Name: Krompir čorba
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 48 min
Total time: 1 h 3 min
Yield: 6 bowls, about 400 g each
Cuisine: Serbian cuisine
Ingredients: 800 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes; 150 g onion, finely diced; 120 g carrot, diced; 150 g red sweet pepper, diced; 200 g ripe tomato, grated or finely chopped; 1500 ml water; 30 ml sunflower oil; 8 g salt; 2 g black pepper; 10 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 20 g wheat flour; 5 g sweet paprika; 20 ml sunflower oil

Yield 6 bowls, about 400 g each

Preparation time 15 minutes

Cooking time 48 minutes

Passive time 0 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Serbian-style potato čorba with vegetables and a light paprika roux

Krompir čorba is practical home cooking rather than a fixed ceremonial formula. The Serbian versions most useful as a baseline combine potato with everyday vegetables and enough thickening to distinguish the bowl from a clear soup. The soup uses onion, carrot, sweet pepper and tomato, then finishes with a small paprika-flour roux. There is no meat, cream or egg, so the flavour remains centred on vegetables and sweet paprika.

Potato size determines the final body. Cubes close to two centimetres soften in roughly the same window as the diced carrot while still remaining visible in the finished bowl. If half the potatoes dissolve, the soup becomes starchy before the roux is added; if they are too large, the vegetables around them overcook first. The base is sautéed briefly to remove the raw onion edge and concentrate the tomato before the measured water goes in.

The roux is intentionally light. Flour cooks in a small second measure of oil only until the raw aroma disappears. Sweet paprika follows after the heat is lowered, because paprika scorches quickly and turns bitter. Diluting the roux with a ladle of hot soup before it returns to the pot prevents dense lumps. Five minutes of final simmering is enough to hydrate the flour and give the broth a thin coating consistency.

The soup is ready when a potato cube breaks under gentle spoon pressure but does not vanish into the liquid, and when the broth lightly coats the spoon without becoming pasty. Fresh parsley goes in at the end so it keeps a clean herbal note. As with any cooked soup, leftovers need a cooling plan: shallow containers, refrigeration within two hours at 4 °C or below, and reheating to 73.9 °C throughout.

Practical

ControlKeep the potato pieces similar in size so the soup thickens slightly without some cubes dissolving before others are tender.
ControlAdd paprika after the flour has cooked briefly and keep it away from high heat; burnt paprika gives the whole pot a harsh flavour.

Ingredients

Soup

800 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
150 g onion, finely diced
120 g carrot, diced
150 g red sweet pepper, diced
200 g ripe tomato, grated or finely chopped
1500 ml water
30 ml sunflower oil
8 g salt
2 g black pepper
10 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Roux

20 g wheat flour
5 g sweet paprika
20 ml sunflower oil

Directions

Soup base

Prepare the vegetablesCut the vegetables to an even size and keep the potatoes in cold water only while the remaining vegetables are prepared. The vegetables are ready when the potato cubes are close to 2 cm and the onion, carrot and pepper are small enough to soften in the same cooking window.
Sauté the aromatic baseSauté the onion and carrot in the first measure of oil, then add the pepper and tomato. The base is ready when the onion is translucent, the carrot edges have softened and the tomato has lost its raw watery look.
Simmer the potatoesAdd the potatoes, measured water, salt and pepper and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender. The soup is ready for thickening when a potato cube breaks under light pressure from a spoon but still keeps a recognisable shape.

Roux and finish

Make the paprika rouxHeat the second measure of oil with the flour briefly, remove from the strongest heat and stir in the sweet paprika. The roux is ready when the flour smells lightly toasted but remains pale and the paprika turns the fat red without darkening.
Thicken and finish the soupWhisk a ladle of soup into the roux, return it to the pot and simmer, then add parsley. The čorba is ready when the broth lightly coats a spoon without becoming pasty and the vegetables remain distinct.

Practical

Practical guidance

If serving immediately, keep the soup hot until ladling. For leftovers, portion before refrigeration rather than placing a deep hot stockpot into the refrigerator. Reheat only the amount needed and check the centre of the batch, not just the bubbling edge.

Control points

Soup is glueyGuidance: Too much potato broke down or the flour roux was overused.Adjustment: Keep the potato cubes intact and use only the measured flour for a light coating consistency.
Paprika tastes bitterGuidance: It scorched in hot fat.Adjustment: Lower the heat before adding paprika and move directly to dilution with soup.

Nutrition

Serving size1 bowl, about 400 g
Calories230 kcal
Carbohydrates39 g
Protein5 g
Fat7 g
Fibre6 g
Sodium560 mg

Figures are approximate and vary with ingredient brands, trimming, liquid retention and portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens: Wheat/gluten. Refrigerate cooked soup within 2 hours in shallow containers at 4 °C or below. Reheat leftovers to 73.9 °C throughout. Do not rely on steaming appearance alone as the reheating safety check.

FAQ

Can the roux be omitted?

Yes, but the result becomes a lighter soup. This formula includes a small roux because it gives the characteristic čorba body without making the broth heavy.

Why is paprika added after the flour?

Paprika can scorch in very hot fat. Briefly cooking the flour first, lowering the heat and then adding paprika protects its sweet flavour and colour.

Result: A light brick-red broth with tender potato cubes, distinct vegetables and just enough body to cling to the spoon.

Key: Control potato size and the final roux; those two choices determine whether the bowl stays a čorba rather than turning watery or gluey.