soupsong.com

 

Back in 2010, my son Bill moved his family to Sofia, Bulgaria, his first assignment as a foreign service officer.  I was over the moon–a 3-hour direct flight from Paris to my 4 grandchildren.  And there they all were, on the slopes of Mount Vitosha, just minutes in one direction to ski, in another direction to the fabulous 13th century Boyana Church, in another to a charming local restaurant for Bulgarian home cooking.

Who ever heard of Bulgarian cuisine?  I hadn’t and was eager to see what a complex ancient history, 500 years of Ottoman rule, and 50 years of Soviet-led communism had done to the food.

Famous worldwide for its yogurt (kiselo miyako) and its brined white cheese (sirenye), Bulgarian dishes are curiously heavy with new world foods–tomatoes, chili peppers (and paprika, the powdered version), beans, and potatoes–reputedly because, unlike suspicious Europeans, the Turks practically grabbed them out of Colombus’ hands and lavished them throughout their their empire.

The result?  Excellent and distinctive food…and, of course, soups.  In the weeks ahead, as I try to figure out how to revamp soupsong.com, I like to share some recipes that I’ll be adding to the new site.  First up:  Supa Topcheta (Meatball Soup), a traditional family favorite and staple of school cafeterias.  Adapted from “Mother Linda” Forristal’s Bulgarian Rhapsody.

SUPA TOPCHETA (for 6)

Creamy, tangy, woodsy from the parsley, and with tender meatballs and the bite of carrots–this is soup for the hungry.  One of the most filling soups I’ve encountered.  Many recipes add tomatoes (in brackets), and you can convert it from a meal to a substantial course by omitting or halving the pasta.

• 4 scallions, chopped far down into the green
• 1 medium carrot, diced small
• [optional 3 peeled tomatoes, diced small]
• 4 Tablespoons oil
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• 5 cups water
•  2/3 pound ground meat
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
• 4 Tablespoons raw rice
• 1 egg white (reserve yolk for final assembly)
• flour for coating meatballs
• [2 or 1 or no nests of angel hair pasta]
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 egg (plus the reserved egg yolk)
• 1 cup flat parsley, chopped
• lemon juice and black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stir in the scallions, carrots, and salt, then the 2 Tablespoons water.  Cook until the carrots are soft, about 3 minutes.  [If you use tomatoes, you do not need to add the water.]   Stir in the paprika and let it release its flavor into the fat.  Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil

Make the meatballs by mixing well the meat, salt, paprika, rice, and egg white. Pinch off small pieces, roll into balls, and coat with flour, lining the meatballs up on a plate.  When the water is boiling, add the meatballs, one by one; bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook for 20 minutes.  [If you using the pasta, add 5 minutes before the meatballs are done.]

At this point, you can turn off the heat, cover, and leave for final assembly later.

When ready to serve, beat the yogurt in a bowl and whisk in the eggs.    Reheat the soup, if it has cooled, and stir a quarter cup of the hot liquid into the yogurt–then a half cup–then stir the yogurt mixture back into the soup.  This “zastroika” method keeps the eggs from getting stringy and makes a lovely consistency.  Keep the soup on low.  Stir in the black pepper, salt to taste, and the chopped parsley.  You may stir in the lemon juice at the end or serve a wedge of lemon with each serving.  Garnish each bowl with chopped scallions.