Begova Čorba — Bosnian Bey's Soup with Chicken, Okra & Sour Cream

⏱ 90 min · Serves 6

The velvety pride of Sarajevo: poached chicken and root vegetables in a silky, cream-enriched broth, with okra giving it that gentle old-Ottoman body. Rich but never heavy, and finished with a squeeze of lemon that lifts the whole bowl.

Per serving: 468 kcal · 36.0g protein · 18.0g carbs · 28.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, about 1.4kg (or 6 bone-in thighs)
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 parsnip, peeled and diced
• 1/2 small celeriac, peeled and diced (about 150g)
• 1 leek, white part, finely sliced
• 150g okra, fresh or frozen, trimmed and sliced (or 1 x 200g tin, drained)
• 60g butter
• 50g plain flour
• 200ml sour cream (or double cream)
• 2 egg yolks
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges to serve
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 bay leaf

Method

1. Put the chicken, halved onion, bay leaf and 1 tsp salt in a large pot with the cold water. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, skimming off any foam, and poach gently for 45 minutes.
2. Lift out the chicken and set aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the onion and bay; you want about 2 litres of clear stock.
3. Return the stock to the pot, add the carrot, parsnip, celeriac and leek, and simmer 15 minutes until tender.
4. Meanwhile, pull the chicken meat from the bones in bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bones.
5. Add the okra to the pot and simmer 5–8 minutes, just until tender — don't stir hard or it will break down.
6. In a separate pan, melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook the roux gently for 2 minutes without colouring. Whisk in 2 ladles of hot broth until smooth, then pour this back into the soup, stirring. Simmer 5 minutes to thicken.
7. Return the chicken meat to the soup and season with white pepper and more salt.
8. Whisk the sour cream with the egg yolks in a bowl. Temper by whisking in 2 ladles of hot soup, then stir the mixture back into the pot off the heat — never let it boil after this.
9. Finish with lemon juice and parsley. Rest 5 minutes, then serve hot with lemon wedges and crusty bread or somun.