Bulgarian-Style Mushroom Soup
Bulgarian-style mushroom soup rests on an unlikely pairing: rich chicken stock, six dried porcini, and three brined cucumbers. Those cucumbers — properly barrel-fermented ones, sold in the US as sour or half-sour dill pickles, not the sharp vinegar kind — make this a close relative of Ukrainian rassolnik, while the mushrooms bring the forest depth that porcini are dried for. Drying concentrates their aromatic compounds several times over, which is why six pieces are enough to flavor 2 litres of stock, roughly 8 cups.
- Soak the mushrooms ahead, a couple of hours at minimum, then strain the soaking liquid through cloth and pour it into the pot: half the aroma lives in that water.
- Read the pickle label. If vinegar shows up in the ingredients, the acid will bulldoze the mushrooms.
- Vermicelli goes in last, for a few minutes only; overcooked, it goes slack and clouds the broth.
For a heartier bowl, add a third potato or a spoonful of rice. Out of season, a spoonful of tomato paste stirred into the stock stands in for the fresh tomatoes. Serve with sour cream and a handful of chopped dill and parsley.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Make the chicken stock. Half an hour before it's done, add the finely chopped onion and the pre-soaked dried mushrooms cut into thin strips.
After 30 minutes, add the potatoes and brined cucumbers, either finely chopped or coarsely grated.
After another 15 minutes, drop in the vermicelli and the finely chopped tomatoes. Cook until done and salt to taste.
Serve with finely chopped fresh herbs and a spoonful of sour cream.
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