Bulgarian chicken soup is a clear broth with rice, carrot and an egg-and-yogurt liaison. Charring the onion dry in a pan gives the broth colour and a light smoky note, and lemon at the end freshens it. After pork, eggs and beans, the soup's light, clean taste is welcome.
Ingredients
- 4 (about 800 g)bone-in chicken drumsticks
- 2 litrescold water
- 1 largered or white onion
- 2 (about 250 g)carrots
- 1 stalkcelery
- 2bay leaves
- 6black peppercorns
- 2 tspsalt
- 70 grice
- 1egg
- 150 gyogurt
- 2 tbsplemon juice
- 3 tbspchopped fresh parsley
Method
Char the onion
Peel the onion, halve it and place it cut side down in a dry pan over high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, until the base turns black.
Boil the chicken
Put the drumsticks in a pot with 2 litres of cold water and bring to the boil. Skim off the foam with a spoon and turn the heat down low.
On a low heat the broth stays clear. A hard boil makes it cloudy.
Add the vegetables
Add the charred onion, the carrots cut into rounds, the celery, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Cook for 35 minutes, until the meat starts to come away from the bone.
Take out the meat
Lift out the drumsticks, onion, celery and bay leaves. Remove the skin and bones and shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
Cook the rice
Add the rice to the broth with the carrots and simmer for 12 minutes, until soft. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
Make the liaison
Whisk the egg with the yogurt and lemon juice. Pour in a full ladle (about 150 ml) of hot broth in a thin stream, stirring all the time.
Take the pot off the heat before you add the liaison, or the yogurt will curdle.
Finish the soup
Pour the liaison into the pot and stir. Season with salt, sprinkle with the parsley and serve at once.
How to serve
Serve with dried chilli flakes and a slice of bread.
Good to know
Other Bulgarian soups, such as meatball soup, also use an egg-and-yogurt liaison.
Per serving (approx.): 340 kcal · protein 28 g · fat 15 g · carbohydrates 22 g