Robbie’s Inspiration – Recipes from around the world: Supa Topcheta (Bulgarian Meatball soup)

Last week I was reading one of Carol Taylor‘s excellent World Cuisines posts about Bulgaria. In this fascinating post, Carol mentioned a Bulgarina Meatball soup called Supa Topcheta. Her comments interested me sufficiently to look up the recipe and I decided to have a go at making it with a few Robbifications. This was the outcome:

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1 kilogram minced beef mince;

2 eggs;

15 ml (1 Tbspn) garlic flakes;

30 ml (2 Tbspn) sweet paprika;

1 large onion diced into small pieces;

5 ml ground white pepper;

5 ml salt;

1/2 cup of cake flour

For the soup (mine was a stew):

4 stalks celery chopped;

4 large carrots chopped;

700 grams baby potatoes (cut in half);

8 cups beef stock;

1 cup (250 ml) Greek yogurt;

45 ml (3 Tbspn cornflour);

15 ml (1 Tbspn) parsley

10 ml salt

Method:

To make the meatballs:

Place the minced meat in a bowl. Add the chopped onion, sweet paprika, garlic flakes, salt and pepper and mix. Add the two eggs and mix until completely blended. Sprinkle the flour on a plate. Roll the meat mixture into 2 cm round balls and roll in the flour. Set aside.

Heat 2 Tbspn olive oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs until the are approximately half cooked.

Make the stew:

Heat 2 Tbspn olive oil in a heavy based pot on the stovetop. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes.

Add the celery, carrots and parsely and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the beef stock and then the potatoes and black pepper. Bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and leave for 25 to 30 minutes.

Add the half cooked meatballs and bring back to the boil. Place the cornflour in a mug and add 100 ml broth from the stew. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the stew and incorporate. Simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Add the cup of yogurt and stir through. Serve.