Kurban Chorba
A hearty Bulgarian ritual lamb soup, traditionally made for religious feasts and family celebrations, simmered with tomato, carrot, celery, and onion until rich, then finished with a beaten-egg and lemon liaison stirred in off the heat - tempering the eggs with hot broth before adding them to the pot, rather than pouring them in directly, is what thickens the soup into a silky liaison instead of scrambling into shreds.
⏱ 90 min🍽 6 servings
dinner
Ingredients
- •2 lb lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
- •1 onion, chopped
- •2 carrots, diced
- •2 celery stalks, diced
- •2 tomatoes, grated
- •2 tbsp vegetable oil
- •8 cups water
- •2 eggs
- •2 tbsp lemon juice
- •2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- •Salt to taste
- •Pepper to taste
Steps
- 1.Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the lamb chunks on all sides, about 8-10 minutes.
- 2.Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
- 3.Stir in the grated tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- 4.Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 50-60 minutes, until the lamb is very tender.
- 5.Whisk the eggs and lemon juice together in a bowl. Ladle a cup of the hot broth into the egg mixture very slowly, whisking constantly, to temper it - adding the eggs directly to the hot pot instead of tempering them first is what causes them to scramble into shreds instead of thickening the soup smoothly.
- 6.Remove the pot from the heat and slowly stir the tempered egg mixture back into the soup.
- 7.Season with salt and pepper, stir in the parsley, and serve immediately - once the eggs are in, the soup shouldn't be reheated to a full boil, or it will curdle.