Bulgarian Recipes
239 recipes from Bulgarian cuisine, including Kozunak with Walnuts, Banitsa and Bob Chorba. 138 are vegetarian and 27 take less than 30 minutes.
Bulgarian Sauerkraut Soup
A Lenten Bulgarian winter soup of home-fermented sauerkraut fried in oil with paprika and simmered with rice, then soured to taste with the cabbage brine — sharp, warming and made straight from the barrel.
Elderflower Cordial (Sirop ot Baz)
Elderflower heads steeped for two days in sugar syrup with lemon — the cordial Bulgarian grandmothers make in late May, diluted with cold water as the first soft drink of summer.
Sour Cherry Compote (Kompot ot Vishni)
The Bulgarian summer drink in a jar — whole sour cherries in a light syrup, sealed in June and opened in winter, drunk chilled with the fruit spooned from the glass.
Ptiche Mlyako (Floating Islands)
Bird's milk, the Balkan floating islands — clouds of meringue poached in vanilla milk, then set afloat on the custard made from that same milk. Poaching below a simmer keeps the meringues tender rather than rubbery.
Orange Cake
A Bulgarian winter loaf for the citrus season — zest rubbed into the sugar, fresh juice in an oil batter, and a hot orange syrup poured over the cake straight from the oven so the crumb stays moist and fragrant for days.
Walnut Cake
A Bulgarian pastry-shop classic — three walnut sponge layers soaked in vanilla syrup and filled with a caramel custard buttercream, finished with ground walnuts and walnut halves. Folding the nuts in gently keeps the sponge from collapsing.
Roasted Chestnuts
The smell of Bulgarian winter streets — sweet chestnuts scored, roasted until the shells curl open and eaten hot from a paper cone. Five minutes wrapped in a towel after roasting loosens the bitter inner skin so it peels away with the shell.
Kozinak (Seed and Nut Brittle)
The Bulgarian brittle of sunflower seeds, sesame and walnuts bound in honey caramel, sold in bars at every corner shop and easy to make at home. Toasting each kind separately, and working fast once the caramel is ready, is all it takes.
Village-Style Chicken
Strips of chicken fried with mushrooms, peppers and onion, simmered in tomato and white wine and finished under melted kashkaval — the village-style pan dish of Bulgarian taverns, brought to the table bubbling.
Rapana with Garlic Butter
Rapana, the large sea snail that settled in the Black Sea last century, sliced and fried in butter with garlic and white wine — a seaside tavern dish cooked hot and fast, because rapana toughens if left too long in the pan.
Breaded Turbot
Steaks of Black Sea turbot, the prized flatfish of the spring catch, coated in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fried until golden, so the firm white flesh steams inside its crust; served with lemon.
Courgette Moussaka
A summer Bulgarian moussaka in which fried courgette slices take the place of potatoes, layered with minced meat cooked with tomato and baked under the classic set topping of yoghurt and eggs.
Beef with Mushrooms
Beef braised slowly in red wine with onion, garlic and thyme until tender, then joined by browned mushrooms for the last half hour so they keep their bite in a dark, glossy sauce.
Green Fig Preserve (Sladko ot Smokini)
Bulgaria's spoon sweet of small green figs — blanched twice to draw out their bitter milk, then simmered in syrup with lemon until glassy and whole, and served by the spoonful with a glass of cold water.
Rose Petal Preserve (Sladko ot Rozi)
The preserve of Bulgaria's Rose Valley — petals of the oil-bearing Damask rose rubbed with sugar and lemon and cooked into a fragrant ruby syrup, made in late May when the roses are picked at dawn.
Bulgarian Plum Jam (Marmalad ot Slivi)
The Bulgarian autumn plum jam — ripe blue plums cooked down for hours with little sugar into a thick, dark spread that won't run off the spoon, used to fill pastries and spread on bread all winter.
Breaded Squid Rings
Squid rings in a crisp breadcrumb coat, fried for barely two minutes so they stay tender — a staple of every Black Sea seaside restaurant, served with lemon and garlic mayonnaise.
Roast Pork Knuckle
Pork knuckle simmered with bay and allspice, then roasted on a bed of onions with beer until the skin blisters into crackling and the meat falls from the bone — Bulgarian tavern food for cold evenings.
Rulo Stefani (Bulgarian Meatloaf)
Bulgaria's festive meatloaf — seasoned minced pork and beef rolled around a row of hard-boiled eggs, gherkins and carrot, so every slice shows a bright cross-section; served hot or cold on holiday tables.
Fish Kyufteta
Bulgarian fish patties of minced white fish, onion, dill and milk-soaked bread, fried until golden and served with a garlicky yoghurt and dill sauce — a good use for hake or any firm, mild fish.
Chicken Kyufteta
Light Bulgarian meatballs of minced chicken with grated courgette, spring onion and dill, baked on a tray instead of fried so they stay tender and juicy without any frying oil.
Grilled Sea Bass
Whole sea bass stuffed with lemon and parsley, grilled until the skin chars and crisps, and dressed at the table with olive oil whisked with lemon, garlic and parsley, the way the Black Sea fish restaurants serve it.
Chicken Rolls with Bacon
Chicken breasts pounded thin and rolled around kashkaval and roasted red pepper, wrapped in bacon and baked until the bacon crisps and the cheese melts into the meat — a favourite on Bulgarian New Year and party tables.
Pork with Prunes
A festive Bulgarian winter dish — pork shoulder braised with prunes, onion and red wine until the prunes melt into a dark, sweet-sour sauce; a favourite on the Christmas table, when pork is the meat of the season.
Frequently asked questions
How many recipes from Bulgarian cuisine are on svcs.bg?
239: 214 cooking recipes, 15 salads, 9 sauces and 1 cocktail.
What are the classic dishes from Bulgarian cuisine?
Among the recipes here: Kozunak with Walnuts, Banitsa and Bob Chorba.
What is the quickest recipe from Bulgarian cuisine?
Ayran, in about 5 minutes. Sauerkraut Salad (10 min) and Bulgarian Tomato Salad (10 min) are quick too.
Are there vegetarian recipes from Bulgarian cuisine?
Yes, 138 of the 239 are vegetarian, for example Bulgarian Sauerkraut Soup, Elderflower Cordial (Sirop ot Baz) and Sour Cherry Compote (Kompot ot Vishni).
How is a recipe's cuisine decided?
By its tag: this page lists every recipe tagged "bulgarian". A recipe can belong to more than one cuisine.