Sunday 16 June 2013

Bulgarian soups

Tarator
Ingredients: 2-3 cucumbers, 500g yoghurt, 1/2 walnuts, 3-4 cloves garlic, dill, sunflower oil and salt. Beat the yoghurt, add the crushed garlic, ground walnuts, finely dies cucumbers (sliced into small pieces), oil and salt. Stir and dilute with cold water. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped dill.

Monastery style bean soup
Ingredients: 200g white beans, 2-3 carrots, 1/2 a celery, 1 onion, 1-2 tomatoes, 1-2 peppers, 1-2 chillies (peppers, by choice), parsley, mint, sunflower oil, salt. Soak the beans in cold water for 3-4 hours, drain and pour fresh water. Boil (in an earthware) pot together with oil, finely chopped carrots, onion and celery. The sliced peppers are added later; the grated tomatoes and mint, when the beans have turned tender. Salt and boil for another 15-20 min. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

Vegetable soup
Ingredients: 2-3 potatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1/2 celery. 1-2 peppers, 1/4 of a medium-sized cabbage, 1 onion, 2-3 tomatoes, 1 beetroot, 1 spoonful flour, 1 tsp paprika, 100g yoghurt, 1 egg, 100g kashkaval(yellow cheese), sunflower oil, salt, parsley. Put the diced celery and carrots into salt boiling water together with the finely cut cabbage and peppers. When soft, add the diced potatoes. Boil the diced beetroot. Stew the finely chopped onion until soft, then add the flower, paprika and grated tomatoes. Add the mixture to the boiling vegetables and boil for another half hour. Add the beetroot at the end. Thicken with an egg beaten in yoghurt. Serve with finely chopped parsley and grated kashkval.

Spinach soup
Ingredients: 1/2 spinach, 60g butter, 2 spoon flour, 0.5l milk, pepper, salt. Boil the finely chopped spinach in salt water. Brown the butter and flour, then add the spinach puree. Dilute with milk and half the spinach water. Boil for another 5-10 minutes and season with pepper. Serve with bread cubes fried in butter. The same recipe may may be used for nettles.

Vegetable soup with white cheese
Ingredients: 250g green beans, 1 onion, 1/2 a medium-sized cabbage, 1 small cauliflower, 150g white brined cheese, parsley, sunflower oil, salt. Boil the beans in salt water and strain. Cook the finely chopped onion, cabbage, and cauliflower in oil and some water, pour over hot water and the bean water. When cooked, add the bean mash and crushed cheese. Boil for another 10 minutes and serve with finely chopped parsley.

Lamb soup
Ingredients: 400g lamb, 2 carrots, 1/2 celery, 2-3 potatoes, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion,, 3-4 cloves garlic, 1 spoonful flour, 1 tsp tomato paste, 50g butter, cummin, parsley, pepper, salt. Cut the meat into pieces and boil in salt water together with the finely cut carrots and celery. Cook the finely chopped onion, flour and tomato paste in butter and some water. Add the meat, after some 10 min also add the diced tomatoes. When boiled add the tomato pieces and garlic. Boil for another 10-15 min. Serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley, pepper and cummin.

Milk soup
Ingredients: 300g milk, 60g butter, 2 eggs, 100g white brined cheese (or kashkaval), 1/2 cup rice, savory or pepper, salt. Boil the milk and dilute with 3 cupfuls of warm water. Add the rice, salt and boil until cooked. Take off the fire, season, mix in the butter and thicken with beaten eggs. Serve with crushed brined cheese or grated kashkaval.

Veal soup
Ingredients: 700g veal knuckle or breast, 2 carrots, 1 onion, 1/2 a celery, 2 potatoes, 2 tomatoes, 50g butter, parsley with roots, pepper, horse-radish, vinegar, salt. Cut the meat into pieces, place in cold water and bring to the boil. Salt and simmer together with the chopped carrots, onion, celery and parsley roots. When tender, add the potatoes, and after 20min also the finely sliced tomatoes. Add the butter when nearly ready. When serving, first place a piece of meat on the plate, then pour on the stock. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and pepper. Serve the grated horse-radish seasoned with vinegar and salt separately, add to the soup according to taste.

Chicken soup with vegetables

Ingredients: 1 chicken, 3-4 carrots, 1 celery, 1 onion, 1 spoonful flour, 1 cupful milk, 40g butter, 1 egg, pepper, parsley, salt, vermicelli if desired. Boil the whole chicken and peppercorns in salt water, bone the meat. Fry the finely chopped carrots, celery and onion in butter and some water until soft, stir in the flour, blend in the chicken pieces after about 5min and boil for another 10min. Thicken with beaten egg and milk under constant stirring. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley before serving.