Bosnia's velvet chicken-and-okra soup, finished with egg yolk and lemon — once reserved for Ottoman-era nobility.
Begova čorba — 'the beg's soup' — was historically served to high-ranking Ottoman nobles in Bosnia. It is a velvety chicken soup, the broth thickened with a butter-flour roux and finished with egg yolks and lemon juice for richness and brightness. Pieces of poached chicken, parsnip, carrot, celery root, and the signature ingredient — okra (bamija) — float in a clouded ivory broth. The okra adds a soft, slightly viscous body without dominating; the egg-yolk liaison gives a silky finish. Sarajevo households still consider it special-occasion food, served at Ramadan iftar dinners and weddings. The key is patience: never let it boil after the egg yolks go in, or the soup curdles.
Serves 6
Place chicken in a tall pot with cold water, onion halves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 2 tsp salt. Bring slowly to a simmer. Skim the foam diligently in the first 10 minutes — clear broth is the foundation of begova čorba.
Simmer gently 45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Lift the chicken from the pot and let cool. Strain the broth and return to a clean pot.
Pull the chicken from the bones in bite-size pieces, discarding skin. Set aside.
Add carrots, parsnip, and celeriac to the strained broth. Simmer 12 minutes until just tender. Add okra and simmer 6 minutes more — okra should soften but still hold shape.
In a small pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes until pale golden and smelling like biscuits. Don't darken.
Ladle 2 cups of hot broth into the roux pan, whisking constantly to dissolve smoothly. Pour this mixture back into the main pot and stir to combine. Simmer 5 minutes — the soup should now be silky and lightly bound.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with cream and lemon juice. Slowly ladle 1 cup of hot soup into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered mixture into the pot, stirring continuously over very low heat — do not let it boil.
Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and warm through for 2 minutes. Taste; adjust salt, white pepper, and a final squeeze of lemon. Ladle into bowls and crown with chopped parsley.
Skim aggressively when starting the broth — a clear base is the difference between a beg's soup and a peasant one.
Temper the egg yolks slowly with hot broth before adding to the pot, or they'll scramble.
Dried bamija (small Bosnian okra strung on threads, sold in Balkan shops) gives the most authentic flavour — fresh or frozen works well too.
Once egg yolks go in, the soup must never boil — keep the heat at the gentlest steam.
Sarajevo-style adds a small handful of fine vermicelli noodles toasted in butter.
Use lamb instead of chicken for a richer iftar-table version.
Skip the okra and add 100 g rice for a related Bosnian dish called begova juha s rižom.
Refrigerate 2 days; reheat very gently on the lowest heat. The egg-yolk liaison will not survive boiling, so reheat slow and stir often.
Begova čorba is documented in Bosnian Ottoman-era court records from the 16th century as a dish prepared for the local bey (governor). It survived the post-Ottoman era as a special-occasion soup and remains a fixture of Bosnian Ramadan iftar tables today.
Subtle and mild — the okra mostly contributes a gentle body to the broth rather than a strong flavour. If you're sensitive to its texture, dice it small or sub green beans.
Make the broth and vegetable stage a day ahead. Add the egg-yolk-cream liaison and the lemon only after gently reheating, just before serving — otherwise the liaison breaks.
They share the egg-yolk-and-lemon liaison technique inherited from Ottoman cooking, but begova čorba is more substantial — with chicken, okra, and root vegetables — while avgolemono is typically a lighter rice-based soup.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 6 servings total
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