A thick, warming soup of white beans, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, and mint, simmered until the beans are creamy and the broth rich. Bulgaria's most iconic everyday soup.
Ingredients
400g dried white beans, soaked overnight
2 large onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, grated or 200g canned tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried spearmint
Salt and black pepper
Fresh parsley
Instructions
1Drain soaked beans, place in a large pot with fresh cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This removes compounds that cause digestive discomfort.
2Return beans to the pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until beans begin to soften.
3In a separate pan, saute onions in sunflower oil until golden. Add carrots, pepper, paprika, and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes.
4Add the sauteed vegetables and grated tomatoes to the beans. Continue simmering for another 30-40 minutes until beans are very tender and creamy.
5Season with salt, black pepper, and dried spearmint. The mint is essential and transforms the soup from ordinary to distinctly Bulgarian.
6Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley and accompanied by hot peppers and crusty bread.
Did You Know?
Bob chorba is so beloved that January 1st in Bulgaria is unofficially called "bean soup day," as Bulgarians eat it to recover from New Year's Eve celebrations.