Bob Chorba Recipe (A Hearty Bulgarian Soup to Feed the Whole Family)
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you book or buy something through one of these links, I may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more
Bring more than a mouthful of honest and hearty Bulgarian cooking into your humble abode with our bob chorba recipe, a wholesome bean and vegetable soup the whole family can enjoy.
Bob Chorba Recipe
Bean soups are renowned for their filling nature, and bob chorba is no exception. Bringing wholesome beans and fresh vegetables together in a thick, hearty, slightly tart and acidic tomato broth, it’s easy to see why bob chorba is one of the go-to dishes in Bulgaria to fill yourself up, especially enjoyed piping hot throughout the cold winter months.
What is Bob Chorba?
Put simply, bob chorba is a wholesome Bulgarian bean soup. Made from dried beans and a selection of fresh vegetables, including tomato and carrot, bob chorba has been a staple food throughout Bulgaria, especially in monasteries, for generations.
Several variations of the soup exist, and many Bulgarians add sausage to the dish to make it a meat-based soup, which you can easily add yourself.
Recipe Ingredients
To get started with bob chorba, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Dried Beans – 200 grams (7 oz) of white dried beans
- Tomatoes – 2 medium-large tomatoes
- Onion – 1 medium white or brown onion
- Carrot – 1 medium-large carrot
- Celery – 2 stalks of celery
- Flour – 2 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- Oil – 3 tbsp Sunflower Oil or Light Olive Oil
- Mild Chili – 1/2 Small Chili Pepper
- Paprika – 1 tbsp
- Oregano – 1 tbsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Black Pepper – 1/2 tsp
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 – Cover the dried beans with water and leave them to soak overnight or for about 8 hours. Throw away the water afterwards and boil them in 1.2 liters (5 cups) of water for about 50 minutes.
Step 2 – While the beans are boiling, dice the carrot, celery stalks, and onion.
Step 3 – Sauté the diced veggies in the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Step 4 – Add the flour and diced chili pepper to the sautéed veggies and keep cooking for about 2 additional minutes.
Step 5 – After the beans have boiled for 50 minutes, turn the heat off, and add the vegetables to the pot with boiled beans.
Step 6 – Meanwhile, in a pot, add hot, boiling water over the two tomatoes and leave them for about 3-4 minutes. We’re doing this so we can peel them easier.
Step 7 – Drain the water and rinse the tomatoes with cold water and peel the tomato skin. Then, dice the peeled tomatoes into small cubes.
Step 8 – Add the diced, peeled tomatoes to the pot with the beans.
Step 8 – Add the seasonings (salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano).
Step 9 – Bring the pot of beans back to a boil and boil over low-medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until everything is cooked and the bob chorba is thick.
Step 10 – Your hot and wholesome bob chorba is ready to serve! Enjoy it in a bowl, either as it is, or topped with grated cheese, a little parsley, or served with a couple of slices of thick-cut fresh bread.
What to Serve with Bob Chorba
Sausage – For a meat soup, add some chopped sausage or smoked meat and really load up on the protein.
Grated Cheese – Top it with some grated cheese, such as feta cheese, for extra tang and body.
Chopped Herbs – Add some freshness by sprinkling chopped herbs, such as parsley, over the top.
Corn on the Cob – Serve it with a side of corn on the cob, cooked in melted butter, for a hearty pairing.
Fresh Bread – What rich soup doesn’t go well with a side of fresh, crusty bread? Your bread can either be fresh or grilled.
Bob chorba is loaded with nutrients, and this wholesome soup is ideal to feed the family for dinner, or even to take to work the next day as a hearty lunch with a slice or two of bread. Particularly if the winter weather is setting in, give this hearty dish a try to fill your stomach and warm your soul.
Bob Chorba Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 200 grams 7 oz of white dried beans
- 2 medium-large tomatoes
- 1 medium white or brown onion
- 1 medium-large carrot
- 2 stalks of celery
- 2 tsp plain all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil or light olive oil
- 1/2 small mild chili pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cover the dried beans with water and leave them to soak overnight or for about 8 hours. Throw away the water afterward and boil them in 1.2 liters (5 cups) of water for about 50 minutes.
- While the beans are boiling, dice the carrot, celery stalks, and onion.
- Sauté the diced veggies in the pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and diced chili pepper to the sautéed veggies and keep cooking for about 2 additional minutes.
- After the beans have boiled for 50 minutes, turn the heat off, and add the vegetables to the pot of boiled beans.
- Meanwhile, in a separate pot, add hot, boiling water over the two tomatoes and leave them for about 3-4 minutes. We’re doing this so we can peel them easier.
- Drain the water carefully and rinse the tomatoes with cold water so they're easier to handle. When they're cool enough for you to handle, peel the tomato skin carefully. Then, dice the peeled tomatoes into small cubes.
- Add the peeled and diced tomatoes to the pot with the beans.
- Add the seasonings (salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano) to the pot of beans and give it all a mix.
- Bring the pot of beans back to a boil and boil over low-medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until everything is cooked and the bob chorba is thick.
- Your hot and wholesome bob chorba is ready to serve! Enjoy it in a bowl, either as it is, or topped with grated cheese, a little parsley, or served with a couple of slices of thick-cut fresh bread.
Recipe Notes
You Might Also Like to Read
- Greek Bean Soup Recipe (Fasolada) for a Taste of the Mediterranean
- Hearty Ukrainian Borsch Recipe (A Sour Soup to Feed the Whole Family)
- Moldovan Zeama Recipe (Chicken Noodle Soup)
Save and Pin for Later
Keep my bob chorba recipe for safekeeping, ready for those cold winter evenings, by saving this article to one of your recipe idea boards.
Contributor: Efimia is a teacher and passionate home cook, who has been cooking a huge array of Eastern European dishes to feed her family and friends for over four decades and counting.
