Bey’s Soup 🍲 Bosnian Okra–Chicken 🇧🇦 (Begova Čorba)

Description

Velvety chicken-and-okra soup with root vegetables and a tangy sour-cream–egg finish—gentle spice, silky body, bright lemon. 🥣🍋

Hook: Classic Sarajevo comfort—clear broth, tender meat, and a satin finish in one pot. ⚡

Ingredients

• Broth & meat
• 🐔 Bone-in chicken thighs/drumsticks: 900 g (2 lb / 32 oz)
• 💧 Water or chicken stock: 1.5 l (6 cups / 51 fl oz)
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈10 g / 1¾ tsp)
• ⚫ Black pepper: ½ tsp (1 g / 0.04 oz)
• 🌿 Bay leaf: 1
• Vegetables
• 🥕 Carrot, small dice: 120 g (¾ cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🌱 Parsley root or parsnip, small dice (optional): 80 g (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🌿 Celery stalk, small dice: 60 g (½ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🧅 Onion, small dice: 80 g (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• Okra (traditional)
• 🌿 Dried small okra, rinsed: 80 g (2.8 oz)
• 🍋 Lemon juice (for pre-soak): 20 ml (4 tsp / 0.68 fl oz)
• > Use 250 g (9 oz) fresh baby okra if in season; trim tips only.
• Finish (liaison)
• 🥛 Sour cream (pavlaka), room temp: 150 g (⅔ cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🥚 Egg yolk: 1 (18 g / 0.6 oz)
• 🍋 Fresh lemon juice: 10–15 ml (2–3 tsp / 0.34–0.5 fl oz)
• 🌿 Fresh parsley, finely chopped: 1 tbsp (4 g / 0.14 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Soak okra: Cover 🌿 dried okra with hot water and 🍋 lemon juice; soak 15–20 min, then drain. (For fresh okra, skip soaking.)
2. 2️⃣ Make broth: Combine 🐔 chicken, 💧 water/stock, 🧂 salt, ⚫ pepper, and 🌿 bay. Simmer gently 25 min, skimming.
3. 3️⃣ Add veg & okra: Stir in 🥕 carrot, 🌱 parsley root, 🌿 celery, 🧅 onion, and soaked okra. Simmer 15–18 min until vegetables and okra are tender; remove bay. Lift out chicken, shred bite-size, and return to the pot.
4. 4️⃣ Liaison: Whisk 🥛 sour cream with 🥚 yolk and 🍋 lemon. Ladle in ½ cup hot soup gradually while whisking to temper; stir this back into the pot off heat. Do not boil.
5. 5️⃣ Finish: Adjust 🧂/⚫ and lemon to taste. Sprinkle 🌿 parsley and serve.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook: 45 min
⏳ Total: 1 h 05 min

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