3 tbsp flat-leaf parsley and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 21 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 21 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bob chorba take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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