Begova Corba - Bosnian Chicken Soup

 

    I love group blogging events. For starters, food is just meant to be shared. I also really love a challenge. In this case, I love the challenge of seeing the proposed topic and seeing how I can make it fit with my own international niche. So when I saw "Chicken" as the theme I knew that one would be a natural fit, every culture in the world has a form of chicken soup. I'm also a huge fan of All That's Jas so I picked her Bosnian Chicken Soup or Bey's Soup. And I made it, and loved it, and took a quick photo and was excited to join in. And then I got covid and never got it written up. But then Sneha from Shena's Recipes picked "Okra' as the theme for a March 2022 Sunday Funday and I knew I had a second shot!

    This soup is made with okra which people tend to either love or hate. I think most people hate it based on the texture and not the flavor itself. It can be slimy, no denying that. The original calls for frozen okra to not have to deal with that issue. In my case I could get fresh, but not frozen, which was backward from what I was expecting, esp being in the south. In this case, I chopped it fairly fine so it would have the flavor and not get slimy. I have reflected that in my recipe. 

1 leftover chicken frame

Oil

4 red potatoes

1 large carrot, sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch parsley, minced

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 c. fresh okra, chopped fine

4 cubes chicken stock

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic saute until tender. Add the chicken frame and cover with water, it should be around 12 cups. Simmer for about 60-90 minutes or until the chicken is falling off the bone. Strain the chicken reserving the liquid. 

Return the liquid to the pan along with the chicken bouillon, bay leaf, black pepper, potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the okra and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

While that is simmering remove all the meat remaining in the chicken frame and set it aside. 

Stir the sour cream until it's smooth. Add the lemon juice and a ladle of hot broth to the sour cream and stir to combine it well. Add the sour cream mixture and chicken meat to the soup. Gently warm until heated through. 

Serve immediately.