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Chorba

Chorba is a soul-warming soup of tender meat, root vegetables, and rice, gently thickened and finished with a swirl of yogurt and egg.

⏱ 20 minPrep time
🔥 1 hrCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 Balkan KitchenCategory
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Chorba is a soul-warming soup of tender meat, root vegetables, and rice, gently thickened and finished with a swirl of yogurt and egg. It is the kind of bowl that fixes a cold day in one spoonful.

Every Balkan kitchen has its own version of chorba, served steaming hot with crusty bread and a squeeze of lemon. It is a favorite for family lunches, especially in the cooler months.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. In a large pot, brown the meat in a splash of oil over medium-high heat, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and pepper; cook 5 minutes until softened.
  3. Add 8 cups of water, the potatoes, salt, and pepper; simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any foam.
  4. Stir in the rice and cook 15 minutes more, until tender.
  5. Whisk the yogurt with the egg in a bowl, then slowly ladle in hot broth to temper it.
  6. Stir the mixture into the pot off the heat and warm through without boiling. Finish with parsley.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Temper the yogurt-egg mixture with hot broth before adding it so it never curdles. The soup tastes even better reheated the next day.

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Recipe details

Prep20 min
Cook1 hr
Servings6
CategoryBalkan Kitchen
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →