Southeastern European Soups

Pasulj is a popular Serbian bean soup that is traditionally prepared with white beans. The beans are usually simmered with sausage, bacon, or ham, and vegetables such as onions and carrots. Paprika, bay leaves, and garlic are commonly used as seas... READ MORE

Avgolemono is a Greek soup made with whisked eggs and lemon juice that are combined in a broth up to a point when the soup develops a thick consistency, but not longer, as the ingredients would start to curdle. The soup is quite old, dating back t... READ MORE

Even though its name is derived from the Slavic borscht, the Romanian borș refers to an entirely different dish and has no connection to the clear beetroot soup that is commonly prepared in Eastern European countries. It belongs to a vast... READ MORE

This traditional Greek lentil soup is simple in ingredients and preparation, but results in a dish that is packed with flavors. Characterized by its dense texture, next to brown or green lentils, the soup often incorporates onions, garlic, carrots... READ MORE

Tarator is a Bulgarian cold soup made with Bulgarian yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, chopped dill, sunflower oil, walnuts, and a bit of water or ice. However, there are numerous varieties of this refreshing soup (especially in North Macedonia), so some... READ MORE

Greek psarosoupa (lit. fish soup) is a simple dish consists of fish—usually the firm-fleshed varieties like red mullet, snapper, cod, or red gurnard—poached with vegetables; most often a combination of carrots, celery, and onions, or l... READ MORE

Ciorbă de fasole is a type of traditional Romanian sour soup made with dry beans and vegetables such as onions, red peppers, parsley root, and celery root. The soup is typically seasoned with salt, pepper, lovage, thyme, and borş. Ciorbă de fasole... READ MORE

Ciorbă de burtă is a creamy, sour and garlicky, yellow-colored Romanian soup containing strips of beef tripe and slices of red pepper. Although considered a rare delicacy and an acquired taste due to its main ingredient being the lining of a cow&r... READ MORE

Ciorbă de pui is a sour Romanian version of chicken soup. It consists of chicken meat and lots of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, onions, peppers, parsnip, and tomatoes. The soup is seasoned with borș, lemon, or sauerkraut juice for a fresh,... READ MORE

The original version of this classic soup stems from the Greek Easter tradition in which roasted lamb was served as the main course during the festive Easter lunch. The parts of the lamb unsuitable for roasting were then incorporated into magirits... READ MORE

Ciorbă de perişoare is a traditional sour soup with meatballs consisting of pork and rice. The perişoare are boiled alongside onions, carrots, red peppers, and celery root. They are seasoned with parsley, lovage, salt, borş, and sour cream. Ciorbă... READ MORE

This hearty Greek soup couples tender beef meatballs and a creamy, flavorful broth. The meatballs and the broth are usually seasoned with various fresh herbs, and the whole dish is finished with the addition of avgolemono—the creamy... READ MORE

Ciorba Radauteana is a traditional soup. It's made with a combination of chicken, onions, sweet red pepper, celery, carrots, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, and sour cream. The ingredients are simmered over medium heat until the meat and the vegetab... READ MORE

Tangy and comforting, this beef soup, or ciorbă de văcuţă in Romanian, is a representative dish of traditional Romanian cuisine. Apart from beef, the soup usually contains a variety of vegetables such as celery stalks, onions, carrots, potatoes, b... READ MORE

This thick and nutritious chickpea soup is a Greek classic that is enjoyed throughout the country, but is traditionally associated with the island of Sifnos, where it comes in a form of a thick, oven-cooked stew. Revithia varies in consistency and... READ MORE

Greek chicken soup is a comforting dish that is made with a flavorful chicken broth, tender chicken cuts, various root vegetables, and a choice of pasta or rice. Even though it can be prepared with a clear broth, Greeks prefer to thicken the soup ... READ MORE

This classic Bulgarian soup consists of beef or pork meatballs cooked in a flavorful broth alongside various vegetables. The tender meatballs mostly incorporate rice, onions, and a variety of spices, and the broth is usually thickened with yogurt ... READ MORE

Bob chorba is a soup prepared with Bulgarian varieties of white and kidney beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and mint. Additional ingredients include bell peppers, paprika, potatoes, and meat, but the soup can be made with almost any avai... READ MORE

Ciorbă de legume is a Romanian sour soup made with a combination of vegetables such as green or dry beans, peas, onions, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and borş (wheat or barley bran fermented in water). The ingredients for this refreshing dish are ... READ MORE

Ciorbă de peşte is a type of traditional Romanian sour soup made with vegetables, rice, fresh fish, and borş. The fish, 3 or 4 types (either sea bass, bream, halibut, carp, crucian, catfish, gray mullet, or luce), is boiled with a handful of rice ... READ MORE

Ciorbă de cartofi is a traditional sour soup that is typically made with potatoes and other vegetables or pork. Since potatoes are the main ingredient, vegetables such as red peppers, onions, or tomatoes are added in small quantity for a bit of ex... READ MORE

