This Serbian / Croatian soup is a made with meaty lamb bones and the ever-present trinity of green peppers, onions and tomatoes and then creamed. After platters of sausages and peppers are passed, it's often the first course of a splendid Easter feast.
The soup can also be made with meaty bones leftover from a lamb meal or spit-roasted lamb, although the flavor will be somewhat different.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds lamb shanks, shoulder or necks, cut up
- 4 quarts water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large parsley root, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 3 medium onions, chopped
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Salt, black pepper and paprika to taste
- 2 egg yolks
- 8 ounces sour cream
Preparation:
- Wash meat and place in pot with water and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, skimming off foam. Reduce heat to simmer, add parlsey root, carrots, celery, garlic and tomatoes. Continue to simmer 2 hours or until meat is tender.
- Prepare a zafrig (roux) by heating the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions and green pepper, and saute until tender. Add flour gradually, stirring constantly until light brown. Season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
- Temper the zafrig by adding a little hot soup to it and stirring constantly until smooth. Pour the zafrig back into the soup pot, mixing thoroughly and simmering until dissolved, about 15 minutes. Turn heat off and remove soup from burner.
- Beat egg yolks until thick and lemony in color. Add sour cream and mix thoroughly. Temper the egg yolks with a little hot soup, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour the tempered egg yolks into the soup, stirring until the soup has thickened slightly.
- Remove bay leaves and serve in heated bowls.
