Bosnian Chicken Okra Soup (Begova čorba)
Бегова чорба Begova čorbaSay it: BEH-go-va CHOR-ba
At Bosnian celebrations and family meals, this pale-golden soup often opens the meal, warm and softly tangy. Poached chicken and diced root vegetables form the base, with a gentle okra note and an off-heat blend of egg yolk and sour cream that gives the broth its velvety body. Lemon brightens the finish, so the bowl tastes rich but not heavy. The key practical point is to keep the liaison below a boil; that is what keeps the texture smooth. Serve it hot with good bread.
Bosnian Chicken Okra Soup (Begova čorba)
Бегова чорба, Begova čorba
Pronounced BEH-go-va CHOR-ba
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg, celery. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Soup base
Liaison
Method
Put the chicken in a big pot with the water and 1 tsp of the salt, then heat over medium-high until boiling. Remove the foam that rises, drop in the bay leaf, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot partly. Let it simmer 35–40 minutes, until the meat is done. Lift the chicken out onto a plate; pour the broth through a fine sieve and throw away the strained solids. Once the meat is cool enough to touch, remove skin and bones and pull it into bite-size shreds.
Clean the pot, then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery root and stir until they soften and take on light color, 7–8 minutes. Stir in the okra and cook 3 minutes longer, turning it once or twice.
Dust the vegetables with the flour and keep stirring for 1–2 minutes so the flour loses its raw flavor. While whisking, add the hot reserved broth one ladle at a time, making each addition smooth before adding more. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer.
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer 10–12 minutes, until the okra is soft and the soup has thickened a little. Take the pot off the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks, sour cream, and lemon juice together in a medium bowl. Add one ladle of the hot soup in a slow, thin stream while whisking, then pour this warmed mixture back into the pot gradually, stirring the whole time. Keep the soup from boiling again. Add the remaining 1 tsp salt and the black pepper, fold in the parsley, and ladle out hot.
Regional variant: Begova čorba with veal (begova čorba s telećim mesom)
Use 1½ lb (700 g) veal shoulder or shank, cut into chunks, in place of the chicken. Simmer the veal in water with the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt until tender, about 1½ hours. Strain the broth, shred or cube the meat, and proceed as directed, using the veal broth instead of chicken broth. Some Sarajevo cooks prefer this version for its deeper, meatier taste.
Cook's notes
- Giving the okra a short sauté before any liquid goes in, and adding the lemon juice as part of the liaison, helps the pieces stay firm instead of turning overly slippery.
- When tempering the eggs, patience matters: pour the hot soup in a very thin stream and keep the whisk moving so the mixture stays smooth rather than curdling.
- Frozen okra is fine here; add it straight from the freezer and allow an extra minute or two during the sauté.
Serve with
Bring it to the table hot, with fresh somun or crusty white bread and lemon wedges on the side.
Make ahead and storage
Without the egg liaison, the soup base can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Warm it gently, take it off the heat, and then add egg yolks and sour cream that have just been tempered.
