Okra Soup: Creamy Chicken Soup with Okra (Bosnian Bey's Soup, Begova Čorba)

Delicious okra soup known as begova čorba, (aka Bey's soup), is a creamy chicken broth with veggies hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina. This soup is so comforting, each spoonful is like a cozy blanket of warmth wrapped around you. Shall we?

Jump to:

• Background
• Okra Taste
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Expert Tips
• Handling
• Recipe FAQ
• More Heartwarming Broths
• Thoughts?
• Okra Soup (Bey's Soup, Begova Čorba)
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Background

Begova čorba, Bey's soup, or Bosnian okra soup is a creamy okra delicacy.

Beys were kind of like local governors during the times Bosnia was under Ottoman rule. Designating something as 'Bey-worthy' indicated the dish was great enough for the higher class to eat. So, super tasty!

Today's rich broth accented with this unique and yummy ingredient is, together with the stewed okra (bamija), everyone's favorite okra dish. Ask any tourist what culinary creation they loved while visiting Bosnia, and okra soup is often at the top of the list.

Okra soup is a harmonious medley of okra, chicken, and aromatics.

Simmered to perfection, the soup is enriched with a simple roux, blended vegetables, or both. (It can almost be thought of as chowder!) Garnished with parsley and served with a slice of lemon, eating Bosnian Bey's okra soup (begova čorba) is a soul-warming experience.

Okra Taste

If you haven't cooked okra before, you're in for a delicious surprise!

Although considered a veggie, okra is essentially a pod with seeds, thus a fruit. It has a gritty, savory taste kind of like a cross between asparagus and green beans.

Okra is known for the sticky substance released when activated by heat or moisture. Some chefs love okra for this natural thickening agent as it enhances broths and sauces giving them a fuller texture.

However, most people aren't crazy about this liquid. (We are in this camp.) Luckily, it can easily be avoided by soaking okra in hot water mixed with lemon juice or vinegar, for at least 30 minutes before it's cooked.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup), everyone's favorite creamy chicken broth.

Meat for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup):

• Chicken thighs and legs work best. Substitute with chicken breast. Note that the breast meat is drier. To counterbalance the flavor you'd get from thighs or legs you'll need to add more seasonings. Avoid wings.
  (Confession time! We just recently started using the breast to make okra soup, and we now prefer it to the thicker, juicier parts!)

Veggies and Fruit for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup):

• Okra: fresh, frozen, or dried. If using fresh or frozen, look for smaller, 2-inch pieces. Otherwise, slice each pod into a couple of pieces. While dried okra takes longer to cook, we love it because the end result is grittier and crunchier. The amount of okra is completely up to you. Some people like to "accent" the soup with an ounce of okra or less, while others think more is more.
  (Note: all okra should be soaked in boiling water with lemon juice to get rid of "slime".)
• Lemon: fresh, to "de-slime" the okra, and a few wedges for serving. Substitute with vinegar.
• Carrots.
• Potatoes: Yukon Gold or Russets are best. Avoid fingerling, "young" or "new" potatoes.
• Onion: yellow or white, only to fortify the broth.
• (Optional) Celery: root only, for the broth. Substitute with celery sticks, however, later blend only 1 as they tend to take over the taste.
• (Optional) Parsley: one bunch for the broth.

Herbs and Seasonings for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup):

• Parsley: minced, to garnish.
• Stock powder, bouillon cube, or Vegeta.
• (Optional) Bay Leaf.

Faux Roux Ingredients for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup):

• Egg Yolk.
• Flour: regular flour works best.
• (Optional) Sour cream: for serving or making the roux instead of the flour one.
• (Optional) Butter: if you want a cooked roux mix.

Instructions

The instructions on how to make okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup) are below.

Step 1 - Making the broth for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup). In a large pot, combine chicken, carrots, onion, parsley, and celery with about 2 quarts (2 liters) of water. Bring to a boil, then lower to medium. Cook for 30 minutes.

Step 2 (Parallel to Step 1) - "De-sliming" okra for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup). Place okra in a bowl and cover with boiling water and juice from ½ lemon. Leave to soak for 30 minutes.

Step 3 - Adding more ingredients to okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup). Add potatoes, okra, and seasonings to the broth. Cook for 30 minutes, or until potato is fork tender.

Step 4 - Taking out ingredients from begova čorba, Bey's soup). Take potatoes, carrots, chicken, bay leaf, celery, parsley, and onion out of the broth. (Leave okra in.) Discard onion, parsley, and bay leaf. Dice one carrot, shred the chicken, and set aside. Take out 1-3 cups of broth (without okra) and set aside.

Step 5 - Blending broth for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup). In a bowl, blend potatoes, remaining carrot, and celery (only 1 stick, if using it instead of root) with 1-2 cups of broth (or hot water). Return to the broth and stir vigorously so the liquid congeals together. (If needed, use a strainer to avoid crumbs.)

Step 6 - Making the foux-roux for okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup). In a bowl mix flour with the egg yolk and 1-2 cups of broth (or hot water) until it's completely smooth. Return to the broth and stir vigorously so the liquid congeals together. (If needed, use a strainer to avoid crumbs.)

Step 7 - Finishing the okra soup (begova čorba, Bey's soup) off. Return chicken and carrots to the broth. Adjust seasonings if needed. If overly thick for your tasste, thin it out slightly with hot water or broth. Garnish with parsley.

Expert Tips

Here are a few expert tips that may be of help.

• Potatoes are too sticky (waxy) after blending! Add more hot water to the blender, and blend the potatoes and the carrot a little longer. Then, when you transfer the blended portion to the broth, do it through a strainer. Use a spoon to "push" the potatoes through.

• Ugh, that okra slime! If you've soaked the okra in lemon juice or vinegar, it should be slime-free. Another way to do it is to boil it at a low temperature in lemon juice or vinegar on low for 15 minutes.

• My soup is too thick! Add hot water or chicken broth to thin it out. Adjust seasonings as needed.

• My soup is too thin! Mix more flour and broth separately, and then add to the broth.

• Are there other ways to make the roux? Yes!
  
  Although we prefer the "faux-roux" to additionally thicken okra soup, you may prefer the real roux. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter slowly, and then stir in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook it while vigorously stirring on low heat until butter and flour integrate and there are no crumbs. Transfer roux to the soup, stirring continuously so that it integrates with the broth.
  
  The second way is to combine 3 tablespoons of sour cream with one egg yolk and stir it into the soup at the very end. 

Handling

• Serving: serve okra soup warm or hot with a few slices of homemade bread, or local dough balls called lokumi. It's a great starter, however, some people prefer to make a whole main course out of it. Some add sour cream, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Storing: keep begova čorba in the fridge in a closed container for up to 48 hours. Reheat before eating. (Add a little bit of warm water if it's too thick.)
• Reheating: reheat Bey's soup (begova čorba) based on your preferred method. Take out only as much as you plan to eat. The best option is to warm it up on the stovetop, on low heat, until it heats up.

Recipe FAQ

More Heartwarming Broths

Thoughts?

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Prijatno, Dobar Tek, and Bon Appetit!

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