Shopska to Shkembe: A Guide to Bulgaria's Best-Loved Soups
From chilled tarator to hearty bob chorba, Bulgarian soups are a daily ritual. Here is what to look for, and how to order, when you sit down to a bowl.
Illustration: AI-generated image
Soup is not a starter to rush through in Bulgaria. It is a proper part of the meal, often the first thing on a lunch menu, and for many families a weekly staple. Here are the bowls worth knowing, and how to enjoy them.
Tarator: the summer classic
Tarator is a cold soup made from yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, dill and walnuts, thinned with water and finished with a little oil. It is refreshing, tangy and eaten in the hottest months. Some versions are served more thickly, almost like a dip. If you see it on a menu in summer, order it.
Bob chorba: the everyday favourite
Bob chorba is a bean soup, and it is often described as a national dish. It is typically made with white beans, onion, carrot and peppers, and seasoned with dried mint and chubritsa, a savoury herb widely used in Bulgarian cooking. A version with a little paprika is common. It is filling, inexpensive to make at home and especially welcome as the weather turns cold.
Shkembe chorba: the one that divides opinion
Shkembe chorba is a tripe soup, creamy and rich, with milk or a garlic-and-vinegar finish. It has a loyal following and is traditionally associated with late nights, as a restorative meal. Tables often carry crushed garlic in vinegar and chilli flakes so you can season it to taste. Try a few spoonfuls before adding too much garlic.
Other bowls to look out for
- Supa topcheta: a clear soup with small meatballs, usually thickened with an egg and yoghurt mixture.
- Pileshka supa: chicken soup with vegetables, often with vermicelli, and a gentle, home-style flavour.
- Lyutenitsa-free vegetable soups: seasonal soups made from whatever is fresh, including courgette, spinach or nettle in spring.
How to order and eat
Soups are usually listed near the top of the menu, often under their own heading. Bread is normally brought to the table, and it is perfectly normal to use it to mop up the bowl.
Many restaurants offer a lunchtime soup as part of a set meal, so ask what is made that day. If you are unsure, bob chorba is the safest and most rewarding choice for a first try.
A few tips
- Match the soup to the season: tarator in summer, bean or meatball soup in autumn and winter.
- Ask for dried mint or chilli flakes if they are not on the table, as they are part of the experience.
- Pair soup with a simple salad, such as a tomato and cucumber salad with white cheese, for a full lunch.
Whichever bowl you pick, you are tasting something that has been part of Bulgarian home cooking for generations.
