Bulgarian Chicken Soup

55 min · Easy · Serves 1

350 kcal per serving · 33g protein

Bulgarian chicken soup looks like any chicken noodle soup — until the last step, when a "zastroika" of yogurt and egg yolk is stirred in and the whole pot turns pale, silky and gently tangy. That finish, plus a squeeze of lemon, is what makes it Bulgaria's favourite cure for colds and long nights. Serve warm with bread.

Ingredients

• 150 g Chicken thighs, boneless skinless
• 500 ml Water
• Carrot × 1
• Onion × 1
• 0.5 stick Celery
• 20 g Fine vermicelli noodles
• 2 tbsp Yogurt, plain
• Egg yolk × 1
• Lemon × 1
• 1 sprig Fresh parsley
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper

Method

1. Put the chicken thighs

   Put the chicken thighs in a small pot, cover with the cold water and add ½ tsp salt.

2. Bring to a boil

   Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a gentle simmer and skim off any grey foam with a spoon.

3. Simmer 20 minutes

   

   Simmer 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink inside.

4. Simmer the Veg

   

   Lift the chicken out onto a plate. Add the finely diced carrot, onion and celery to the broth and simmer 10 minutes, until the carrot is soft when you poke it with a fork.

5. Shred & Add Noodles

   

   Pull the chicken into bite-size shreds with two forks and return it to the pot along with the noodles. Simmer 5 minutes, until the noodles are soft.

6. Make the zastroika: whisk

   Make the zastroika: whisk the yogurt and egg yolk together in a small bowl.

7. Take the pot OFF

   Take the pot OFF the heat.

8. Stir a ladleful

   

   Stir a ladleful of the warm soup into the yogurt mix first — this warms it gently so it won't curdle — then pour it all back into the pot, stirring as you go. The soup will turn pale and silky.

9. Season & Serve

   

   Season with salt, black pepper and a good squeeze of lemon, scatter over chopped parsley and serve warm — not boiling hot.