Fasolada is a simple and traditional Greek and Cypriot soup made from dried white beans that are drizzled with olive oil and eaten with various vegetables and herbs such as onions, celery, and tomatoes. The dish is nutritious and reminiscent of an... READ MORE

This traditional Greek soup employs beef, lamb, or pork tripe as key ingredients. While there are many different regional varieties of the soup, most use animal’s head or feet and enrich the broth with garlic, onions, lemon juice, and vinega... READ MORE

Rich and smoky, this white bean soup with smoked meat is a staple in most Romanian households. It consists of boiled dry white beans enriched with chunks of smoked meat such as pork knuckles or ribs, ham, or bacon, as well as root vegetables. Typi... READ MORE

Supă de pui cu tăieței is a Romanian variation of the chicken soup with the addition of homemade noodles. A classic winter dish, this clear soup is usually made with chicken stock, noodles, and vegetables (typically carrots). The chicken meat used... READ MORE

Ciorbă ţărănească is a traditional soup made with borș, a sour liquid obtained by fermenting wheat or barley bran in water. This variation of ciorbă includes roughly chopped carrots, onions, celery, peppers, and sometimes potatoe... READ MORE

A Romanian classic, supă cu găluște is a clear dumpling soup, usually made with chicken stock and semolina dumplings. The chicken stock is typically made with a whole chicken or chicken pieces with bones, boiled with a combination of vegetables, u... READ MORE

Čorbast pasulj is a popular Serbian dish made with soaked beans, onions, carrots, paprika, garlic, and bay leaves. Dried or smoked meat and ribs are common additions to čorbast pasulj in order to make it more flavorful and to give the dish a fragr... READ MORE

Kakavia is a traditional fisherman's soup. In its original form, it was a humble dish, usually made with small fish that was left of the daily catch. The additional ingredients would include anything that was on hand, usually onions, potatoes, ol... READ MORE

One of the most popular dishes in Bulgaria is known as taleshko vareno, a traditional beef and vegetable soup. The soup is usually cooked for hours due to the usage of tougher beef cuts such as beef shank. Vegetables such as carrots, onion, potato... READ MORE

Ciorbă de pește "ca-n Deltă," or fish soup in the fashion of the Danube Delta, is a traditional sour soup that is made with a combination of fish stock, fresh fish (both saltwater and freshwater fish can be used), vegetables, herbs, and borş. The ... READ MORE

Zeama is a traditional soup that is also known as the ultimate hangover cure. It typically consists of homemade chicken broth that’s prepared with a smaller whole chicken, water, thin homemade egg noodles (tăiței de casă), and a variety of f... READ MORE

Begova čorba (lit. bey’s soup) is a Bosnian chicken soup that is traditionally served as a warm appetizer. The main ingredients are chicken and okra, which is said to act as an aphrodisiac, but the soup also includes various root ve... READ MORE

The term manestra in Greece is quite versatile and may refer to orzo pasta, a tomato soup that is enriched with orzo, or a rich orzo-based stew. On the Cycladic islands, manestra mainly denotes a tomato-based orzo soup that is usually enr... READ MORE

Ciorbă de lobodă is a traditional sour soup prepared with purple spinach, also known as mountain spinach, as its main ingredient. Apart from the purple spinach, the soup includes a combination of vegetables, usually onions, carrots, peppers, and p... READ MORE

Shkembe chorba is a nourishing Bulgarian soup made with a combination of tripe, water, flour, milk, red wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, and hot chili peppers. When served, it is recommended to garnish it with chopped parsley, then consume it with b... READ MORE

Ciorbă de salată cu afumătură is a traditional sour green lettuce soup with smoked meat. Chopped lettuce leaves are cooked with chunks of smoked meat, such as smoked bacon, smoked sausage, or smoked pork fat, as well as carrots, green onions, and ... READ MORE

Kurban chorba is a traditional soup consisting of various cuts of meat (typically mutton), water, tomato juice, parsley, and vegetables such as onions, carrots, and celery. This nourishing soup is usually prepared for important occasions in the fa... READ MORE

Ciorbă de sfeclă is a traditional sour soup based on beetroots. It is typically made with grated or cubed beetroots, which are boiled with a variety of vegetables, usually onions, carrots, celery, parsley roots, or potatoes, along with noodles, to... READ MORE

Ciorbă de praz is a traditional sour leek soup. The leeks are cooked alongside a combination of vegetables, typically carrots, peppers, celery stalks, onions, potatoes, and parsnips. Sometimes the soup is enhanced with tomato juice and noodles. It... READ MORE

Bela čorba is a traditional soup that's popular in Serbia. It's made with a combination of chicken breast meat (locally called belo meso), eggs, potatoes, onions, flour, carrots, parsley, and seasonings. Some versions also include a scoop... READ MORE

Borș de miel is a traditional sour lamb soup. It consists of lamb meat or offal cooked with rice and chopped vegetables, usually carrots, onions, celery roots, parsnips, celeriac, and spring garlic. A typical spring dish, the soup is also enriched... READ MORE